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Olivia Newton-John Graces First Anniversary Cover of Live Happy

Dallas, Texas — Sept. 2, 2014— Singer, actress and positive-emotion advocate, Olivia Newton-John graces the cover of the September/October issue of Live Happy magazine, a first-of-its-kind publication that combines the science of happiness with engaging and informative content to help readers live fuller and more productive lives. In this anniversary issue, on newsstands today, the songstress shares recent life decisions that have helped her carve out more time to indulge in her passions for nature, love and the goal of a blissful life balance. Paired with Newton-John’s profile, in which she shares that “nature is my church and healer,” Live Happy unveils new research that dispels common myths about creativity, as well as the impact it can have in creating everyday happiness. “We’re excited to feature Olivia in this issue, an artist who works hard to seek out her own creativity every day,” says Live Happy Editor in Chief Karol DeWulf Nickell. “Creativity is in all of us, a fact that many people are often surprised to hear. The anniversary issue brings together leading experts and practitioners on the subject to assist our readers in finding their creativity, and inevitably live happier lives.” Exploring the link between creativity and happiness, this latest issue of Live Happy features new and exclusive research in an enlightening article titled, “Breaking the Happiness Myths.” These myths include expectations set upon us by society, that when reevaluated based on personal goals, can truly alter the way we look upon life. In addition to Live Happy’s experts and insight from Olivia Newton-John, this latest issue features profiles on other highly-creative and happy individuals like award-winning singer Tori Amos and singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson. It also celebrates several everyday, remarkable people like Jim Denevan, epicurean entrepreneur and founder of Outstanding in the Field (OITF), a company helping diners reconnect with the land – al fresco style – with feasts set up on farms, ranches, mountaintops and more. Paired with these powerful and illuminating articles, the September/October issue includes articles by Live Happy’s extensive panel of experts, to help readers explore different elements of their life and uncover a new level of happiness including: REDISCOVERING THE CREATIVE YOU: Simple steps to stimulate your thinking and inspire new creativity, by Gretchen Rubin, best-selling author of “The Happiness Project” UNCOVERING YOUR CREATIVE GENIUS: Best-selling author, Shawn Achor (“The Happiness Advantage”) and Michelle Gielan, founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research, demonstrate how to tap into the problem solving potential of unconscious thought OVERCOMING LIFE AFTER LOSS: New ways to cope with the loss of a loved one to help deal with this devastating life event, without letting it overwhelm you – instead, making a plan to get back track and live happily with this new reality This issue also coincides with the first Live Happy Experience & Expo, taking place in Dallas Nov. 7 – 8, 2014. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with experts in the happiness movement, learn about the four pillars of happiness, find out how they can achieve greater wellbeing and discover true success. For more information, go to livehappy.com. # # # About Live Happy LLC Live Happy LLC is dedicated to promoting and sharing authentic happiness through education, integrity, gratitude, and community awareness. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its mission is to impact the world by bringing the happiness movement to a personal level and inspiring people to engage in living positive, healthy, meaningful lives. For more information, please visit livehappy.com. Media Inquiries: Rachel Albert Krupp Kommunications ralbert@kruppnyc.com (212) 886-6704 Alessandra Carriero Krupp Kommunications acarriero@kruppnyc.com (646) 797-2030

