HAPPY And The Flow Theory

The documentary HAPPY looks at the lives of different individuals from around the world, finding what source of leisure gives them the feeling of “happiness”. From the start many perspectives of how to be happy are shown, from Americans wanting to live the American dream, a rickshaw driver from India, elders in Okinawa Japan, a car accident survivor, and families living in co-housing communities in Denmark. These combine to create different cultural views through interviews with real life people and leading scientists, showing new research in positive psychology throughout the documentary in attempts to discover what happiness truly is. The film was directed by Roko Belic in 2011, and has won numerous awards including best documentary and

audience choice, while also serving as a leader in new research deigns in the psychology field of happiness. Investigating the connection between happiness is strongly connected to leisure preferences, making this documentary a great base to see the impact leisure choices can have on an individual.
Throughout the film leisure activities can be seen and thoroughly discussed with each individual encounter. These include, but are not limited to, surfing, horseback riding, tai chi, social gatherings, and boating as prevalent examples of leisure. These can be defined as leisure due to the nature and reason, such as spiritual well-being, they are done for throughout the film, serving as an escape and a form of flow that is enjoyable and rewarding to the individual. Specific examples of this throughout the film include the surfer who relates surfing to an out of mind experience that can take him away from the stress of his life. This is a significant factor when deciphering leisure, proving the importance it has in fulfilling ones optimal experience and needs in life, providing a better overall well-being and happiness. In addition another example of how leisure is used throughout the film is the elders of Okinawa Japan and their daily social and tea gatherings. The benefits of their leisure time can clearly be seen compared to the rest of Japan (high stress, work levels, and very leisure time), being the oldest living people and the happiest. Serving as a perfect example of what and how leisure can be used to encourage stimulating free time to better ones external, internal, psychological, and physical needs.
Relevant leisure theories chosen for the film is the broaden and build theory of positive emotion, and flow theory due to the strong connection and role they play within the film. The broaden and build theory of positive emotion acknowledges the importance of enjoyment and positive emotions for experiencing happiness through four stages (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). The first and second stage of positive emotions, and broaden, involves joy, love, commitment, interests, and happiness, opening our experiences to a sense of possibility and novel ways of the world, such as laughing with a friend you have not seen for a long time (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). This stage can be seen throughout the film in the community of Okinawa, Japan. Elders gather daily to meet for tea, social time, and outings, creating a connectedness and support group for one another. This enriches the positive emotions crucial to the “broadening” stage that impel us to broaden our experiences by playing, exploring, creating, and envisioning a new direction by expanding everyday limits (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). The third stage of the theory involves “building”, by developing physical, mental, and social resources (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). This again relates directly to the elders of Okinawan, Japan, though there discovery and building of new knowledge, skills, ties, and ways of being (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). This can be seen through the pass down of knowledge to younger generations, are their keen desire to live off the land through gardening and wilderness preservation (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). Building upon these initial positive emotions we experience can lead us to tap into intellecutal, psychological, social, and physical resources that expand and enhance our capacities over time (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). The final stage of the broaden and build theory is “transform”, which build upon advances in personal growth, and creating more positive emotions (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). In order to do this positive emotions must be cultivated by enjoying them in the present moment “the broadening aspect of the theory”, and assist as a mean to tap into potential resources that lead to psychological growth and improved well-being over time (the “build” aspect of the theory) (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). This improved overall well-being, growth, and transformation can be seen in the community of Okinawa, Japan through living longer and stronger than any other nation in the world (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). These resources can be drawn upon later for coping and survival as well, reiterating the transformation stage that occurs within the Okinawa community and the multigenerational pass down it encourages in transforming individuals for the better, making them healthier and more socially integrated, knowledgeable, effective, and resilient to fuel human flourishing (Fredrickson, 2004).
The flow theory was created by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi a professor of psychology and education at the University of Chicago, and was an integral part of the HAPPY documentary.

Recognizing that happiness is a fundamental part in integrating motivation, personality, and subjective experiences into the human experience calls for a greater attention to the impact it plays in our lives (Moneta & Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). Flow theory represents the enjoyable and rewarding experiences expressed through the even balance of challenge and skill, and can be found in multiple aspects throughout HAPPY. In the film tai chi is found to be a common practise among many elderly and even children throughout different regions of Japan. This promotes a sense of self, challenge, and skills to remain in the moment while carrying out the moves in an “absorbed” state of activity. In addition another example of flow throughout the film is the annual gorilla run, consisting of people dressing in both banana and gorilla costumes while running different length marathons. Although this may seem odd it creates an optimization of experience that creates an intense and complex structured activity, allowing for substantial control over an individual’s difficulty of task by allowing the choice in which distance they run (Moneta & Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). Flow furthermore relies heavily on intrinsic motivation and self-determination, which can be found in the story of Melissa Moody. Voted most beautiful women in her younger years, tragedy stroke when she was run over by a car, causing her to become severely disfigured and disabled for over nine in a half years. Although it was a challenge to recover, Melissa found her happiness again through reconnecting with her sense of self and motivating herself through rehabilitation while also finding comfort and flow through horseback riding. The balance of challenge and skill will ultimately decide the quality of the experience, creative talent, mental

health, and positive effect on internal and environmental characteristics (Moneta & Csikszentmihalyi, 1996).
Happy provided viewers with an insightful and expanded perspective of how the broaden and build theory of positive emotions, and flow theory can be found through the use of leisure. Proving how vital leisure is in the pursuit of happiness, while leading people to a better state of well-being and mental health. Being engaged in life with family, friends, work, and one’s community can create a feel good, can do attitude, encouraging positive growth through the use of leisure (Anderson & Heyne, 2012). Therapeutic recreations role holds much promise in the field of happiness, promising potential in future program delivery and success by transforming lives through the use of leisure.