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Let Happiness Impact Your Bottom Line

Recently we caught up with one of our Live Happy "Positive Work" columnists Margaret H. Greenberg for a discussion of how incorporating positive psychology into your company can make a big difference in the way you work: Live Happy: Your book, Profit from the Positive, was the first book we featured in our very first issue back in October 2013. Since then, I understand you and your co-authorSeniaMaymin, Ph.D., have been speaking to businesses, organizations and universities around the world about how they can create more positive work environments. What have you learned over the last three years? Margaret: Employees and managers are thirsty for a more positive approach to running their organizations. While fixing problems and shoring up weaknesses are important to the success of any business, if that’s all you focus on, it can be a drain of energy. A fix-it mindset also causes you to miss out on an important part of the equation—focusing on what’s going right and leveraging people’s strengths. Live Happy: Why should organizations care about creating more positivity at work? Margaret: It’s quite simple. More positive work environments create more positive, engaged employees, and more engaged employees create more loyal and happier customers. For example, in my research study at a large financial services company, we found that managers who gave more frequent recognition and encouragement had teams that were more than 40 percent more productive compared to managers who gave little or no feedback. Live Happy: What’s the best way to keep meetings positive and productive? Margaret: First, start with a sizzle. Begin your meetings by asking a positive question such as, “What’s the best thing that has happened since we met last week? or What are you most proud of?” University of North Carolina psychologist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson has found that when people are in a positive emotional state they are more open to possibilities and more creative, and we all know we could use more of those qualities in the workplace, especially when we’re trying to solve complex problems. Live Happy: How do you keep one team member’s negativity from dragging down the group? Margaret: Dr. Sigal Barsade from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business has found that it only takes one person out of five to “infect” a group with a positive or negative mood. Remember this the next time you find yourself in the company of a negative person. Imagine a shield or cape that is protecting you from getting “infected” and be that one person who infects the group with some positivity. Live Happy: One of our favorite questions you and your co-author Senia Maymin, Ph.D., ask at the end of every chapter in your book is: What is one small change you can make that will have the biggest positive impact? What would you advise for our Live Happy readers? Margaret: Be mindful of the mood you are projecting when you walk into work or return home at the end of the day. Psychologists call this contagion theory. We call it the “The Achoo! Effect.” Your emotions, both positive and negative, are contagious. Be sure you are spreading more cheer than fear. Be a positive deviant! Right now, get a 40% discount on Margaret and Senia's 10-week Profit From the Positive certificate program by registering here! Save more than $1000 on the course when you use the promo code: LiveHappy 2017. Margaret Greenberg is an experienced executive coach and author of the book Profit from the Positive: Proven Leadership Strategies to Boost Productivity and Transform Your Business.

