Happiness is the Best Medicine

Aston University alumna Nisha Kotecha

“ There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world which remain unknown even to ourselves.” So wrote Robert Louis Stevenson in his glorious essay An Apology for Idlers: first published in the July 1877 edition of the Cornhill Magazine. His view of happiness - not mere self-indulgence, but a force for universal good - is one that Aston alumna Nisha Kotecha would recognise. This Human Psychology graduate has been spreading happiness with her social enterprise, Good News Shared, since April 2014. As a result she has thought more than most of us about happiness: what it is and how we can experience more of it.

“I actually went to a happiness festival not so long ago in Manchester,” she says with a laugh. “It was quite funny - bringing a thousand happy people together in the same room. I think a lot of us look to the big moments in life for happiness, but for me it’s the simpler, smaller things. You’re supposed to think about milestones: you get married; have children; buy a house; but every day should really have something nice in it, even if you’re going through a hard time.”

This idea of simple appreciation is the force behind Good News Shared: initially a blog but now also a fully-fledged social media and communications business for charities. The aim is to find as many positive, charitable stories as possible and publish them, Monday to Friday. The blog’s mission statement sums it up: ‘Studies have found that hearing and sharing good news can have a number of positive effects on us, including increased optimism and reduced stress levels. The world is full of amazing things, but if you watch, listen or read mainstream media you might not realise this. As well as giving you a boost of positivity, we want to showcase the work and impact charities, social enterprises and individuals are having on the world - both so you are able to take advantage of the opportunities they provide, and to inspire you to get more involved in your community.’

From modest beginnings, Good News Shared has grown rapidly, with an estimated 1,200 stories having been published and 135 writers involved, all of whom are volunteers. Last year Nisha was named in The Independent’s Happy List: a selection of people who make life better for others (and an antidote to the media’s annual rich lists). She has also been listed in Forbes magazine as an entrepreneur to watch. The idea for Good News Shared came to her when she was working for a small, national charity for elderly people that organised free coach holidays.

“Unfortunately we didn’t always fill the coach and it was really frustrating to think that we were offering a really good opportunity and yet weren’t able to get the attention I felt we should have,” she explains. “I spoke to a few people in the sector and they were experiencing similar frustrations, and I realised that many people don’t understand what charities do and the impact they’re having. So I just thought ‘Let me try and do something about it’. So that’s why I set up Good News Shared. The more I worked on the project the more I realised there are lots of people who don’t read or listen to the news because it can be quite depressing.”

Not that avoiding the mainstream media is necessarily a good thing, she adds, but her intention is to provide some balance and remind people that positive stories do exist. The blog’s endorsements speak for themselves: “If you want an instant emotional lift take a look at the Good News Shared website, it will restore your faith in humanity” says one reader. And not just humanity. The Amazing Animals section (sample article: ‘14 Cute Cats Celebrated for their Heroism, Survival and Companionship’) provides a regular shot of feel-good hormones - no prescription required.

“I didn’t know a lot about animals when I started the blog but now I’m volunteering for a local rescue,” says Nisha. “I used to spend quite a lot of time in a park in Lisbon reading and I just loved seeing all the dogs playing. That really made me happy.”

A love of volunteering, coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit, have both been vital ingredients in the creation of Good News Shared. Nisha first began volunteering for charities during the school summer holidays and has continued ever since. Her first job with a charity, Second City Second Chance, based in Sparkbrook, was during her placement year at Aston University. She has also volunteered for MediCinema: an organisation that arranges cinema trips for patients undergoing complex treatments in hospital.

It was on the Erasmus Entrepreneurs Programme, however, that Nisha’s ideas around happiness and volunteering began to coalesce with her interest in social enterprise. She completed the course in Berlin where she developed her first product: The Moments Journal. The journal (which she sells as a means of supporting the blog) helps people to capture the smaller, good things that happen on a daily basis.

“I used to just rush through my days and forget about the nicer things,” she explains. “It’s easy to focus on the annoying things in your day. You can spend a couple of minutes or longer filling in the journal - it’s up to you. It helps you with small changes that can make a big difference long-term. For instance, I recently bought a radio because I like listening to music and found I wasn’t doing it much. Now I can listen to music while I cook. I also think volunteering is a really good way of helping you to be happy. It doesn’t have to be a huge part of your life but you can do things for a few hours a month. Doing something for other people does make a difference to you as well.”

For uplifting stories, to buy the Moments Journal, or to enquire about getting involved in the blog, please visit goodnewsshared.com