Positive Psychology

Put Happiness on the Calendar

With so much time and research devoted to what it takes to be happy, it would seem that pursuing happiness should be easier than ever. After all, there are books, movies, podcasts, TED Talks and websites (even this magazine!) devoted to exploring the many roads to happiness. Despite that, not everyone is finding the happiness they desperately want. Planning makes perfect The good news is, the solution may all be a matter of planning. “Pursuing positivity is a delicate art,” Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., told attendees of the International Positive Psychology Association’s Fourth World Congress in June. Barbara, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor, added that with the increasing popularity in positive psychology, more people are becoming interested in the benefits of happiness but are also judging themselves for not being as happy as they should be. The 'dark side' of happiness A 2011 study led by Iris Mauss, Ph.D., at the University of California, Berkeley, showed that people who “value happiness to the extreme” are more prone to loneliness. And more studies are emerging about the so-called dark side of happiness, in which people are putting so much pressure on themselves to be happy that they’re actually feeling pretty miserable about it. Studies show that trying to be happier can actually make people feel worse. “People are…so worried about how they feel that they are missing opportunities to feel good,” Barbara says. But a study she co-authored with Lahnna I. Catalino, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco and Sara B. Algoe, Ph.D., of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that perhaps the key lies in a subtle change. Make happiness a priority The study, “Prioritizing Positivity: An Effective Approach to Pursuing Happiness?”, was published in the December 2014 issue of the journal Emotion. Barbara and her colleagues found that people who make happiness a priority, and who build their lives around activities that are designed to increase their well-being, are much more satisfied than those who merely value happiness as an end goal. “Valuing happiness to an extreme oftentimes [views] happiness as a goal to be achieved, whereas in prioritizing positivity, the emotional goods are a byproduct of the behavior,” she says. Valuing vs. prioritizing The difference, Barbara says, is in our daily mindset and approach. The person who values happiness as an end goal is more likely to set unrealistic expectations about achieving happiness, research shows. That can include creating high-pressure thought processes such as “I ought to be doing better” or “I would probably be happier if.…” Her work shows that people who prioritize positivity may have more realistic and reachable visions of what happiness looks like for them. They constantly look for ways to nurture their positive emotions and structure free time around events and activities that make them happy and make major decisions—such as what job they choose or the home they buy—based on how that decision will influence their positive emotions. Prioritizing positivity is about following what’s good, and leaning in toward it. It’s about constantly making a choice to have a positive experience.” When happiness is seen as our ultimate goal, she says, we create too many ways to fall short. “It creates the idea that happiness is an achievement at which you’re potentially failing, versus seeing these micro-moments of each day as building blocks,” she explains. “When you think about happiness in terms of smaller building blocks, you get more chances to succeed and more chances to forgive yourself when you don’t.” Change your mind, change your life Barbara says the shift from valuing happiness to prioritizing it requires little more than changing our mindset. “That’s the lever that will jumpstart the emotional attitude,” she says. Too often, we learn what we should do, and then we fail to move that knowledge out of our heads and put it into action. Choosing a mindset that appreciates the little triumphs and moments of happiness as they occur can bring about dramatic and lasting changes. Give yourself a sense of control Barbara recommends we start looking at how our day-to-day actions line us up for happiness or failure. “You can regulate by planning, by setting up situations that are going to contribute to your happiness,” she says. “That gives you more of a sense of a control over your happiness instead of responding to the situations that are happening to you every day and then analyzing if those events or circumstances are making you happy. When you do that, you potentially have the grace to just experience that situation as it occurs.” Paula Felps is the Science Editor for Live Happy.

Self-Care

YouTube Star Stands Up to Bullying

Keenan West found his voice at age 9—and he’s been using it ever since. In 2012, concerned by the growing accounts of bullying in schools, the aspiring hip hop singer wrote “Never Ever,” an anthem that showed the power of standing up for others. He then enlisted junior high and high school students in his hometown of Cincinnati to create a video for the anti-bullying song.[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hj_-kcX3q8 width:525 height:394 align:center autoplay:0]That video has been viewed more than 325,000 times on YouTube, and Keenan has partnered with the 'Secret' Mean Stinks anti-bullying program to take his message to school assemblies across the country. His one-hour show combines music, dance and videos to deliver a powerful message that he performed at more than 100 schools last year. Live Happy caught up with Keenan to learn more about his initiatives and what’s next.Live Happy: What inspired you to create an anti-bullying campaign?Keenan: That campaign evolved after I made the video for “Never Ever.” I saw firsthand how students responded not only to the music but, more importantly, how they responded to the message. My anti-bullying campaign is based around getting students to make the promise to each other that when rain does come, they will have each other’s backs.LH: Why is that such a major theme for you?Keenan: The focus needs to be placed on the students who sit back and choose not to use their courage to … speak up or stand up for the victims. Studies show that 57 percent of the times when bullying takes place, if someone would have the courage to speak up or stand up, the problem usually stops in less than 10 seconds.LH: Why did you choose videos as a way to share your message?Keenan: The videos make this message more relatable to ayounger demographic. For students,the delivery of a message is just as important as the message itself. I’ve wrapped [it] up in a package that resembles their favorite rapper or favorite pop artist. There is no better way to reach kids than to get on their level and meet them right where they are.LH: There are many anti-bullying initiatives out there–why is yours resonating so well?Keenan: Our pop-culture,anti-bullyingmusic videos and assemblies resonate with students because we are taking theresponsibilityto make sure schools are safe, bully-free zones out of the hands of the teachers, principals and counselors and putting it into the hands of thestudents. When young people see themselves and their peersstanding upanddoing what’s right, they respond much betterthan when it’sjust adults leading the way and telling them what to do.LH: What’s next for you?Keenan: To continue to reach as many students as I possibly can, [and] to continue in a healthy space of growth and gratitude. I’m proud tohave the calling to teach and instill this into the next generation.To learn more about Keenan and his work, visit his website and YouTube page.Paula Felps is the Science Editor for Live Happy.

