Since times immemorial, humans have sought joy and happiness in their lives through community participation. Two decades ago, being a member of a club generally involved attending a book reading event in a library, a social club event in a lodge, bridge sessions in a community center, or a party in the neighbor's home. Clubs are very different nowadays. Clubs have gone on-line with local chapters, and are no longer just about individual interests.
Clubs are now about something greater, such as movements for peace, social impact, animal protection, feeding the hungry, and many such causes.
And community gatherings are driving and spreading movements.
In this article we will focus attention on what is happiness, and different types of communities and clubs that are helping their members to be happy.
What is Happiness?
Well, the easiest and perhaps the best way to define happiness is to experience it, or try to remember your own feelings when you felt happy! Different cultures have a word for happiness in their own languages.
Research on what internal feelings and external circumstances lead to the feeling of happiness is fascinating. Many studies have shown that happiness comes from a mix of genetics, life circumstances, and intentional activities. Happiness is a result of the combined effect of the three factors. There are many activities that are known to help create feelings of happiness. Here are some of them:
Acceptance and commitment to focus on the positives.
Practicing gratitude - acknowleging to whom you're thankful, and for what.
Practicing mindfulness - being present in the moment.
Meditation with positve imaging, or focus on “nothingness.”
Relaxing activities in natural surroundings.
Games and fun activities that are not pleasure seeking and are non-hedonistic.
Flow activities - that challenge you and utilize your skills without competing with others.
Social connections and positive conversations - strong relationships with others are crucial for well-being.
While thousands of services and tools such as apps, books, talks and university courses available, clubs are becoming more accepted and popular as venues for practicing happiness.
Different Types of Clubs
There are different types of Clubs, each focusing on different ways of practicing happiness. A few examples:
Cultural clubs
Ubuntu clubs in Nigeria – they emphasize community and interconnectedness
Gemütlichkeit in Germany – this is a social bonding concept that fosters a sense of belonging through playful and lively interactions.
Blue Zones – these are gatherings of happy, healthy people, often attributed to strong social connections, purposeful living, and healthy habits.
Religious congregations and clubs – studies show that actively participating in religious groups is linked to higher happiness levels and civic engagement.
Hobby Clubs.
Book clubs - shared interests foster camaraderie and social connections.
Knitting clubs - collaborative activities promote happiness and a sense of belonging.
Chess clubs - strategic games encourage social interaction and mental stimulation, as long long as they don’t involve unhealthy rivalry or toxic competitions.
Blogger Clubs - online forums for writers to share experiences and support one another.
Fandom Clubs - shared enthusiasm for specific interests creates connections among members.
Alumni Clubs - educational institutions fostering social connections and personal growth.
Multicultural Clubs - diverse groups promoting understanding and harmony among different cultures.
Philanthropic Clubs.
Volunteer Clubs - collective efforts to support social causes and promote well-being.
Charity Clubs - dedicated to addressing specific needs and promoting happiness through giving.
Wellness Clubs Have Gained Acceptance
As the pace of life has been increasing rapidly, clubs and gatherings to help deal with stress and practice happiness have been naturally sprouting in all societies. Classic examples are yoga groups, meditation circles, gratitude groups, and even accountability groups where members support each other for health and wellness practices, including exercise, hydration, sleep and work-life balance.
The Covid pandemic era drastically changed venues for such gatherings. Face-to-face meet-ups could not happen easily. On-line venues such as internet-based meeting rooms became acceptable and convenient. People discovered that connections and conversations are possible without being in the same physical space. Meeting on-line also became popular due to increasing lack of time during work days.
One of the key benefits of on-line venues has been that they are borderless. A student from India, a professional from the US, and a European retiree can easily and instantly come together for a common purpose.
Mental health issues also entered mainstream society at the same time. Stress, burnouts, depression and loneliness were no longer subjects of whispered conversations; they became mainstream subjects of discussions. Virtual mental wellness clubs filled the gap as they provided a mix of support, education, and accountability.
