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they had isolated themselves from their peers and loved ones and thus compromised the very support systems they so ardently needed.
the greatest predictor of success and happiness: their social support network.
Countless studies have found that social relationships are the best guarantee of heightened well-being and lowered stress, both an antidote for depression and a prescription for high performance.
We become more successful when we are happier and more positive.
that happiness leads to success in nearly every domain, including work, health, friendship, sociability, creativity, and energy.
The chief engine of happiness is positive emotions, since happiness is, above all else, a feeling. In fact, some researchers prefer the term “positive emotions” or “positivity” to “happiness” because, while they are essentially synonymous, happiness is a far more vague and unwieldy term.
the ten most common positive emotions: “joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love.”
happy workers have higher levels of productivity, produce higher sales, perform better in leadership positions, and receive higher performance ratings and higher pay.
their superior health and longer life spans could only be the result of their happiness, not the cause.
students who were told to think about the happiest day of their lives right before taking a standardized math test outperformed their peers.19 And people who expressed more positive emotions while negotiating business deals did so more efficiently and successfully than those who were more neutral or negative.
Remember, happiness is not just a mood—it’s a work ethic.
pursuing meaningful life goals, scanning the world for opportunities, cultivating an optimistic and grateful mindset, and holding on to rich social relationships.
just a short humorous video clip, a quick conversation with a friend, or even a small gift of candy can produce significant and immediate boosts in cognitive power and job performance.
we all have our own favorite happiness booster.
Meditate.
monks who spend years meditating actually grow their left prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain most responsible for feeling happy.
Find Something to Look Forward To.
Anticipating future rewards can actually light up the pleasure centers in your brain much as the actual reward will.
pick one day a week and make a point of committing five acts of kindness.
Infuse Positivity Into Your Surroundings.
spending 20 minutes outside in good weather not only boosted positive mood, but broadened thinking and improved working memory.
Exercise.
Spend Money (but Not on Stuff).
spending money on experiences, especially ones with other people, produces positive emotions that are both more meaningful and more lasting.
money spent on activities—such as concerts and group dinners out—brought far more pleasure than material purchases like shoes, televisions, or expensive watches.
reapportion money from your “having” column to your “doing” column.
If you find yourself in need of a happiness booster, revisit a talent you haven’t used in a while.
the more you use your signature strengths in daily life, the happier you become.
“Placebos are about 55 percent to 60 percent as effective as most active medications like aspirin and codeine for controlling pain.” The simple change in mindset—i.e., a belief that they are taking an actual drug—is powerful enough to make the objective symptom actually disappear.
The mental construction of our daily activities, more than the activity itself, defines our reality.
This made them very good at their jobs, but they were getting so expert at seeing errors and potential pitfalls that this habit started to spill over into other areas of their lives.
we see what we look for, and we miss the rest.
When our brains constantly scan for and focus on the positive, we profit from three of the most important tools available to us: happiness, gratitude, and optimism.
grateful people are more energetic, emotionally intelligent, forgiving, and less likely to be depressed, anxious, or lonely.
One study found that participants who wrote down three good things each day for a week were happier and less depressed at the one-month, three-month, and six-month follow-ups.16 More amazing: Even after stopping the exercise, they remained significantly happier and showed higher levels of optimism. The better they got at scanning the world for good things to write down, the more good things they saw, without even trying, wherever they looked.
great suffering or trauma can actually lead to great positive change across a wide range of experiences.
After trauma, people also report enhanced personal strength and self-confidence, as well as a heightened appreciation for, and a greater intimacy in, their social relationships.
“we can only learn to deal with failure by actually experiencing failure, by living through it. The earlier we face difficulties and drawbacks, the better prepared we are to deal with the inevitable obstacles along our path.”
we actually have the power in any given situation to consciously select a counterfact that makes us feel fortunate rather than helpless.
the most optimistic agents actually sold fully 88 percent more than the most pessimistic ones.
we consistently forget how good our psychological immune system is at helping us get over adversity.
employees who feel they have high levels of control at the office are better at their jobs and report more job satisfaction.
When we’re under pressure, the body starts to build up too much cortisol, the toxic chemical associated with stress.
I had her make two lists—what she could control and what she couldn’t.
As Aristotle put it, to be excellent we cannot simply think or feel excellent, we must act excellently.
That’s why even though doctors know better than anyone the importance of exercise and diet, 44 percent of them are overweight.
if we want to create lasting change, we should “make our nervous system our ally instead of our enemy.”
In general, Americans actually find free time more difficult to enjoy than work.
For the most part, our jobs require us to use our skills, engage our minds, and pursue our goals—all things that have been shown to contribute to happiness.
After a few quick calculations, we concluded that Ted probably checks his stocks three times an hour, his e-mail five times an hour, and news websites about once an hour.