International Day of Happiness in Renton, WA

Practice

Happy Days Are Here

The joy was in full bloom as people around the globe celebrated the International Day of Happiness. More than 70 cities hosted events and activities built around Live Happy’s #HappyActs Walls, where people could post a card that explained how they share happiness. (For each card posted, Live Happy donated $1 to that area’s Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter.) From Brazil to Honolulu—and many points in between—activities including live music, student performances, line dancing, face painting, interactive art events and more helped make the day fun, whether it was in New York City, Detroit, Los Angeles, Cincinnati or Dallas. In New York City, observance of the happiest day of the year began early with a panel discussion at the United Nations on March 17 about well-being and gender equality. Following the U.N. panel, Live Happy CEO and Co-Founder Deborah K. Heisz hosted a fireside chat in the U.N. Bookshop about her new book, Live Happy: Ten Practices for Choosing Joy. And, just in time for the International Day of Happiness, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network released its 2016 World Happiness Report. The annual report, based on a survey of 156 countries, found that the U.S. had jumped up two spots in its overall happiness rankings, now landing at No. 13 worldwide. And, at celebrations all across the country, that happiness showed. Waves of happiness in Manhattan Beach Derek Edmonds, a Manhattan Beach, California, fire captain for more than two decades, knows what a joyful place this surf-side city is on sunny Sunday afternoons in spring. But even he was dazzled by the buckets of bliss he witnessed when he paid a visit in his firetruck to the Happiness Wall at the playground of the Manhattan Beach Middle School. “Look at all this!” he exclaimed. He opened his arms to embrace a scene that included brightly costumed girls from the local Le Petit Cirque troupe walking on stilts; kids gleefully slurping snow cones, riding their tricycles or having their faces painted; and families wearing oversized orange or purple glasses posing for photos in front of the wall, the youngsters clutching balloons or blowing bubbles. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else today,” Derek said. Neither could Sherri Saum, a star of the family TV drama The Fosters. “We can all use a little more happiness in our lives,” she said. “It’s a simple concept but a powerful one.” The mom of twin 2-year-old sons pledged to “fill my house with music” and “make a point each day to create a life of meaning and joy.” Jeryl Prescott, an actress who’s been a frequent guest star on hit shows like Madame Secretary, Ray Donovan and The Walking Dead, came here with her 10- and 12-year-old sons. Before she turned to acting, Jeryl had earned a Ph.D. in literature and taught at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her happy act reflects her lifelong passion for education: “Teaching, learning and sharing with diverse populations.” After posting their Happy Acts, many thirsty celebrators, including Mayor Mark Burton, made a stop at the lemonade stand that benefited the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Big Brother Jackson Marshall had pledged that he would be “smiling more at everyone and making jokes that bring laughter to others.” But it was two little girls, 8-year-old Rachel and Maren, 7, who shared what was probably the truest way to spread happiness. “Letting anyone play with me,” Rachel had written on the card she posted to the Happiness Wall. “Some people don’t have anyone to play with them,” she explained. Kids who are shunned by others are welcome to join Rachel in jump rope or four square, her two favorite games. A few minutes later, Maren wrote she would spread happiness by “including everyone.” When she sees a little girl or boy standing alone during recess, she poses a question that can stand as an example of generosity to us all: “Do you want to play with me?” Smiles for umbrellas in Cincinnati Chilly temperatures and a wet, windy day didn’t dampen the spirits of those who came out to celebrate at Fountain Square in Cincinnati. Although rains swept through the area just as the event was about to begin, the small crowd simply huddled together under tents and waited for the weather to clear. “Even with the rain and the cold, we had an awesome day of sharing and spreading happiness in Cincinnati,” said Susan Holt, wall captain and co-chair of the Cincinnati event. “Lots of smiles and laughs! I was grateful to be part of such a wonderful day.” When the rains eased to a drizzle, cheerleaders from Shroder Paideia High School performed, leading the entire crowd in a cheer, “We are HAPPY!” “Big John” Drury, the “Dancin’ Trucker,” fired up the music and led everyone in a line dance that began with Walk the Moon’s hit, “Shut Up and Dance,” then led into Pharrell Williams’ hit song, “Happy.” “It might be cold and wet, but that’s no reason not to dance,” Big John said with his ever-present smile. Who Dey, the mascot for the Bengals, joined the party, much to the delight of the crowd. He gave out hugs and posed for pictures, then he and Big John decided it was time for more dancing and took over the square to show off their moves. Judi Winall, a certified laughter yoga instructor, wasn’t about to let the weather keep the crowd from laughing. “You can’t help but have fun when doing laughter yoga, regardless of the conditions around you, because it’s about unconditional laughter,” said Judi. She led the group, including Who Dey, in a spirited and hilarious session of laughter yoga. Laughter yoga led to, of course, more dancing, and the drum line from Withrow University High School also joined in the fun, showing off their skills on the skins and drawing more intrigued passersby. While the day didn’t go exactly as planned, Susan and her co-chair, Mary Miller, agreed that they had accomplished what they set out to do: raise awareness about the International Day of Happiness and bring more joy to the city. “It was great to spread happiness, even when the weather did not cooperate,” Mary said. “That happens in life, and it is so much better to be focused on the result rather than the circumstances.”

