MICHELLE GIELAN 1: Write a gratitude letter to your partner letting them know the big and small things you’re thankful for about them. Give it to them or read it aloud (while they blush). Why: Studies have shown that people who regularly practice gratitude are more satisfied with their relationships with friends and family. In a study…
Is happiness harder to find in the modern world? A May report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between 1999 and 2010, suicide in adults age 35-64 rose 28.4 percent. It rose 48.6 percent for men in their 50s and 59.7% for women age 60-64. Depression can be crippling—the more we…
Try this experiment and discover possibilities On a napkin or a sheet of paper right now, draw just a rough picture of a coffee cup and saucer—and be creative. On a napkin or a sheet of paper right now, draw just a rough picture of a coffee cup and saucer—and be creative. Read on when you’re…
By Shawn Achor, as told to Joan Raymond | New York Times September 4, 2013I GIVE about 100 lectures a year, which translates to about 300 flights. I try to stay positive about everything, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering I’m a researcher, author and educator in the field of positive psychology. I do have…
Who is the most important person on a team? If you follow sports, you know commentators will often talk about the “glue guys” or “glue gals” who hold their teams together in the midst of challenge and are largely responsible for their triumphs. Sometimes it’s even the injured quarterback sitting on the sidelines. The same…
We all search for something larger than short-term satisfaction New research led by social psychologist Roy Baumeister articulates a paradox each of us faces—an internal battle between our desire for happiness and the quest for meaning in our lives. If you’ve ever been a tired-eyed new parent, you understand this fascinating tug-of-war. Normally when people…
I was at a Starbucks in New York, completely minding my own business, when… Actually, in truth, I was at a Starbucks intentionally eavesdropping on the conversation of some people at the table next to me, when I overheard one slightly overweight woman say to her three fit friends, “I’ve tried 19 diets over the…
One afternoon in Los Angeles I took my mom out to lunch. We had decided to try a cute little café in Santa Monica that is well known for healthy food. Both of us were trying to get more exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables, so splitting a salad there fit in perfectly with…
For you, which comes first: happiness or success? My guess is that you have already answered that question several times today. You answer it every time your brain says, “I’ll be happy when I find a job.” “I’ll be happy when I get a promotion.” “I’ll be happy when my dissertation is finished.” The formula is clear: Work harder,…
The greatest metric for predicting job satisfaction and engagement is the social support perceived by the employee. And job satisfaction and engagement directly correlate with productivity. So the best and fastest way to more connected and therefore more productive is to receive more social support from others at work, right? Not so fast. Some of the…