Podcast

The Sweet Spot with Christine Carter

This week, on Live Happy Now, we have Christine Carter, sociologist and senior fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and author of The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work. Dr. Carter offers listeners not just a way to cope with modern pressures, but a way to truly thrive. Dr. Carter looks at living life from our “sweet spot”—that place of both power and ease. In this episode, you'll learn how to: Say “no” strategically and when to say “yes” with abandon Make decisions about routine things once to free our minds to focus on higher priorities Stop multitasking and gain efficiency “Take recess” in sync with the brain’s need for rest Increase your ratio of positive to negative emotions Links and resources mentioned in this episode: ChristineCarter.com The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work Thank you to our partner - AARP Life Reimagined!

Self-Care

4 Ways to Navigate Life’s Transitions With Ease

Our lives are a series of transitions. The weekend eventually ends and Monday comes. We get married. Summer becomes fall. Vacation ends and we have to go back to work. We happily anticipate milestones such as graduating from college, getting a job or buying a new house. But once an experience ends, our mood can take a dip. Is it possible to navigate change with a sense of resilience while remaining happy? Our experts weigh in: 1.Realize transitions are a matter of perspective “There is no such thing as positive or negative transition; it fully depends on the way you think,” says Michael Mantell, Ph.D., a San-Diego based psychologist and the author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: P.S. It’s All Small Stuff. “If it weren’t for transitions, we wouldn’t move, change, be agile or face new opportunities ... So I never, ever regret having to return to work. Instead, I always think, ‘Wow, what a great vacation this work gave me the opportunity to take, and how grateful I am for the vacation and the job.’ ” If you dread coming back to work, you are setting yourself up for depression and anxiety, he says. Susan Fletcher, Ph.D., a Dallas-based psychologist, says accepting life’s inevitable ups and downs can make transitions easier. “Peaks and valleys are to be expected,” the Working in the Smart Zone author says. “That doesn’t mean the good times are always vacation and the bad times are everything else. Even on vacation, we can have the same kind of stress we have in our ordinary life.” The key, Susan says, is knowing what works for you. “I need one full day to power down to go on vacation, so I don’t ever take a 6 a.m. flight to get the most out of vacation because then I am worthless when I get there.” Instead, she schedules midday flights and makes the journey part of the experience, stopping for lunch with her kids, playing cards on the plane and preparing to have fun when they arrive. The same is true at the end of the trip: If you need to, take a day to decompress and do laundry, buy groceries and open mail instead of returning the night before you go back to work. 2.Don’t set yourself up Be careful about setting expectations that are hard to meet. You can savor time, but you can’t stop time. If you are visiting your parents or a sibling who lives far away, expect to be sad when you leave, Susan says. “And don’t act fine when you aren’t fine because that takes a whole lot of energy.” To manage the dip in your mood, rather than dwell on your current trip ending, plan your next visit and start looking forward to it. When you think, “This will be the best vacation ever,” you’re setting yourself up for disappointment, she says. “Take it how it is and be accepting. Happiness is really defined in a lot of different ways. A lot of people get stuck in thinking happiness is success, but sometimes happiness is being together on the journey.” 3.Look forward to change Find ways to embrace change. Michael suggests looking for the good in fall weather, the fun of pulling together a new wardrobe, the beauty of upcoming holidays and the good that a new schedule brings. Organize yourself and plan for fall decorations, create a new exercise routine or write a gratitude list for everything you appreciated about your summer. Susan advises being deliberate. Create a work environment that makes you happy, with your favorite music playing or freshly cut flowers on your desk. “Think about things that help you feel like you are not all work and no play that are really specific to you.” 4.Appreciate life’s contrasts “If we were always happy, we wouldn’t even appreciate it,” says Connie Podesta, author of Life Would Be Easy If It Weren’t for Other People. “People get used to things quickly and then become complacent. It’s totally normal to be sad when we go back to work [but] it doesn’t mean you dislike your job ... Of course, we are sad to come back from vacation. On vacation we sleep in. Have some free time. No chores, no cooking, no bills to worry about. We don’t have to strategize our every move. It is fantasy land. It’s that contrast that makes the vacation so unbelievably memorable. But we know deep down that we can’t sustain that euphoria forever.” The contrasts make us happier, Connie says. “Humans are made to change—it’s in our DNA. We get anxious for the summer, but then tired of the heat. We get excited for the fall, but we love the first snow. The ocean looks amazing on the first day of vacation,” she says. “Transitions don’t zap our happiness; they make our happiness even more meaningful.” Read More: Upping Your Downtime Sandra Bienkowski is a regular contributor to Live Happy and the founder and CEO of TheMediaConcierge.net.