Self-Care

Two Nutrients You Can’t Live Without

I’m a psychiatrist, and a few years back, I changed how I practice medicine. A new class of medications was causing a series of side effects for the patients in our clinic. While these medications were often necessary prescriptions, patients began to gain weight at an alarming rate and frequently developed diabetes and high blood pressure. Healthy eating and exercise were major interests in my personal life, and I’d been a vegetarian for about a decade, but I hadn’t been talking to my patients about food and lifestyle choices. Food became a focus of my work. Increasingly curious about what my patients ate, I was also determined to find out what I should advise them to eat based on scientific evidence. The power of nutrients I started reading about the recent advances in the science of nutrition, and felt foolish as I realized that the standard advice I was offering—“don’t eat cholesterol or fat”—was both scientifically wrong and woefully inadequate. I also learned that my vegetarian diet wasn’t likely the healthiest. In my new book, Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients That Fuel Brainpower, Boost Weight Loss, and Transform Your Health, I identify the 21 nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, plant-based phytonutrients and health-promoting bacteria) that are essential for the health of our bodies and brains. I’ve selected them based on science and on the reality that Americans are missing a number of key nutrients in their diets. The simple and scary truth is that the majority of people eat a diet lacking the most important nutrients for health. Let’s look at just two of those nutrients and why you require them. ZINC Zinc, a mineral, is key to your immune function (your body’s defense system that protects you from infections, cancer and excess inflammation). Zinc is one of the main reasons you need to eat seafood or meat to get all the 21 vital nutrients (“eat complete”). Plants contain zinc, but they hold on to it quite tightly—so tightly that you don’t absorb much. And while grains contain zinc, 80 percent of that zinc is lost when grains are refined, which is one of several reasons that you should always eat whole grains. While doctors routinely check for the levels of many minerals, they do not test for zinc because it is nearly impossible to diagnose low levels of it. Stress can cause zinc levels to drop, as can illness and heavy exercise. The symptoms of zinc deficiency are very diverse because zinc is central to so many functions—your immune system, your ability to burn fats and carbohydrates and even the ability for your cells to divide. Zinc is so crucial to your health that if you are deficient in it, you also become functionally deficient in vitamin A and folate, two of the other 21 essential nutrients, as zinc is needed for those substances to be effective. Taking too much zinc in supplement form can impair immune function and cause gastrointestinal distress—all the more reason to get the zinc that you need from the food that you eat. VITAMIN B12 (COBALAMIN) B12 is one of two vitamins that predict the rate of how fast your brain shrinks as you age. It’s a depressing thought, but all brains eventually shrink as you grow older. To slow that shrinkage, maximize your absorption of vitamin B12 by keeping the stomach and gut healthy, and eat the most concentrated sources of B12. Low levels of vitamin B12 can cause irreversible damage to brain and nerve cells at any age. And an actual B12 deficiency causes depression, anemia and even psychotic symptoms such as extreme paranoia or hearing voices. B12 deficiency is common in many populations, with vegans and vegetarians at the greatest risk as meat and animal products such as dairy are the only sources of B12. Vegans must take supplements, and vegetarians must rely on dairy and/or supplements. Deficiency is also common in people over 50, as some people produce less stomach acid as they age, and this is a crucial element for B12 absorption from food. Acid reflux medications also decrease acid production and interfere with the body’s ability to absorb B12. Listen to our podcast with Dr. Drew: Happier With Every Bite Zinc Facts Amount you should eat per day: Women, 8 milligrams; men, 11 milligrams. Insufficient dietary intake: 42% of U.S. population. Deficiency risk factors: Vegetarian diet, pregnancy and lactation, and heavy alcohol use. Diuretic medication can increase excretion by the kidney by 60 percent. Top five food sources: Oysters (413% of your Recommended Daily Allowance can be found in six oysters), steak (175% in one 5-ounce steak), sesame seeds (34% in ¼ cup), pumpkin seeds (31% in ¼ cup) and ground turkey (23% in 3 ounces). B12 Facts Amount you should eat per day: 2.4 micrograms for women and men. Insufficient dietary intake: 20% of U.S. population and 73% of vegans have blood levels that are deficient or insufficient. Top 5 food sources: Clams (1,401% of the Recommended Daily Allowance can be found in 3 ounces), beef liver (1,178% in 3 ounces), mussels (833% in 3 ounces), sardines (338% in 3 ounces), crab (127% in 3 ounces), trout (106% in 3 ounces) and wild salmon (82% in 3 ounces). Dr. Drew Ramsey is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Drew uses the latest findings in brain science to help people live their healthiest, happiest lives. His forthcoming book, due out in April, is Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients That Fuel Brainpower, Boost Weight Loss, and Transform Your Health.

