Happiness Tips

Happiness Tips

Dr. Tal Ben Shahar psychologist, Harvard professor & author of “Happier: Finding Pleasure, Meaning & Life’s Ultimate Currency” 

1. Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions — such as fear, sadness, or anxiety — as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration & unhappiness.

2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure & meaning. The goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant & enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure & meaning.

3. Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on state of our bank account. Barring extreme circumstances, our level of well being is determined by what we choose to focus on (the full or the empty part of the glass) and by our interpretation of external events. For example, do we view failure as catastrophic, or do we see it as a learning opportunity?

4. Simplify! We are, too busy, trying to squeeze in more & more activities into less & less time. Quantity influences quality, and we compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much.

5. Remember the mind-body connection. What we do — or don’t do — with our bodies, influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits lead to both physical & mental health.

6. Express gratitude, whenever possible. Learn to appreciate & savor the wonderful things in life, from people to food, from nature to a smile.

My Take:

I especially love point no.1 & 6 .....

Need to ACCEPT negative emotions as a part of oneself, and then work on reducing them, rather than creating negative self esteem and hating oneself for 'feeling' inappropriately.

Learning to love the small & wonderful things is what makes it all worthwhile.

Also enjoying positive qualities of others, focusing less on people and more on ideas would make one happier :)