Friends in curlers

7 Ways to Be Happier Now

Happiness is about the journey, not about destination; it’s about how you live your life each day. Some articles you may have missed with a few ideas for adding a little more gratitude, mindfulness and joy into your usual routine.1. Practice self-nurturingTake a yoga class, dance in your kitchen to favorite music, get a mani/pedi or go for a walk in nature. Actively investing in your physical well-being can make your thoughts about yourself more nurturing, too. Learn more ways to focus on being the best you.2. Have a values check-inDo you have a feeling of meaning and purpose in your life? This quiz will help you find out. If you don’t like your score, you might want work on nurturing your relationships, being compassionate and giving back to others—all of which have been shown to have an impact on our own wellbeing. Take the quiz now.3. Look at Mondays in a new wayWhat would your day look like if you felt fabulous at the end of it? What project can you tackle on Monday to start your week super-charged and set the tone for a wonderful week? Don’t dread Mondays, show ‘em some love instead. Put the fun back in your Monday now.4. Call in the superfoodsCertain foods like olive oil, nuts, sweet potatoes and kale have been shown to contain mood-boosting nutrients. Not to mention these ingredients are incredibly healthy for you, and taste delicious when cooked with a little finesse. Four easy-to-make recipes.5. Tap into hopeIn order to be truly happy, you need something to hope for. We have 31 ways you can rediscover a greater sense of hope in your life.6. Find a happy highlight of the dayTake a few minutes every day to write down one positive experience that occurred over the past 24 hours. Enjoy the positive emotions from reliving that event, and look for patterns you can repeat to bring about more happiness. Read more on achieving happiness despite everyday challenges.7. Wake up happyTune in to experts’ advice on how to start your day happy. Don’t get stuck ruminating on negative thoughts. Take responsibility for your own happiness by putting yourself in situations that bring you great joy and choosing love over fear. Try this positive mantra: “You are doing your best.” Sign-up for our free Wake Up Happy! series.
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About Wake Up Happy Speakers – January 2015

Turiel. Her current position at the University of Texas at Austin started in 1999, and she was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006.During Kristin’s last year of graduate school in 1997 she became interested in Buddhism, and has been practicing meditation in the Insight Meditation tradition ever since. While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically.She has developed an 8-week program to teach self-compassion skills. The program, co-created with her colleague ChrisGermerat Harvard University, is called Mindful Self-Compassion. Her book titled "Self-Compassion" was published by William Morrow in April, 2011. Kristin was recently featured in the best-selling book and award-winning documentary called The Horse Boy, which chronicles her family’s adventure with autism.Darrin M. McMahon is a professor of history at Dartmouth College. He is the author of Enemies of the Enlightenment: The French Counter-Enlightenment and the Making of Modernity (Oxford University Press, 2001) and Happiness: A History (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006), which has been translated into twelve languages, and was awarded Best Books of the Year honors for 2006 by the New York Times, The Washington Post, the Library Journal, and Slate Magazine. McMahon has just completed a history of the idea of genius and the genius figure, Divine Fury: A History of Genius, published in late 2013 with Basic Books, and his writings have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the New York Times Book Review, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.ShaniRobins, pioneered the field of Wisdom Therapy in 1998. He is a licensed Psychologist and the founder and director of the Wisdom Therapy Institute since 2000. He is an instructor at Stanford University Medical School’s Health Improvement Program, and an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Robins received his B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from UCLA in 1989, his M.A. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Experimental Psychology from U.C. Santa Barbara in 1996, completed a 2-year National Institute of Mental HealthPostdocat U.C. Irvine in 1999 and a Ph.D. re-specialization in Clinical Psychology in 2002. He has published and has given numerous clinical workshops, invited talks, scientific conference presentations, and corporate consultations nationally and internationally on Wisdom Therapy and its relationships tocognitions, emotions, stress reduction, relationships, work place effectiveness, coping, emotional intelligence, performance, and organizational consulting.He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and has won many honors including inclusion inStrathmore’sWho’s Who. In his spare timeShaniplays racquetball, chess, and GO,rollerblades, salsa dances, runs marathons, and watches sun rises.BarbaraFredrickson, earned her undergraduate degree from Carleton College and her doctorate from Stanford University. She is currentlyKenanDistinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with appointments in Psychology and theKenan-FlaglerSchool of Business. She is also Director of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory.Fredricksonis a leading scholar within social psychology, affective science, and positive psychology, and has received more than 16 consecutive years of research funding from the National Institutes of Health.Her research and teaching have been recognized with numerous honors, including, in 2000, the American Psychological Association's inaugural Templeton Prize in Positive Psychology, in 2008, the Society for Experimental Social Psychology's Career Trajectory Award, and in 2013, the inaugural Christopher Peterson Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the International Positive Psychology Association. Her work is cited widely and she is regularly invited to give keynotes nationally and internationally.Fredrickson's2009 book, Positivity, describes the relevance of her 20-year research program on positive emotions for a general readership. Her 2013 book, Love 2.0, offers a fresh and practical perspective on this most vital human emotion.SeniaMaymin, Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Stanford,is a consultant and executive coach whose clients include Google, Intel, and VMware.Mayminruns a coaching network that provides coaching for upwards of 30 managers at a time to large technology companies in the Bay area. When entrepreneurs and executives seek far-reaching productivity improvements, they call onMayminas an executive coach and workshop leader.Mayminis the coauthor of the business bookProfit from the Positive(McGraw-Hill Professional, 2013), and the co-business columnist forLive Happy Magazine.Mayminhas been featured in the media—includingPBS’s This Emotional Life, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal’sMarketWatch, andUSA Today—primarily for her work as a positive psychology executive coach.Mayminfounded and is editor in chief of a research news website featuring more than 1,000 articles by over 100 authors. She has worked in finance on Wall Street and in technology ascofounderand president of two start-ups.Mayminholds a BA in Math and Economics from Harvard, a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA and PhD in Organizational Behavior from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She speaks Russian, French, and Japanese. She lives with her family in California.
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Woman at work