Self-Care

Write Your Way to Insight

Try these 5 writing exercises to prime yourself for action, empathy and optimism. Research shows the simple technique of “expressive writing” (see the feature article in the June 2016 issue of Live Happy magazine) can make you happier, healthier and more resilient. But that’s not the only way to create a more joyful life story. Here are five writing assignments to try when you want to spark your creativity, reimagine your future and shake up your present. 1. Describe yourself in 24 words Experts recommend you start with 24 words, then narrow it down to 12 words, then to six, to three and, finally, to a single word. Writing workshop leader Amber Flame includes this exercise in the classes she leads at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. Inmates might begin with a list that includes words like “cook,” “brown skin,” “curly hair,” “mother,” “guilty” and end up with a single word like “survivor.” “It’s a good beginning exercise for people who are uncomfortable writing,” Amber says. “Anybody can do it. But simple as it is, it’s also profound and helps us zero in on how we define our life.” Amber says she does the exercise herself every few months “as a spiritual check-in” and finds the words she chooses change each time. 2. Imagine your best possible self Picture a future in which everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard and succeeded in achieving all your life dreams. Now, suggests psychologist Timothy Wilson, author of Redirect: Changing the Stories We Live By, write down what you’ve just envisioned. “Be sure to include how you realized your goals (say, by going back to school for a graduate degree). By focusing your story on the practical steps you took, “you might become more optimistic about your future and cope better with any obstacles you encounter.” 3. Write a “joy letter” about someone important in your past or current life In this gratitude exercise, integrative health coach John Evans, Ed.D., suggests that you devote 20 minutes to describing your relationship with the person you are celebrating, including joyous, wonderful experiences you have shared. “Recall how you felt, what you thought, what you said, what others said to you and where you were,” John says. “How do you feel about that person now? How do you wish to feel about them in the future.” The letter is for you only; don’t worry about sending it unless, after rereading the letter a few days later, you think it would be beneficial for you and the other person. 4. Pose the “if”question In 2008, Seattle police officer Kim Bogucki began asking the inmates at the Washington Corrections Center for Women a critical question: “If there was something someone could have said or done that would have changed the path that led you here, what would it have been?” The women’s responses were raw and affecting: "If someone would have told me that I was special.” “If someone had stopped the abuse.” “If someone had told me I’d never see my kids grow up.” As women wrote and shared their “What if” essays, they were able to experience compassion for themselves and for each other and to begin to heal. You don’t need to be in prison, of course, to benefit from this exercise; it’s never too late to identify the “if” that was missing from your life and find ways to provide it for yourself or seek it from others. (Look for the documentary “The IF Project” on the Logo TV network this summer.) 5. Write about something that’s troubling you from the third-person By switching from the “I” voice to he or she, you’ll gain distance, perspective and insight into a conflict—a recent argument with a friend—or your frustrations in trying to find a new job or a relationship. Adopting the voice of an impartial narrator may feel awkward at first but stick with it. The exercise can lead you to feel empathy for someone else’s point of view and can help you see your own behavior with more objectivity. Shelley Levitt is an editor at large for Live Happy.

