To Be Successful, Make Time for Your Relationships Success Magazine, Shawn Achor May 19 2017 As I saw when the economy crumbled, sometimes it takes a crisis to teach us the importance of social investment. In a front-page story on this phenomenon, the Washington Post reported a marked increase in carpooling and community bonding once the…
60 Seconds to Happiness Live Happy, Michelle Gielan + Shawn Achor May 21, 2017 Use social media to enhance relationships and well-being with these expert tips. Vin called in during the taping of my new radio series, 60 Seconds to Happiness. His problem: He feels jealous each time he looks at his Instagram feed because staring back…
Two Easy Habits to Fuel Success and Change Your Relationship with the News Thrive Global April 21 2017 Let’s see if this scenario sounds familiar: after hitting the snooze button at least three times, you finally turn to your phone and scroll through your emails. “I Need This ASAP!” they shout at you. Now, you’re…
Are You a Phone Snubber? Live Happy, Michelle Gielan and Shawn Achor April 18, 2017 Handle tech distractions so they don’t harm your relationships. It’s annoying, and we’re both guilty of it. It’s one of the prime ways we—as married happiness researchers—make each other supremely unhappy. See if you can guess what’s going on here: One…
Yes, Your Smile Really is Contagious Success Magazine, Shawn Achor April 13, 2017 I begin most of my lectures by asking the audience to break up into pairs. Then I say this: “Over the course of your life, you have excelled in part because of your impressive self-discipline. I want you to take all of the self-discipline…
Relax, Your Smartphone Probably Isn’t Destroying Your Relationships Fast Company, Amy Blankson February 19, 2017 In a 2011 study at Stanford University, researchers asked a group of girls ages 8 to 12 by to surf the internet for up to five hours, then share how happy and socially comfortable they felt. The results weren’t encouraging.…
Start a Ripple of Kindness in Your Community Live Happy Magazine, Amy Blankson February 14, 2017 When we see others giving back and being compassionate, we want to do the same. This past week, I was checking out at the grocery store with my three daughters. I was in “go mode,” as in let’s-check-out-as-fast-as-possible-and-go because my 4-year-old was starting…
3 Ways to Spread Positivity Success Magazine, Shawn Achor November 3, 2016 In director Christopher Nolan’s film Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a man named Cobb who uses futuristic military technology to steal people’s corporate secrets by digging into their subconscious while they sleep. Then a secretive entrepreneur named Saito hires Cobb to do something a little different:…
3 Happiness Hacks to Savor the Holiday Season Live Happy, Amy Blankson November 1, 2016 Use technology to get more out of life, not distract you from it. Buy the groceries! Prep the turkey! Set the table! In the midst of the scurry to get ready for Thanksgiving, sometimes it can be difficult to just enjoy the moment…
The Science of Friendship Success Magazine, Shawn Achor July 21, 2016 Our need for social support isn’t just in our heads. Evolutionary psychology explains that the innate need to form social bonds is wired into our biology. When we make a positive social connection, the pleasure-inducing hormone oxytocin is released into our bloodstream, immediately reducing anxiety…