Succeed by Failing

Amazon.com’s founder, JeffBezos, says a desire to invent and explore—what we call alearner mindset—is the key to thecompany’s customer-centric success. “You have to have a willingness to fail,to be misunderstood for long periodsof time,” he says. Jeff’s right. When we quit trying tobe a perfectionist (or an expert) andinstead become a learner, we grow, aremore equipped to face challengingsituations, see the world through a lensof constant improvement—and thinkmore creatively. But how can we leave ourperfectionist ways behind and take ona learner mindset? Here’s how: Solve a new problem Think of your brain as a muscle: Themore effort you put into it, the more itcan grow and learn to do new things. Do a crossword puzzle (without lookingat the answers). Play a challenging board game with the family, like“Scrabble,” “Monopoly” or“Balderdash.” Make a soufflé.Theidea is to do things that are out of the ordinary for you, and to begin thinking in new ways. Give yourself permission to fail NBA legend Michael Jordansaid, “I’ve missed more than 9,000shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve beentrusted to take the game-winning shotand missed. I’ve failed over and overand over again in my life. And that iswhy I succeed.” Failuredoesn’t define you as a person—it givesyou an opportunity to learn from yourmistakes, grow and move forward. Giveyourself permission to make mistakes,and you’ll approach life with moreenthusiasm and resiliency. Stop procrastinating Perfectionism is the enemy of learning(and creativity), and if you have a habit of putting off tasks, it’s probablybecause you expect perfect results fromyourself, expect perfect results fromothers or think others expect perfectresults from you. In reality, though, when you work before the deadline, yougive yourself time to experiment withnew ideas and concepts. When you’re a perfectionist, you seethe world based on how much you cando and how well you can do it. But as a learner, you have possibilities, and everymisstep is one step toward success. Becoming a learner Failures become insights when youadopt a learner versus a perfectionist mindset. To become a learner, ask yourself these three questions the next time you tackle a new project: 1. How can my past experiences help me with this project? 2. What can I learn from doing this project? 3. What are some mistakes I might make? (And what can I tell myself to assuremyself that it’s okay to make these mistakes once in a while?) MARGARET H. GREENBERG andSENIAMAYMINare organizational consultants and executive coaches. Their book, Profit from the Positive, was recently Amazon.com’s No. 1 seller in Leadership and Self-Help and offers readers more than 30 positive tools that can be applied to business, as well as everyday life. Follow Margaret andSeniaat Facebook.com/ProfitFromThePositive.
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Get Involved