Self-Care

Just 10 Minutes a Day

When I read Gretchen Rubin’s book Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, I started a love affair with habits. I’ve always loved setting goals, but I’d often end up frustrated with myself (or blame it on not enough hours in a day) if I didn’t get enough accomplished in a week. Then I read this snippet from Gretchen’s book: “With the right habits in place, you can effortlessly go through your day and do the things you want to do.” That’s when I decided to focus more on my habits than an endless list of to-dos. What did I discover? In just 10 minutes a day you can accomplish something that, over time, will move you toward the life you really want. 1. Read every day Before having twin toddlers, I was much better at reading every day. Pre-kiddos reading is much easier for all of us, but we can give ourselves the gift of reading with just 10 minutes before going to bed. And on nights when you have the energy or get absorbed in a really good part, you just may read on. 2. Help one person I write this on my to-do list each day. You can help someone by giving a compliment, writing a positive review, making a referral to give someone a business lead, cooking/baking and sharing, really listening, recommending a book, introducing new friends or forwarding an article. 3. Drink water We all know we are supposed to drink a ton of the stuff every day (8 glasses of 8 ounces) but who does it? Keep a reusable water bottle within arm’s reach all day (carry it with you everywhere) and you will easily get enough water. Your 10 minutes of sipping will be dispersed throughout the day. 4. Reach out My dad lives several states away, so I cut out articles I think he might like and send them to him snail mail. Or I send him a picture or two of his granddaughters because he doesn’t do Facebook. In just 10 minutes, you can write a short note, or send an email to someone you care about or love. 5. Generate ideas We are always busy doing. Or busy being busy. Take 10 minutes for creative brainstorm time. Blog ideas. Business ideas. Come up with new experiences to do with your family. Having something to look forward to makes us happier. 6. Keep your journal from collecting dust I would love to write pages of stream-of-consciousness thoughts for as long as I wanted. But since I don’t have that luxury, I take 10 minutes instead to write a short list about three things I am grateful for. Bonus: This practice makes you happier. 7. Take a short walk I am a wee bit competitive with myself and others. If I am down steps on my Fitbit and far from my daily goal, I can jog in place while I watch the nightly news. Too much sitting isn’t good for you anyway. Take the whole family for a 10-minute walk post-dinner…now that it’s lighter longer. 8. Learn something new I’d totally appreciate college more now than I did when I actually attended. If you like taking notes and learning new things, take 10 minutes a day and tune in to a podcast, watch a video, read an informative article or watch part of a webinar. Watch your knowledge grow by leaps and bounds. 9. Clean out one small thing It may be too daunting to tackle the piles that seem to have grown by themselves all over your house (or office) like stalagmites, but if you take 10 minutes to deal with one discrete pile or corner, you will gain a definite sense of accomplishment. 10. Make your own habits list My list might not be your list. What habits would shift your days into the direction you want to head? Gretchen writes: “There's a great satisfaction in knowing that we've made good use of our days, that we've lived up to our expectations of ourselves.”Now take 10 minutes and make your habits list. See if you can effortlessly plow through those habits tomorrow. Sandra Bienkowski is a regular contributor to Live Happy and the founder and CEO ofTheMediaConcierge.net.

Self-Care

How to Be Happy All Day

One Live Happy writer walks the talk for a day of round-the-clock happiness. When I wrote the story “Happiness Around the Clock,” which describes 24 hours of mood-boosting habits, I was struck by how much my own typical day deviates from the one I outlined. Sure, on some measures I’m spot on. For example, I talk to strangers every day. Carlos, my very handsome and ebullient golden retriever, makes sure of that since he demands that everyone we pass stop and pet him during our thrice-daily walks. And I can attest that those 30 seconds or so of friendly chatting do, indeed, as studies show, give a little lift to your spirits. And, yes, thanks to Carlos, I’m also covered on getting the recommended three brief doses of daily exercise, a surefire stress buster. But on many of the other expert recommendations from the article, I fall short. So, I decided to devote one full day to following the ’round-the-clock happiness template so see what 12 hours of well-being truly feels like. Start from a place of ease I try to begin my day “from a place of ease,” as mindfulness expert Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D., puts it, by doing some arm circles in bed and checking in on how I’m feeling physically (well rested) and emotionally (some low-level anxiety about a story I need to write). This is a departure from the way I usually start my mornings, which is reaching for the iPad that I’ve stowed on my bedside table and opening my browser to CNN (only to be confronted by some pretty dismaying headlines first thing in the morning). My morning routine, with intention I really make my bed. Most days I just give the duvet a quick shake, but today I also tuck in the sheets and rearrange the pillows with so much care they wouldn’t be out of place in a Pottery Barn catalog. The mindful shower I slow down my shower. In drought-stricken California, you don’t want to linger in the shower too long, but I’ve prepared for the “mindful shower” that Elisha advocates with a jar of wonderful-smelling brown sugar scrub. Slow down and take notice I create transitions. I often move on to a new writing project while I still have papers and notes from the one I’ve just completed scattered across my desk. Today, I want, as yoga teacher Sam Chase suggests, to begin a new task fully present. So I clean my desk between tasks and take a couple of moments to brew a cup of lavender green tea. A respite in the sunshine Instead of eating at my desk, I take a break to “cultivate the best me.” I load my healthy salad and a wedge of salmon frittata on a tray and head out to the backyard with Carlos at my heels. I’ve brought along the book Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Berkeley neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, Ph.D. I’d been meaning to start this for weeks now but never found the time. Since I’ve left my phone upstairs, I can devote 15 minutes to focused reading. That’s enough time, it turns out, to get excited about Rick’s belief that we can rewire our brain to overcome its “negativity bias” and “take in the good.” Since I’m in sunny Southern California, I get bonus points for getting the recommended daily hit of sunlight. A healthy afternoon treat I’ve banned double chocolate chip cookies from my pantry, so when my sweet tooth bites in the late afternoon, I try a method suggested by nutritionist Karen Wang Diggs. I rub a few drops of an essential oil between my palms (I find a rose and frankincense blend in my bathroom vanity) and, inhaling deeply, take in the scent. It’s very pleasant but I still want a chocolate chip cookie. I brew a cup of caffeine-free chocolate-almond tea instead. Prioritize positivity I “prioritize positivity” when I create the next day’s to-do list. I schedule a Pilates class with my favorite teacher for noon and I make a note that I’m going to start a new novel, Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, in the evening. Make time for connection I haven’t gotten any friend time in yet so, on the spur of the moment, I call my friend Lulu. I have some whole-wheat pizza dough in the freezer, would she like to come over for dinner? An hour later, we’re in my kitchen together, finding flow and connection in rolling out the dough while we chat about our days. After dinner, Lulu, Carlos and I go for a final dose of daily exercise. I can check off three more tips from “Happiness Around the Clock.” My new bedtime ritual I don’t have a bedtime ritual, something that neuroscientist Alex Korb, Ph.D., advises. I improvise, patting a few drops of my rose and frankincense essential oil on my face. And, to make sure I’ve got my “mindfulness moments” covered, I concentrate on the feeling of my fingertips on my skin. As I do, I silently express gratitude—the final step of the daily prescription—for the fresh basil growing in my garden, the company of good friends, the buoyant health of my adored Carlos. The takeaway So, here’s what I learned from my experiment. Objectively, this was a pretty ordinary day. There were no hot-air balloon rides or unexpected bouquets of flowers from a secret admirer. But the little tweaks I made from morning until bedtime did lead to a sprinkling of pleasant experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. And I imagine that the cumulative effect of those moments, day after day, could lead to a pretty significant happiness bonus. Tomorrow is another day, and I’m going to keep the experiment going. Shelley Levitt is an editor at large for Live Happy magazine.