Podcast

When Happiness Has a Bad Day

This week, on Live Happy Now, we have Paula Felps, the science editor for Live Happy magazine! Recently, she has looked into current research about the “backlash” on positive psychology. We’re going to delve into how the pursuit of happiness is stressing us out, what the experts say about that – and how to take some of the pressure off yourself. Live Happy Co-Founder, COO and Editorial Director also gives a preview of the October issue of Live Happy magazine on newsstands now. In this episode, you'll learn: Four things that you can do to handle bad days How happiness is stressing us out A glimpse into the October issue of Live Happy magazine Links and resources mentioned in this episode: PaulaFelps.com Download Live Happy magazine: Digital Edition at the Apple App Store or Google Play Look inside the October issue Thank you to our partner - AARP Life Reimagined!

Podcast Home

Positive Communication with Michelle Gielan

This week, on Live Happy Now, we have Michelle Gielan, Founder of the Institute for Applied Positive Research and expert on the science of positive communication and how to use it to fuel success. Michelle works with Fortune 500 companies and schools to raise employee engagement, productivity and happiness at work. She is a Partner at GoodThink, a positive psychology consulting firm, and she holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of a new book, Broadcasting Happiness: The Science of Igniting and Sustaining Positive Change. In this episode, you'll learn: How to turn off stress and negativity in your mind Turn negative thought patterns into an opportunity for positive growth How to deal with negative people Create a positive culture at work Links and resources mentioned in this episode: GoodThinkInc.com Broadcasting Happiness FREE Success Scale Assessment – Code to access is ‘LiveHappy’ Thank you to our partner – AARP Life Reimagined!

