If you need a little refresher on technique, Mary Poppins and friends have some notes We all love to laugh (er, don’t we?). But ever since Norman Cousins extolled the therapeutic benefits of Marx Brothers-induced giggles, laughter has been lauded for its healthful effects as well as its pleasurable sensations. According to the latest Fitness… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Consciously look for laughs
Author: Michele Connolly
Choose to be happier – and you will be.
A creative approach to happiness
Looking for a way to boost your happiness while reducing anxiety and depression? New research from the UK’s Manchester Metropolitan University suggests artistic pursuits are a good choice. Their three year Treasury-funded project found participants ‘felt happier, empowered and more confident’ following creative endeavors such as: painting dance music story-telling So what are you waiting… Continue reading A creative approach to happiness
How to be happy – 12. Make peace with your personality
Lesson: Not all personalities are created equally happy In Strategy 11 we saw there’s evidence that genes link to happiness via personality – which has a moderate-to-strong genetic component, emerges early, and stays stable-ish through life. Psychologists believe personality can, to some extent, be reflected by 5 traits: agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism. These… Continue reading How to be happy – 12. Make peace with your personality
Happiness Life Strategy: Become ‘irresistibly attractive’
Thomas Leonard, considered by many to be the father of life coaching, coined the term ‘irresistibly attractive’ to describe the drawing of people, ideas and opportunities to you rather than the pursuit or seduction of these things by you. Here are his top 10 steps to becoming irresistibly attractive, reproduced verbatim from http://www.topten.org/public/BK/BK2.html The Top… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Become ‘irresistibly attractive’
Happiness Life Strategy: Don’t be pigeon-holed by your ‘personality’
A recent article in London’s Telegraph (via SMH) quoted research that a person’s birth date can influence their personality. Now before you run screaming for astrology.com, please note that Richard Wiseman, psych professor at Hertfordshire Uni, observes in the article that these findings are ‘exactly what you would expect if it were temperature related… many… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Don’t be pigeon-holed by your ‘personality’
Happiness Life Strategy: Don’t drown your sorrows – it’ll just make you sad
If you think alcohol is a good way to feel good when things go bad, think again. A recent SMH article shed light on liquor’s little secret – it can lead to depression. ‘Compared to people who drink because they’re depressed, there are more people who get depressed because they regularly drink too much’, says… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Don’t drown your sorrows – it’ll just make you sad
Happiness Life Strategy: Recognize that most of your problems are first-world problems
Teenage affluenza is spreading fast This video has done the rounds, but it’s well worth revisiting, even at more than 5 minutes. If you haven’t seen it, please do – your time and attention will be rewarded. It brilliantly highlights the effect comparison has on how we see our lives. If we compare our bodies… Continue reading Happiness Life Strategy: Recognize that most of your problems are first-world problems
How to de-clutter your life: Step 3
If you’ve completed Step 1: Admit you have a problem and Step 2: Purge then you’re probably feeling pretty damned pleased with yourself right now – and rightly so! I can just picture you – basking in that glow of clutterless clarity, clucking derisively at friends still trapped in clutter rebutting, nodding sagely as you… Continue reading How to de-clutter your life: Step 3
Wishing you something to love, something to do, and something to hope for in 2008
See you in 2008! Well, that’s it for me for 2007. I’m taking some time off to chill, eat Christmas pudding and hang out with friends and family. I’ll be back on Monday January 14 with more happiness research, happiness musings and ideas on how to be happy. I wish you a meaningful and fun… Continue reading Wishing you something to love, something to do, and something to hope for in 2008
4 steps to better resolutions for a happier new year – Step 4
Review Step 1: Run a reality check Review Step 2: Translate ‘what’ into ‘when’ Review Step 3: Focus on progress, not perfection Step 4. Make it fun! Don’t be too earnest with your resolutions. Adding some fun to your goals can help you stick with it when your motivation’s down. Here are some ideas and… Continue reading 4 steps to better resolutions for a happier new year – Step 4