Self-Care

And to All, a Good Night

As we wrap up the Live Happy 90 Days to a Happier You challenge, editor at large Shelley Levitt writes a final blog about the triumph of overcoming her chronic insomnia. Here are some things I have not done in the past three months: Taken a nap. Scrolled through Facebook on my iPad after waking up at 3 a.m. Had a late-afternoon cup of tea. Complained about being tired. Insomniac no more! Yes, it’s true. After 90 days of coaching by sleep authority Michael Breus, Ph.D., and some changes in habits (big and small), I can say with confidence and absolute delight that I no longer consider myself an insomniac. Not everything has changed, though. I wrote in my first blog post that I’ve never been someone who slept through the night, and that’s still true. But these awakenings no longer make me anxious. Rather, I simply note that I’m awake, go to the bathroom if I need to—trying to remember not to turn on the light, because light sends a “get alert” signal to your brain—roll over and contentedly drift back to the Land of Nod. Some habits are hard to break OK, I’ll admit, I haven’t completely stuck with the program Michael prescribed. Without getting the go-ahead from him, I extended my wake-up time to 6:30. I’ve confessed this to Michael, but what I haven’t shared with him is that I then spend an extra 30 minutes reading on my iPad before I get out of bed. And though I specifically asked Michael if I could read in bed at night and he very clearly told me he didn’t think that was a good idea, I have gone back to reading in bed. It’s just too great a pleasure to give up. Besides, as he has pointed out, it’s being in a recumbent position that primes your body for sleep, and I’m more likely to fall asleep before my bedtime if I’m on the sofa reading Fates and Furies (a novel I very highly recommend, by the way) than if I’m reading it sitting up in bed. Better sleep means a better me Michael tells me that I’ve snapped back to consolidated sleep at a pretty rapid pace. (“Consolidated sleep” means efficient sleep; if you’re in bed for seven hours, you’re sleeping for most of that time. When sleep isn’t consolidated, you might be sleeping for only four of those hours and tossing and turning for the remaining three.) “If your sleep does get off-kilter again, you’ll know what you need to do to bring yourself back on board,” Michael says. “You probably have more flexibility than you would imagine.” That said, he adds, “I do not recommend that you change your wake-up time. Keeping that consistent is the anchor of good sleep.” (Clearly, I need to guard against wake-up time creep.) I feel certain that I’ll be able to keep insomnia at bay, which is a pretty remarkable thing for me to write because I’ve suffered from poor sleep for years…make that decades. I thought I was a hopeless case. As I’ve been saying to my best friend, who also struggles with insomnia—we’ve both lay awake in the middle of the night on countless vacations—if I can solve my sleep problems, so can you. If you’re wretchedly sleep-deprived as you read this, I say the same to you. It will take effort and a couple of miserable weeks, but you, too, can enjoy restful, restorative nights of slumber. Read Shelley's first blog here; catch up on her second blog here. Listen to Shelley and other Live Happy staff discuss how the 90 Day challenge has impacted their lives on our podcast. Shelley Levitt is an editor at large for Live Happy magazine.

