1. Pay attention You can’t retrieve information that doesn’t go into your memory in the first place – it’s like searching for a file your never saved. If you want to remember something, make a point of noticing it – consciously. Example Want to remember where you parked the car in the 52-story movie car-park?… Continue reading Friday Quick Tricks: 3 tips for a better memory
Author: Michele Connolly
Choose to be happier – and you will be.
Happiness and exercise
Following last week’s bad news about anti-depressants I wanted to bring you some good news too. A research study at Duke University found that a 30-minute brisk walk or jog 3 times a week worked as well as antidepressant drugs in beating depression. OK, so now we know these drugs may be no better than… Continue reading Happiness and exercise
What makes a happy kid?
What makes kids happy? A new iPod? The Wiggles? An industrial-sized pack of M&Ms? A new study by Mark Holder at the University of British Columbia has checked in to the question of childhood happiness. And the findings might not be what you expect. At the bottom of the contributing factors are money, the… Continue reading What makes a happy kid?
Friday Quick Tricks: 7 tips for anger management
1. Write it down A written rant is a neat way to let off steam. Not only does writing it down take the sting out of a situation, it can bring you all kinds of insights that elude you when you’re in the throes of throwing things. 2. Breathe Inhale deeply. Exhale the yuck. 3.… Continue reading Friday Quick Tricks: 7 tips for anger management
Is that Prozac in your pocket or do you just THINK you’re happy to see me?
‘Has the Prozac bubble finally burst?’ asks this week’s New Scientist mag. The article reports findings that antidepressants seem to offer no more than a placebo effect, except in the most severely depressed people. And those severely depressed people respond less to placebos, not more to the drugs. Reports of subjects’ happiness have been greatly… Continue reading Is that Prozac in your pocket or do you just THINK you’re happy to see me?
Happiness Life Strategy: How to be happy while waiting for the bus
‘How long till the bus gets here?’ ‘Should I walk instead?’ ‘Maybe it’s just around the corner and then I’ll miss it.’ ‘But if it’s not around the corner then how long till it gets here?’ If such Shakespearean dilemmas plaque your daily commute, you’ll be relieved to know there’s now a definitive, mathematically sanctioned… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: How to be happy while waiting for the bus
Happiness Life Strategy: Know your personality
No matter what your personality make-up, you can make choices that bring you greater happiness. You just have to understand the pros and cons of your personality traits. In Happiness Strategy 12: Make peace with your personality we learned the ‘Big-Five’ dimensions of personality are extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness and neuroticism and we saw that… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Know your personality
Happiness Life Strategy: Enjoy your stories, make friends & influence people
Relationships are important to happiness, so nurturing your social skills would seem a pretty wise happiness strategy. Now, is that something you can get from a book? Well, yes and no – it depends on the book. It may surprise you that research shows people panache is more polished in readers of Pride and Prejudice… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Enjoy your stories, make friends & influence people
Not happy to say goodbye: Ali G on science & ‘techmology’
I still haven’t gotten over the demise of Borat and Ali G, two characters who brought me great, chunky wads of happiness. But I think it’s time to mark their passing with a little blog vigil. Two of my passions are science and technology, so this clip where ‘Ali G talks to some geezers about… Continue reading Not happy to say goodbye: Ali G on science & ‘techmology’
Happiness Life Strategy: Enjoy (a little) chocolate, guilt free!
Are your chocolate indulgences tarnished by fears of cholesterol, cavities, pimples and fat? Well fret no more, chocoholic chums – a recent SparkPeople article has set about busting these and other chocolate-coated myths. Now before you install chocolate at the base of your personal food pyramid, take note: the quantities you can savor before the… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Enjoy (a little) chocolate, guilt free!