Practice

5 Ways to Get in Touch With Your Higher Calling

Finding meaning in one’s life is such an integral concept to Martin Seligman, one of the founders of positive psychology, that he includes it in his shorthand for happiness, PERMA, which stands for Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement. While the fleeting happiness we get from something like watching a gorgeous sunset is nice and part of the “pleasant life,” Martin says, if we want to be happy in the long term, we need to strive for “the Meaningful Life” in which “we find a deep sense of fulfillment by employing our unique strengths for a purpose greater than ourselves.” It sounds wonderful. A “purpose-driven life” as it were. But how do we find it? In church, synagogue or mosque? Alone in the wilderness with our thoughts or while finding a deep sense of connection with our friends and families? Some seem to have a clearer view of how to arrive there than others. The passionate artist, the pediatric surgeon, idealistic missionary or dedicated social worker ... they seem to already know or quickly find their strengths, follow their passions, help, teach and give to others, and gain a deep sense of satisfaction from their work. But most of us spend a little more time wandering in the wilderness. Here are a few ideas for those who are still searching for a greater sense of purpose in life: 1. Volunteer Working with children, seniors, at-risk teenagers … anyone who needs help will give you a quick on-ramp to the purpose superhighway. Many cities have volunteer clearinghouses like Volunteer Match that will help match you with an organization. Or if you prefer, stay close to your community and pitch in at the local elementary school. The rewards will be immediate and plentiful. When we pursue a meaningful future, it sheds a special light over our daily life, painting the most mundane and pedestrian activities in brighter colors.” — Ran Zilca, research scientist, author and chief data-science officer at Happify. His latest book, Ride of Your Life, was released this year.** 2. Get in touch with the divine Pray, meditate, walk outside, stargaze. There are myriad ways to remind ourselves that we are small bits of a large, interconnected universe. Whether you believe in God, a higher power or the power of humankind, prayer and meditation, as well as reconnecting with nature, are ways to get in touch with the sacred. I believe that meaning is an experience that we can cultivate, influence, and in a certain sense, create… The best way to make this meaning—to have this experience—is by identifying and then living our life purposes." — Eric Maisel, Ph.D., a California-licensed family therapist who has written more than 40 books, including Life Purpose Boot Camp 3. Spread positive emotion Give to the world what you would like to get back. See how you might add more positive emotion to your life by strengthening relationships and being kind and compassionate toward friends and strangers alike. Start performing small Happy Acts as a way of giving back. We can endure the most difficult of times and even thrive in the midst of the chaos around us when we give our lives meaning." —Barb Schmidt, international speaker, philanthropist, spiritual mentor and best-selling author of The Practice. 4. Practice gratitude Focus on things already meaningful in your life instead of taking them for granted, invest each one with a deep sense of gratitude. Soon you may feel motivated and energized to help and protect the people and things you care about, whether that means writing a letter to a nephew or starting a non-profit. 5. Create When you were younger, did you love to draw, throw pottery or write short plays? Something about the act of creating makes us feel alive and part of the dynamic universe. We can make something out of nothing! It’s exhilarating. You can do your thing in solitude or join a playhouse or rent space in a collective studio. In this way, a hobby has the potential to develop into not only a great source of purpose and a sense of identity but also of important and meaningful relationships. And once you've gotten really great at something, you can teach others to do it. You will get back much more than you give. For much more on finding a sense of meaning and purpose in your life, see our feature story, "The Path to Purpose," in the October issue of Live Happy magazine—on newsstands September 1. **Expert quotes are from the “Survey” section (pages 28-29) of the October issue of Live Happy magazine.

Mindfulness Matters: Drastically change the way you think and feel.