Self-Care

Confessions of an Email Addict

As part of Live Happy’s 90 Days to a Happier You challenge, join managing editor Donna Stokes for part two of her blog series as she succeeds (for the most part) in her attempts to unplug from work email. Once I started focusing on not checking email outside of work, I realized what a junkie I really am. I’d catch my arm twitching toward my phone or laptop almost reflexively at the oddest times—during commercials while watching my favorite TV shows, at stoplights driving to work (yes, still!), after paying online bills or calling family or friends. Even at work, I had to stick a piece of Post-It note over the Outlook email icon to stop the distraction of those tiny numbers ticking upward. Wow, that variable ratio reward compulsion [[find link]] my coach Christine Carter talked about is certainly real. Accountability works Yet what better way to ensure accountability than having all of my work colleagues and my husband in on my challenge? If I return an email outside work hours, I get responses like “I’m going to tell your coach,” or “Shut it down now!” If I pull out my phone in the car or at a meal, my husband, Jim, will ask, “You’re not checking work email are you?” If Live Happy magazine can’t learn to unplug from work, how can you expect others to? Christine’s question during one of our weekly sessions put the importance of this process in perspective for me. Midway through our challenge and suddenly the heat is on! Stick to the schedule Christine and I were going over obstacles, particularly my Number 1 hurdle of email overload, and I had just confessed to cheating now and then, answering emails during my work focus time—or outside regular hours—when they were from my boss or our remote creative director with whom I work very closely or from a colleague who needed a quick editing turnaround. As final production deadlines neared, the importance (in my mind) of quick responses overwhelmed my willpower to stick to the schedule Christine had suggested in our first call. I’m listing it below, as for me it has been life-changing when I am able to stick to it. The schedule: 9 a.m.: No work email in the mornings until I get into the office, where I have an hour and a half to work on clearing out the inbox. 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.: Short walk or break from the computer without a phone. 11 a.m. to noon: Focus time to complete a “think” task like writing or editing. Noon to 12:20 p.m.: Lunch break away from a computer of phone, all the better if it can be spent catching up with co-workers or reading for pleasure. 12:30 to 1 p.m.: Second of three allotted times to check and respond to email during the day. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Focus time for completing scheduled items on my to-do list. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Third daily opportunity to respond to and sort email and to zero out my Inbox and finish up with the day’s to-do list. Amid the obstacles I have also found amazing early success. My once disastrous mornings are transformed. I’ve replaced reading work emails while eating cereal with reading The New York Times on my tablet and sometimes even allowing myself to complete the mini-crossword of the day while savoring coffee or tea. I get in a few minutes of exercise, like situps, squats, pushups or jumping jacks before getting dressed and heading to work with an uncluttered mind and less stress. What are your unplugging challenges and successes? Share them here or email us at editor@livehappy.com. Read coach Christine Carter's blog, 6 Steps to Unplug From Work here. Read Donna's first blog here. Donna Stokes is Live Happy's managing editor.

The special spring edition hits newsstands today!

Lifestyle

Welcome to Our New Issue!