Get involved and help us make the world a happier place. When you claim responsibility for your own happiness, you also become a catalyst for positive change in the lives of others. That’s what the happiness movement is all about. Imagine a world filled with optimism and compassion—it’s possible, if we do it together. You can join the happiness movement today and start making the world a happier place. Here are some of the ways you can spread happiness: Learn—information about happiness delivered to you. Live Happymagazine gives you the tools and information you need to make changes and live a happier life. We offer simple, science-based steps to support your happiness and positively impact your health, success and relationships—your whole life. Buy the latest magazine today! Receive our email newsletters to get the latest information and articles on the website, plus announcements of upcoming events and special product offers. Come back to this siteoften for quick tips, tools and ideas to help you live happy every day. Like us on Facebook,follow us on Twitter,InstagramandPinterestfor happiness quotes, facts and news stories, as well as to engage with a community oflike-mindedpeople sharing happiness. Participate—help us make the world a happier place. Listen to our popular podcast Live Happy Now brought to you by the editors ofLive Happymagazine. Bringing you scientifically proven facts and ideas to live a happier and more meaningful life through interviews with positive psychology and well-being thought leaders. Spread Happiness—one small act can change the world.Take our #HappyActschallenge, do a #HappyActand tell us about it Celebrate happiness with us at one of our Happy Acts Walls on March 20 for theInternational Day of Happiness. Share—become a catalyst for positive change in the lives of others. Bring smiles all around by wearingLive Happy clothes and gear! Smile! It’s a gift that people will instantly reciprocate! The more you share happiness with others, the happier you’ll feel. Sharing articles from livehappy.com on Facebook, Twitter,Pinterest… everywhere!
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Happy woman and little girl

Top 10 Tips to Boost Your Happiness

1. Set boundaries at work. If you are feeling frustrated, stressed or overwhelmed at work, your boundaries might be too porous. Practice identifying, asking for and keeping important boundaries. 2. Become a happiness broadcaster What you put out comes back to you. The next time someone asks you how you are, instead of just saying 'fine,' why not respond with something positive and meaningful? It's a way to build a stronger connection to that person. 3. Invest in your own wellbeing Quick wellness tip: If you want to feel more energetic and motivated, try going to bed one hour earlier. Many Americans are sleep deprived, and don’t even know it. 4. Create a new tiny habit If you want to read that book on your desk but feel overwhelmed by the thought, scale back to something very small. Start by reading just 10 pages a day, every day. Simple tasks require far less motivation and willpower to follow through. 5. Make a success list We all have patterns in our lives. The key is to identify, create and repeat the patterns or behaviors that continually lead to success. 6. Spruce up your workspace Prevent a monthly pile-up of paperwork and files by decluttering your desk on a weekly basis. It will give you an inner sense of calm. 7. Be aware of what’s going on with your teenager If you see your teenage son or daughter behaving differently than usual, it’s a red flag. Learn how to identify the hallmarks of depression, and to discern the difference between a serious disorder and normal teen angst. 8. Ease stress for the whole family American families today are time-starved and stressed. Try to establish schedules and routines, and stick to them. Consistency and predictability help control your home environment and can ease stress for the whole family. 9. Talk back to 'the voice' Use positive self-talk to combat self-doubt and the nagging negative voice inside your head—the one that tells you you're not good enough. 10. Take happiness seriously If you want anything in life, you have to study it! Become a student of happiness by reading one of our top-10 recommended books on the subject.
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Woman thinking about her life

Do You Have Enough Meaning in Your Life?

No recipe for happiness is complete without meaningand purpose. In fact, when we engage in activities that serve ahigher calling and help others spread positivity, we not only get a warm,fuzzy feeling, but also increase our overall satisfaction with our lives.Now, thanks to modern research, the meaning in your life canbe measured via the Meaning in Life questionnaire. If you receivea high score, you're on a very positive track! You probably know your life’s mission, which contributes to a sense of happiness and peace.If you measure on the low end, don’t worry—here are a few ways that have been shown to add meaning to your life:• Nurture your relationships.• Make positive connections with others.• Mix in altruism and compassion.• Be open to new experiences.Log on to AuthenticHappiness.org and take the Meaning in Lifequestionnaire to find out how strong you are in this area.
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Download Wake Up Happy! series