Practice

Give Yourself a Mindfulness Makeover

Diane Baumer admits she was fairly certain mindfulness wouldn’t work for her. “I knew it had worked for others, but my depression was so severe and nothing had ever worked [for treating it]. I’ve had it all my life, and it’s completely rearranged the pathways in my brain.”She first became aware of mindfulness in the 1980s, when she was introduced to Buddhism, but had only learned about it in theory. Last year, desperate to ease her depression and obsessive thoughts, she enrolled in an eight-week mindfulness course. The course taught her how to stay in the moment and not get carried away by her thoughts.“I was amazed by the change in me,” says Diane, who lives in Florence, Kentucky. “I didn’t have racing thoughts, and my obsessive thoughts about death and dying were gone. By the end of the eight weeks, I had learned to just notice my thoughts rather than grab them and run with them. It’s been life changing.”Appreciating life as it happensMindfulness, experts say, is a practice that helps us pay attention to and self-regulate our thoughts. Staying mindful, or in the moment, allows us to appreciate life as it happens. When our minds are busy doing that, it’s impossible to also be ruminating about the past or worrying about the future.Although it is based on a 2,600-year-old Buddhist practice, interest in mindfulness has surged globally in recent years. It began gaining significant traction in the U.S. in the 1970s when Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., began studying the effects of mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He created the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, the first documented structured program to teach mindfulness, which became the model for many programs developed since then.Today, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programs have been implemented in more than 200 medical centers, clinics and hospitals around the world. But it also has gone beyond the medical field. Neuroscientists continue investigating how mindfulness can change both the structure and function of our brains; psychologists use it for their own cognitive improvement as well as to help clients with everything from anxiety and depression to compassion and self-acceptance; business leaders are looking at how mindful decision-making can redefine their workplaces; and educators are embracing such concepts as mindful learning and mindful reading.Studies show mindfulness can improve communication and happiness between couples and co-workers, and prisons have even used it to help reduce hostility and mood disturbances among prisoners.It’s about paying attention“When I start talking about all the things mindfulness can do, I sound like a snake oil salesman,” jokes Richard Sears, PsyD, Ph.D., MBA, ABPP, of the Center for Clinical Mindfulness and Meditation at Union Institute and University in Cincinnati and author of Mindfulness: Living Through Challenges and Enriching Your Life in This Moment.“It increases happiness, improves relationships, helps alleviate conditions like depression and chronic pain.…But really, what’s going on is awareness. It’s about paying attention, bringing us back to what is going on right now.”Richard’s work in the area of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a form of MBSR that implements cognitive therapy-based exercises. Cognitive therapy explores and challenges negative thought processes; MBCT is effective in treating problems like depression and anxiety, he says, because it creates a connection between our thoughts and our feelings.Listen to author and Live Happy science editor Paula Felps on the Live Happy Now podcast as she discusses what happens "When Happiness Has a Bad Day."Take a moment, take a breath“Once you’ve experienced depression, it cuts a pathway in your brain and makes it easier to become depressed the next time you feel sad,” Richard says.“MBCT teaches you to notice signs of the problems coming up so you can prevent them.” Mindfulness teaches us to take a moment, take a breath and get back to what is happening right now rather than reacting to the “what ifs” of the situation.For Diane, that means one rough patch in her day no longer spirals into negative thoughts that trigger bad memories and depression. “With more awareness comes better choices,” Richard says. “If I’m aware of how I’m reacting, I can lower my stress response, and that makes other things better. I’m less vulnerable, and my immune system can heal better. Everything improves when you become more aware.”Healthier mind, healthier bodyThe mind-body connection has been well proven over time, and mindfulness proponents and practitioners say it holds many keys to creating a healthier, happier life by influencing the body. “It’s not a cure-all, but it will assist in whatever a person is struggling with, whether that’s physical, mental or emotional,” says Ryan M. Niemiec, PsyD, education director at the VIA Institute on Character and author of Mindfulness and Character Strengths: A Practical Guide to Flourishing.“It offers support and assistance in whatever you’re trying to accomplish. Take for example someone with chronic pain; to learn how to face that directly is a huge challenge. But to bring an honest awareness to your own suffering can completely change your relationship with it.”Studies have documented the effects of mindfulness on physical ailments. Ryan says medical and scientific endorsements have boosted its popularity and have shown the ways it can help both physical and mental challenges. “Before” and “after” brain scans show that certain areas of the brain get thicker after practicing mindfulness for about eight weeks, according to Richard. He equates it to building muscle by lifting weights—over time, you get stronger, but it has to be maintained in order for the results to continue.Read More: 3 Must-Have Mindfulness AppsA powerful tool for healthSome clinical studies have focused on how mindfulness can influence specific ailments, including substance abuse, anxiety, PTSD, depression, autism, cancer, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, AIDS, high blood pressure and headaches. On the broadest level, mindfulness is seen as a tool to improve health because it boosts our immune system. Scientists have attributed this to lower secretions of cortisol and adrenaline, both of which suppress the immune system.Louis Alloro was working on his Master of Applied Positive Psychology degree when he first learned about mindfulness. “Even though I had been involved with personal development my whole life, and had started getting involved with positive psychology, I kept