Understand that you possess agency over your happiness and can learn concrete skills to change behaviors, mindsets, and regulate emotions, even when things feel difficult.
Aim for a decent ratio of positive to negative emotions (happiness in your life) and cultivate a sense that your life is going well with purpose and meaning (happiness with your life).
Recognize that knowing what to do for happiness is only half the battle; real commitment, social support, and habit formation are crucial for putting knowledge into practice.
Approach self-improvement and the pursuit of happiness with self-compassion, acknowledging challenges, recognizing common humanity, and speaking to yourself kindly, rather than through perfectionism or self-criticism.
Instead of suppressing negative emotions, practice noticing, accepting, embracing, and learning from them, while also developing healthy regulation strategies.
Reframe negative emotions as internal signaling units, like a car’s dashboard lights, prompting you to investigate and address underlying issues rather than ignoring them.
Practice mindfulness and actively commandeer your attention, consciously directing it rather than allowing impulses or external stimuli to randomly control where it goes.
Actively invest time in meaningful social connections and engage in acts of kindness or service for others, as these behaviors are more reliably linked to increased happiness than self-focused indulgence.
Focus on altering personal behaviors and mindsets (e.g., social connection, exercise, positive self-talk) rather than solely striving to change external circumstances, as these internal shifts have a greater impact on happiness.
Recognize that comfort loses its impact over time due to hedonic adaptation, while engaging in hard work and struggle builds resilience and becomes easier with practice, leading to greater well-being.
Prioritize being ‘wealthy in time’ by setting boundaries and making choices that free up discretionary time, as time affluence is a significant predictor of happiness, comparable to employment status.
Counteract the tendency to excessively defer enjoyment and ‘fun times’ to a hypothetical future, as ’later’ is not guaranteed; integrate enjoyable activities and time affluence into your present life.
Understand that engaging in breaks, social connection, and ‘active rest’ is not a distraction but a fuel source that enhances productivity and performance in the long run.
Identify your unique character strengths (e.g., humor, curiosity, bravery) and actively incorporate them into your daily life, work, and leisure to foster a greater sense of purpose and happiness.
Actively integrate your signature strengths into your daily tasks and work, even in constrained jobs, to transform them into a ‘calling’ and increase job satisfaction and overall happiness.
Cultivate an other-oriented mindset and engage in acts of generosity, such as donating to charity or performing kind deeds for others, as these actions are strongly correlated with increased happiness.
Prioritize spending money or effort on doing nice things for other people rather than solely on self-indulgence, as this reliably leads to greater personal happiness.
Differentiate between superficial online interactions and truly ’nutritious’ social connection, prioritizing real-life or deeper engagements that genuinely foster well-being over passive scrolling.
Consistently repeat desired behaviors and seek social support to ingrain new habits, effectively ‘faking it till you make it’ and becoming the person who naturally performs these actions.
Actively convert various happiness strategies into consistent habits to consistently reap their benefits and improve overall well-being.
Instead of solely fantasizing about positive outcomes, actively visualize potential obstacles and mentally practice ‘if-then’ plans to navigate them, which helps in actual goal achievement.
Believe in your potential to put in the necessary work to achieve a goal, rather than believing you’ve already accomplished it, to maintain motivation for action.
Engage in mental rehearsal of desired behaviors, as this can build habits in your brain even before you perform them in real life, making future actions easier.
Move beyond mere fantasizing about rewards by actively simulating necessary actions and potential obstacles, thereby activating your brain’s planning functions to better prepare for goal achievement.
Be aware of the brain’s natural tendency to seek out upward social comparisons that make you feel inadequate, and actively work to shift this perspective.
Instead of comparing yourself to those better off (silver medalist mindset), compare yourself to those who are worse off or to a slightly worse outcome you avoided (bronze medalist mindset) to foster gratitude and positive emotions.
Briefly imagine losing things you value (health, home, loved ones) to cultivate immediate gratitude for their presence in your life.
Regularly take time to notice and appreciate good things, even small ones, to counteract the brain’s natural negativity bias and train attention towards positivity.
Instead of striving for deep gratitude, simply observe small, amusing, or beautiful ‘delights’ in your everyday environment to gently train your brain to find good things.
When experiencing negative self-talk, switch to using second or third-person pronouns (e.g., ‘you’ or ‘he/she’) to create objective distance, fostering a problem-solving or mentor-like perspective.
Journaling, especially expressive writing about fears or worries, helps the brain naturally shift into sense-making and problem-solving modes, which can alleviate negative thought patterns and improve well-being.
Ensure you are consistently moving your body and getting adequate sleep, as these basic physical habits are foundational to overall well-being and happiness.
Explore and identify your personal ‘signature strengths’ (e.g., via online quizzes like ‘Values in Action Character Strengths’) to understand what truly resonates with you and brings a sense of purpose.
Even if you don’t initially feel like performing a selfless act, engaging in the behavior can still lead to a positive mood shift and happiness boost, regardless of initial motivation.
For introverts or those avoiding social interaction, start with small, manageable steps like texting a friend or scheduling a coffee chat, as even minor social engagements can boost happiness.
Test different happiness strategies on yourself to see what genuinely works for you, rather than blindly accepting or rejecting advice.
Recognize that embracing discomfort and stepping outside your comfort zone is often a necessary prerequisite for experiencing a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
When experiencing negative emotions, adopt a curious mindset by asking ‘What’s going on?’ or ‘Where is this coming from?’ to understand and learn from them rather than suppressing them.
When engaging with technology, ask yourself ‘What for?’ (purpose), ‘Why now?’ (trigger), and ‘What else?’ (opportunity cost) to become more conscious of your digital habits and their impact on your well-being.
Recognize that happiness is often a byproduct of engaging in positive behaviors and mindsets, and directly chasing it can become a barrier, especially if done with a perfectionist or self-critical mindset.
Be willing to say ’no’ to even desirable opportunities to protect your time and create space for what truly matters, especially if you have a tendency towards people-pleasing.
Use discretionary income to purchase services or conveniences (e.g., pre-chopped vegetables, house cleaning) that free up your time, as this investment significantly contributes to time affluence and happiness.
Challenge the misconception that short-term and long-term happiness are always in conflict; many beneficial actions (e.g., exercise, social connection) improve well-being in both the immediate and distant future.
Engage in happiness-boosting behaviors with a self-compassionate approach, and you’ll often find them inherently rewarding, making them easier to sustain over time.