Each download includes the 5 Wake Up Happy! conversations with audio, video, and transcript download links!Research proves that happiness is a major force behind your success in business, relationships, finances, health and much more. Happiness can be yours today by learning simply how to tap into it!On these upbeat, energizing calls Live Happy CEO and Co-Founder Kym Yancey interviews an accomplished and inspirational happiness and wellness expert each day. You will learn the things you can do to enhance your own happiness among other insightful recommendations on how to live a more fulfilling and happy life.Series 1 includes:*Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed! If you're not completely happy with the Wake Up Happy! series, we will issue a refund within 10 days of your purchase.
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Gretchen Rubin: Change Habits to Boost Happiness

OnWednesday, September 24, Live Happy CEO KymYanceyshared a morning conversation with happiness guru and best-selling author Gretchen Rubin.Here is a brief recap of their talk: If you had to pick one key to happiness, what would you say? Ancient philosophers and current psychologists agree: Strong, healthy relationships are incredibly important to our happiness. To be able to give and get support is just crucial. So if you want to put your time, energy or money into boosting happiness, use it to strengthen and broaden close relationships. Where do we start to make ourselves happier? Start with yourenergy. When you have more energy, it’s easier to do the things you want to do—but are often too tired to do! For example, you might want to throw a dinner party, go out more, or exercise. People think they are too tired to exercise, but in fact exercise gives us more energy. You don’t have to train for a marathon—even a walk outside is great. This seems so simple and obvious, but youneedto get enough sleep; we need 7-8 hours of sleep. People think they’re okay with less, but they are really impaired. Many of us do not get enough sleep. It’s hard to give up that time at night, the fun, goof-off time. Most of us are hung up on losing 10 pounds, and don’t realize that the benefits of exercise are immediate. I've heard people say, 'You exercise for sanity, not vanity.' If you want to lose weight, you have to look at what you’re eating. Research shows that people who exercise will help you maintain your weight, but not lose it. What is the relationship between Happiness and Habits? If you want to form your habits, first you need to figure yourself out. What drives you? What do you enjoy? Do you thrive on competition; do you do better when you give up something altogether, or does a more moderate approach work. How do you help someone else be happier? The truth is that you can’t change someone else, you can only change yourself. But I find that if I change myself, relationships change, and the atmosphere of my home changes. It's not always possible to be happy, but we can try to be as happy as we canunder the circumstances. We can always look for reasons to be grateful. GRETCHEN RUBIN is the best-selling author of The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, and is currently working on her latest book, Better Than Before, scheduled for release in 2015. She is considered one of the most influential writers on happiness today, and has become an in-demand speaker and keynoter.Gretchen has also made appearances on the Today show, CBS Sunday Morning and Booknotes. You can readabout Gretchen’s adventures in the pursuit of happiness and habits on her blog at GretchenRubin.com.
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Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor: What Can You Do Now to Be Happier?

On Monday, September 22, Live Happy CEO shared a morning phone conversation with happiness expert Shawn Achor. Here is a brief recap of their talk: How do you define Happiness in your research? Some people would define happiness as pleasure; but pleasure is fleeting. We want to redefine happiness. We can go back to the ancient Greek definition of happiness: The joy that you feel when you are striving toward your potential. How to be an optimist People often focus on the negative as a default, such as, “I’ll be happy when work is over today.” If you do that, you are relegating the rest of your time at work to negativity. The top 10% of happy people are not happy all the time. This morning you have a choice: you can look at the emails in your inbox and see it as a drudgery or as a way to connect with other people. If people choose to focus on the positive, you are better at dealing with that inbox and feel better after. If you choose to see washing dishes as an act of love toward your family, you might feel rejuvenated afterward.First you make the choice to be happy, then you will improve your day, improve your life. When negative things happen, they trick your brain, making you think that things will always be this way. A pessimist looks at something negative and says, “this is always happening, this is going to ruin my entire day.”An optimist sees it as, “this too will pass.” Their brain is fueled by gratitude and positivity. What are some easy steps we can take to make ourselves happier? Some things you can do starting now to make yourself and others happier: Train your brain for 21 days in a row to think of three new things you are grateful for. When you do this, your brain releases dopamine that floods your system, turning the learning centers on. Energy rises, every single educational and business outcome improves when you start out your morning on a positive note. Other habits: take two minutes to think of one meaningful experience you had the day before. Your brain thinks it experienced that great moment again. That’s the fastest intervention we’ve found. 15 minutes of exercise is the equivalent of taking an antidepressant. 2 minutes of meditation is also incredibly helpful. Write a 2-minute praising or thanking someone else. Social connection is as predictive of longevity as smoking, blood pressure, etc. Improving our social relationships The breadth, depth, and meaning in your relationships are all important. In terms of breadth, expand the number of people you smile at in the street and the supermarket; this creates a feedback loop of positivity. For depth: really be present with your children, your spouse. What can we do today to make massive ripples and impacts to improve other people’s happiness? Write a two-minute text or email messages praising someone you know. Take the idea that happiness is a choice and share the knowledge that you are learning from Live Happy to someone else you know. Share some positive research with someone you know. Be the first to say good morning, hello—give a smile.
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Person resting against beautiful tree