thinking, ‘I don’t know how to do that.’”But once a friend (and fellow MAPP student) started teaching him mindfulness, he realized that not only was it something he could do easily, it was something he had always had the tools for. All he needed was someone who could show him how to use them.Today, Louis can’t imagine daily life without mindfulness and meditation practices, which he says help make him more positive and appreciative and benefit him both physically and mentally.Easy self-care“I think the future of health care is self-care, and mindfulness is such an effective, easy and cheap strategy for self-care,” he says. “We can calm our parasympathetic nervous system, which is our rest-and-digest system, and those are two things that just seem to always be in overdrive today.”Being mindful has allowed Louis to slow his reactions, calm his mind and become healthier. In doing so, he is able to accomplish more while feeling less stressed. “I love the adage that you have to slow down to speed up,” he says. “Mindfulness lets you do that.”Driven to distractionA study by the National Science Foundation discovered that, on any given day, our brain generates some 50,000 thoughts. That averages out to about 52 thoughts a minute during waking hours, so is it any wonder that many of us find it a challenge to “stay in the moment?”As a doctoral student at Harvard, Matt Killingsworth became interested in the association between happiness and what we’re thinking about. He developed the Track Your Happiness app to study the causes of happiness, and monitored users in real time.With more than 15,000 subjects in 80 countries, Matt collected 650,000 “live” reports that led to the conclusion that “a wandering mind is an unhappy mind.” People who were “in the moment” consistently were happier than those whose minds were wandering, even if they were performing a task they didn’t enjoy.Unquiet mindsWhat Matt found most surprising was just how often our minds wander. Overall, our minds are on something other than what we’re doing 47 percent of the time. And, unfortunately, when our minds wander, they usually aren’t visiting a happy place. We often end up with anxiety and worry about the future, or anger or regret about the past. Matt’s studies showed that a wandering mind isn’t the consequence of unhappiness and related anger or anxiety; it’s the cause of it.“The only moment we can ever be in is the present,” Richard points out. “Mindfulness is about being in the moment, bringing our attention back to what’s happening right now.” For most of us, learning to be in the moment takes some work to undo what’s become a deeply ingrained pattern. As children, we have the innate ability to enjoy the present moment as it unfolds, but before long, we’re taught to start thinking about the future.Your life is now“We’re often taught that the ‘good thing’ is coming. It’s always about the next thing,” he says. “Over time, we lose the capacity to enjoy good moments. Even when we [accomplish] a great thing, we’re already thinking about what’s next.”While there is a place for planning, he says the current model doesn’t allow us the chance to enjoy the moment. As children, we start talking about what we’ll be when we grow up; we go to high school and think about college, and while in college we dream of the career waiting for us. The cycle continues once we get that job; we start saving for our dream house, working for the next promotion, building the future. Before long, it’s time to save for retirement and plan for the golden years.“About middle age, a lot of us wake up and realized we’ve been tricked. We realize, ‘This is my life! It’s not coming; it’s already here!’ ” Richard says.Putting it into practiceMindfulness can help put us back in touch with our true thoughts and feelings, and millions of people around the world have found it transformational. One of the most effective paths is through meditation, but Ryan says many people are intimidated by the idea.“The three most common reasons for people to abandon their mindfulness meditation practice is that their mind wanders, they forget to do it or they don’t have time,” Ryan says. “Meditation is a way of cultivating mindfulness, so having a formal meditation process is helpful in improving that. But it’s more about finding the right fit.”For one person, that fit might be a centering prayer; for another it might be self-hypnosis; someone else might choose to do an insight meditation. Many classes and online courses now teach mindfulness and meditation practices. Keep in mind that there’s no onesize-fits-all solution; it’s what works for the individual.Find your fit for meditationLouis, for example, is fond of taking mindful walks as a way to improve positive emotions. “I put away my phone and purposefully attend to the experience of taking a walk,” he says. “I feel my feet each time they connect with the ground, and I see things to be grateful for. I can feel my heart rate slowing down, and I become more calm, more at peace.” Walking or eating mindfully are easy, effective ways to take a break—and they can be done unnoticed by others.Diane practices mindfulness in everything from washing the dishes to taking a walk, being careful to notice the touch of sun or water on her skin or the sounds around her.Other simple, common ways to implement mindfulness can include:• Sit quietly and observe what you’re experiencing in that moment. Observe the sights, sounds, and smells that typically go unnoticed during a busy day.• Take note of the physical sensations you’re feeling, whether it’s the texture of a book in your hands, the feeling of the chair against your legs and back or the feeling of water splashing on your skin as you wash your hands.• When experiencing anxiety, depression or anger, become an observer; look at how your body is responding to the emotion instead of becoming absorbed in the feeling itself.Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD of Harvard Medical School, likens it to watching clouds drift by; Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., compares it to watching soap bubbles float in the air. Try using the experience as an opportunity to understand the feeling rather than reacting to it.• And, when all else fails, just take a breath.“With mindfulness, there is no goal than to become more aware,” Ryan says. “A great place to start is just to breathe. Follow your breath, it’s something we all have. And you’ll notice physiological changes almost immediately.”Listen to author and Live Happy science editor Paula Felps on the Live Happy Now podcast as she discusses what happens "When Happiness Has a Bad Day."Read More: 33 Ideas on Mindfulness