Step inside the lushly illustrated and photography-filled issue of Live Happy’s print magazine! This month we have Kristen Bell on the cover and Michael Strahan inside. We have a monster article about raising happy kids and an introduction to the science of savoring. You’ll find happiness on every page! Bell curves With a booming career on television, in blockbuster films and as a singer, Kristen Bell is a triple threat. The star talks about how she and her family have made laughter, honesty, kindness and happiness a priority in their busy lives. Can you be happy all day? Editor at large Shelley Levitt puts this question to the test by sharing dozens of research-tested mood-boosting practices—all in the course of one 24-hour period. The hardest-working man in any business Football hero, morning talk-show host, clothing impresario…and now author? Is there anything Michael Strahan can’t do—and can’t do well? We sit down with the author of Wake Up Happy to find out where his incredible energy and positive attitude come from. Move over meditation The latest trend in mindfulness and stress reduction— floating in a darkened tank filled with room-temperature water and hundreds of pounds of salt. Learn about this new healing technique that is spreading rapidly throughout the country. The International Day of Happiness is coming The annual festivities take place on March 20. If you can’t make it to one of our Happiness Walls, we’ve got instructions for making your own Family Happiness Board at home!

Lifestyle

What’s Your Next Happy Act?

Mark Twain once wrote, “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up,” and now science proves his sentiment to be true. Research shows us that lasting happiness comes from helping, appreciating and caring for others. When we share small acts of kindness (Happy Acts) to boost someone's happiness with a simple smile or compliment, our own happiness soars. Soon, joy becomes contagious. And that’s what the International Day of Happiness on March 20 is all about—spreading happiness. Four years ago, the United Nations established March 20 as the International Day of Happiness after passing a resolution that “happiness is a fundamental human goal.” The initiative to declare the special day came from Bhutan—a country whose citizens are considered to be some of the most joyful in the world. “Happiness for the entire human family is one of the main goals of the United Nations,” says U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. Each year Live Happy celebrates International Day of Happiness with its #HappyActs campaign to drive positive change and spread serious cheer around the globe. Orange Happiness Walls are put up across the United States and Canada as gathering places for people to pledge how they will share Happy Acts and inspire others to live purpose-driven, meaningful lives. Host your own wall! For those who can't make it out to one of the walls, we also encourage you to host your own happiness wall at your school, business or community organization. It's a great way to inspire and unify employees and coworkers, neighbors and students around a positive theme! For instructions on creating your own wall, check here for more information. March to happiness This year, Live Happy’s theme for International Day of Happiness is “March to Happiness.” On each day of March, Live Happy will share on its social media pages a simple Happy Act that you can do, or you can keep up by checking our calendar. Each science-backed tip will include exactly how it boosts well-being. Nanette Pelletier’s happy act has gone big. She wanted to share some warm meals with the homeless on Christmas. She started a program called Feed Hawaii’s Homeless with her husband and daughter three years ago and shared 18 warm meals. Nanette’s program quickly inspired others to donate food items, time and money to her cause. On Christmas Day 2015, they prepared and shared 1,000 meals and gifts for the homeless. “It was so amazing to see it come together and be successful, I cried the entire day as we pulled the pictures and video together,” she said. Each warm meal was wrapped with a Live Happy notecard bearing a positive message like, “Someone in the world is thinking of you right now.” Nanette said some people sobbed as they read the uplifting messages. Lots of celebrations are planned around the world, including happiness flash mobs (people who gather with delightfully original signs created to spread cheer to strangers—last year’s messages included “Hey, you got this!” and “Hey gorgeous—yes, you!—smile!”) and community potlucks designed to turn strangers into friends. Michele McKeag Larsen of The Joy Team will be putting up happiness billboards starting March 14 with positive messages like “You make a difference.” Or, “Make some magic. Fairy dust optional.” Your own Happy Acts can just be small, positive moments. Hold the door open for someone, buy coffee for the stranger behind you in line or give a compliment. Small acts can leave a big impact. When you are happy, it changes how you think and behave, opening you up to opportunities, and making life more positive and fun. Together we can turn the world into a more connected place and make happiness contagious. What #HappyActs will you do? Start planning now!

Let Happiness Impact Your Bottom Line

Happy Days Are Here

Two Nutrients You Can’t Live Without

Write Your Way to Insight

Just 10 Minutes a Day

How to Be Happy All Day

And to All, a Good Night

Confessions of an Email Addict

Welcome to Our New Issue!

What’s Your Next Happy Act?

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