A Day of Rest

In the Jewish tradition, the 24-hour period from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday is known as Shabbat, or the Sabbath—the holiest part of the week. During that time, observant Jews do not use electricity, take photographs, drive a car or do many other things, as mandated in the Torah. On Friday nights, families eat a special dinner together, light candles, say prayers and eat challah bread to celebrate this time of rest and reflection.But you don't need to be Jewish—or religious at all—to find the benefit of incorporating a “day of rest” into your own busy life, or to be inspired by some of these ancient traditions.Taking a time-out from technologyRebecca Reice, a rabbi-educator at the Reform Jewish Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kansas, was worried that taking a day off from answering work emails and doing housework can seem impossible and even counterproductive in our hyper-busy world. Reice wanted her congregation to try it, but wasn’t sure they were ready to give up their modern conveniences, so she challenged herself to try unplugging first. "Years ago, I came to the realization that I am a time-obsessed person,” she says. “I’m always checking my watch or phone, checking my calendar to stay on track and pack everything into overfilled days." By taking off her watch on Friday evenings and living in the moment instead of worrying about what she needed to do next, Rebecca found deeper connections with her friends and community. Her congregants then picked up the challenge themselves.Shabbat, minus the religion partRebecca isn’t the only one reconfiguring what the idea of Shabbat means outside of religious practice. Marilyn Paul, author of the self-help/personal-organizing bookIt's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys, is currently working on a book about how Jews and non-Jews alike can incorporate rest, relaxation and renewal into their weekly routines.According to Paul, many people find that, as much as they would like to embrace the concept of Shabbat, they find it incompatible with modern working life. For some, it takes something serious, such as a major illness or injury, to force them to rethink their true priorities and how they spend their time.Paul suggests people stop looking at Shabbat as a list of things you can’t do and see Shabbat as a list of things you can, such as read a book, take a nap and spend meaningful time with your family.“Think through what is actually restful and nourishing and renewing for you,” she says. “One question is, what really satisfies you? Ask what would really feed your soul and feel great. Renewing and de-stressing are a practice.”Take time to rest and reconnectHer sentiment is echoed by Rabbi Jessica Minnen, the director of content and training for StartUp Shabbat, a New York-based initiative that encourages people to think about Shabbat as an opportunity for increased mindfulness.“It is a day to break from the work you usually do, but it is also a day to do things you don't usually get to,” she points out. “Read a novel. Bake a cake. Play outside. Sleep!”Says Jessica, “Think of Shabbat as a day of recharging. For me, that might mean yoga class or group meditation. For you, that might mean Friday night dinner with friends or a concert in the park with your family.”This weekly downtime can also be a time to think about the less fortunate, realize how grateful you are for the people around you, and think of ways to give back.According to Minnen, when you have a day of mindfulness, “Time becomes more valuable, you feel more present in the space you occupy, your spiritual life develops and your relationships grow.”Lilit Marcus is a New York City-based writer and tea addict. Her first book,Save the Assistants: A Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Workplace, was published by Hyperion. You can also look for her work in theWall Street Journal,Teen Vogue, and Elle.com. Her sister says she dresses like a librarian.@lilitmarcus
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