science

Find the Sacred in Everyday Life

In our fast-paced and commodified world, we are encouraged to fly at lightning speed and to relish the latest material thing or fleeting pleasure. At the same time, the study and practice of spirituality has grown enormously in popularity and continues to receive widespread attention. Our frenzied, plugged-in lives have driven us to seek some sort of spiritual refuge or respite from the technological whirlwind. (See: the success of a meditation app like Headspace or other evidence of an increased search to slow down and unplug.) Perhaps this heightened interest in spirituality reflects a personal thirst for meaning in our lives. Many of us are seeking not only to slow down but also to find a firm footing on a more solid—and perhaps sacred—ground. The search for the sacred "Spirituality can have a positive impact on our well-being by helping us focus on what we value most in life," says Ken Pargament, a world-renowned scholar of religion. The Bowling Green State University psychologist has been studying spirituality for more than 35 years and has written several books on the subject, including Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy and The Psychology of Religion and Coping. Defined as “the search for the sacred,” spirituality enables us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, Ken says. "Sacred" refers to human perceptions on qualities often associated with the divine or higher powers: transcendence, ultimacy (essential and absolute truth), boundlessness, interconnectedness and spiritual emotions. Spirituality enhances well-being Research has shown that people who find the sacred in various spheres of life—such as relationships, work, and nature—enjoy enhanced well-being. For example, a 2010 study conducted by Ken and colleagues found that pregnant couples who viewed their marriages and pregnancies as sacred experienced increased positive emotions and were better able to overcome adversity during tough times. Similarly, research headed by Yale professor Amy Wrzesniewski in 1997, then at the University of Michigan, found that people who see their work as sacred report higher levels of job satisfaction. More recently, a 2014 study by Ken and colleagues showed that sacred moments were commonly reported by mental health providers and were linked with positive outcomes for the patient, the provider and the therapeutic relationship. Patients experienced healing and growth, and providers a greater sense of meaning in their work, according to Ken. Read More: The New Prayer Finding the divine If you feel you may be missing aspects of the divine and the sacred in your own life, Ken suggests asking yourself these questions to help foster a more integrated sense of spirituality: What do you hold sacred? Do some soul-searching to identify what matters most to you. How much time are you devoting daily to your spiritual strivings? How might you find more time everyday to search for the sacred? Where do you find the sacred? There are many spiritual pathways. Some of us find the sacred in relationships, some in prayer or meditation, still others through study or action. Reflect on where you experience your deepest feelings of awe, gratitude, mystery, timelessness and love. Emotions like these provide clues about where you might find the sacred and might try to spend more of your time. How committed are you? Practice makes perfect in the spiritual realm as in other areas of life. Spiritual growth takes commitment and hard work. Prepare yourself for a long-term process and don’t be discouraged by frustrations along the way. Read more by Suzann PileggiPawelski: The Power of Passion Suzann Pileggi Pawelskiis a freelance writer specializing in the science of happiness and its effects on relationships and health.