On-line Wellness Clubs Have Real Benefits
There are many reported instances of how people are benefiting from on-line wellness clubs. We highlight three benefits:
Sara, twenty-eight: "I've started attending meditation sessions every Monday. They recharge me for the whole week!"
Ravi, age twenty: "I took part in a competition for decreasing social media use. Knowing that others were trying it as well, made it easier, and fun to participate. Results were natural. I felt a sense of accomplishment, and improved my social life as well."
Maria, age thirty-five: “My new baby makes me so happy. Yet parenting has made me feel isolated. I have now joined a community club for young mothers. When I hear other mothers talk about their experiences, it gives me strength. I realize that what I am going through is just another natural phase of life.”
Wellness Industry Problem
In spite of thousands of wellness and related clubs, there's a crisis going on right now. It is a crisis of unhappiness.
Unhappiness includes dissatisfaction, inability to deal with stress in life, inability to deal with challenges, and lack of mental resilience. Too much negativity is building in our minds.
There are three root causes of the crisis:
Current solutions are not really working effectively as they should.
Most people don’t practice the activities provided by their clubs.
The industry is highly crowded and fragmented.
These problems are being addressed by a new kind of wellness club, the Happily-Club.
Let’s take a look at how this new club works.
The Happily-Club
This club was founded by Mind Technologies Inc., in 2004, a Massachusetts, USA based venture with a vision of healthy minds, happy homes, thriving organizations & engaging communities. It’s a lofty vision, yet achievable as the industry evolves on the basis of the holistic concept of the club.
The two co-founders of Mind Technologies Inc., and one of the Happily-Club’s ambassadors have elegantly described what the club is about in the club’s website at Happily-Club
The unique combination of services this club provides, the participative environment it creates for its members, and its community building feature of an interactive “members forum,” show promise that the club could change the game of the wellness industry!
The Happily-Club provides self-help solutions that are habit-forming. So people can avoid getting mentally ill in the first place.
It provides highly effective, short, science-based, happiness building, micro-sessions that easily fit busy lifestyles.
The other feature of the Happily-Club is that it is a world-wide, on-line, open platform. So all service providers from the current industry, which is fragmented and crowded, are welcome to join the club, collaborate with each other, and provide their services to the club members. The benefit to service providers is that they can easily reach a world-wide audience without huge marketing budgets.
Here are some specific features of the club:
Daily mindfulness exercises: short exercises such as breathing techniques or group gratitude activities.
Weekly challenges: small tasks, such as reducing time spent on social networks or adding a short walk during the day.
Community check-ins: a judgement-free space for sharing hurdles and success stories of being happy.
Expert sessions: regular workshops facilitated by fitness,nutrition and mental health-mindfulness experts, and motivational coaches.
Mind-Spa Parties: Mind-Spa Parties offer group sessions that blend gratitude circles, laughter therapy, interactive games, and more, creating a vibrant, festival-like atmosphere. These events are designed to promote relaxation, uplift spirits, strengthen connections, and reduce feelings of isolation.
The Future of Wellness Clubs
We believe that future clubs will evolve and offer many more wonderful opportunities for making happiness a lifestyle for millions of people, world-wide:
Hybrid Models: Balancing the use of on-line activities with local face-to-face gatherings.
Niche Micro-Clubs: Micro-clubs with specializations such as mindfulness for students, group gratitude activities, or conversation games with parents.
Incorporation of Technology: AI-based coaching, real-time interactive wearable devices, robots as emotional companions for individuals or groups, and other technolog enabled services are expected to be developed in the near future.
Conclusion
The current on-line club phenomenon isn't about technology; it's about people. It's about people engaging in communities of strangers, uplifting one another, and giving room for joy and thriving.
The Happily-Club demonstrates how on-line groups could positively enrich lives. It demonstratess that support, connection, and well-being are achievable with cohesive and supportive on-line groups, no matter how daunting the world appears,.
Those interested in being happy, spreading happiness among others, or just improving their mental health, or fighting loneliness might consider joining the Happily-Club as an easy, yet important first step. Feel free to check out the club’s website and pre-register. They are offering free life-time memberships for those who register prior to the launch of the club, expected sometime this November.