A 91亚色 study found that 鈥� every day for five to 15 minutes for a week 鈥� increased their happiness and self-esteem.

After six months, many were still actively helping others and were reporting that their happiness and self-esteem levels were still up, according to the study, which will be published in the spring edition of the , an international scientific quarterly available online through Springer science and business media.

Myriam Mongrain, associate professor of psychology in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Health and lead author for the study, says 700 people from across Canada were recruited online at the end of 2007 through a Facebook ad and then directed to the survey site, . The age group of respondents ranged from 18 to 73 with 80 per cent women and 20 per cent men.

The data collected on the original respondents 鈥� before they had started the compassion exercise 鈥� showed that the majority were 鈥渄epressed,鈥� says Mongrain.

Of the original 700 recruits, 458 people completed the first week鈥檚 exercise which required them to help or interact with another person every day 鈥� it could be someone they knew or a stranger 鈥� 鈥渋n a supportive and considerate鈥欌�� way. The positive effects on their happiness and self-esteem were 鈥渧ery strong,鈥� says Mongrain.

After three months 260 responded, with the majority saying that they were still performing acts of kindness 鈥� one to three days a week 鈥� and feeling the same positive effects. After six months, which was the end of the study, there were 179 responses with most still doing a good deed one to three days a week and feeling happier for it.

Despite the high drop-out rate, the results indicate that the exercise of performing acts of kindness 鈥渟ustained increases in happiness and self-esteem,鈥欌�� says Mongrain, who had help analyzing the data from co-authors of the study, [91亚色 researchers] Jacqueline Chin and Leah Shapira.

The study, funded by the , was also covered May 17 in the London Free Press and Toronto Sun and May 18 in The Globe and Mail and on 680 News in Toronto.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Doorey says the main reason he started Doorey's Workplace Law Blog was to better connect with his students. 鈥淚 wanted to make my courses in workplace law and industrial relations interesting and 鈥榬eal鈥� for the students. By linking course theory and readings to real cases and current news events, I can build student interest in the course in ways a textbook never can.鈥�

Right: David Doorey

But then he thought he could do that even better through an app. 鈥淭he iTunes app is the next step,鈥� he says. 鈥淢ost students today have smartphones, and this app means I can now communicate with students daily, wherever they are. They are learning in fun new ways that fit with their lifestyles.鈥�

His central audience has always been students studying in his subject areas at 91亚色 and at other institutions. His blog looks at all aspects of employment law and highlights some of the more interesting and current cases, such as Fraser vs. Ontario: Constitutional Right to Collective Bargaining Survives, a discussion on whether Target Canada will buy unionized Zellers, and how the City of Toronto Committee voted to fire 300 unionized garbage collectors. Doorey's Workplace Law Blog won a CLawBies 鈥� Canadian Law Blog Award 鈥� in 2008 and again in 2009, and was a CLawBies finalist in 2010.

鈥淚'm trying to stimulate their critical thinking in the field and make them want to learn more,鈥� says Doorey. 鈥淭he blog has attracted a much wider audience than just students, including legal and human resources practitioners and other academics, and I anticipate that the app will allow me to connect to more of these busy professionals.鈥�

The blog, and now the app, will help interested students and professionals keep up with what's going on in new case law and in the academic world 鈥渁s they commute to
work or wait in line to order coffee.鈥� Doorey sees the app as a way to provide a service to the professional community in his field by summarizing relevant news. 鈥淚t connects me to a whole new audience that is interested in the subject matter of my blog, but whose lives are too hectic to read it,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ith the app, they just tap an icon, and they can quickly see what's going in the field.鈥�

Doorey points out, however, that writing blogs and creating apps is not for everyone. 鈥淭hey are a lot of work to keep up, and you need to be really committed to it over the long haul for it to work. My motivation is my students, who turn over every few months. The new students give me the energy to keep going, since they respond very favourably, and since the blog and app are always introducing new stories and issues to the classroom, it never gets boring for me or the students.鈥�

He is grateful聽for the help he received from Oksana Silkina and Alex Neumann in 91亚色's e-Services office in getting his app created and submitted to Apple for its approval to be published.

For more information, visit Doorey鈥檚 Workplace Law Blog or . It is compatible with聽the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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