The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors

by Brian King

Let me be clear, nobody is happy all the time. In fact, to be happy all the time is indicative of a disorder.

When stressed we should ask ourselves, is this an actual threat? If it is an actual threat, then can I do anything about it?

Worry is one way that the brain can generate its own activity. Yes, worry relieves boredom. And I believe this is why most worrying occurs.

when we are in a stressed state and navigating through the world, any time we encounter an opportunity to do something our brain prefers, we are more likely to do it.

Learn to assess our stressful situations to determine if they are actually threatening and if there is something we can do about them. Learn to redirect our brain away from worrisome or negative thoughts. If simply changing our thoughts doesn’t work, then we can change our environment or activity. Repeatedly practice the behavior we want to exhibit.

college-aged children of helicopter parents have been shown to have a greater tendency toward depression.

Remember, if you are stressing out about being happy, you are doing it wrong.

Verbally expressing positive emotions, such as love or gratitude, to others can make us happier and in turn help us manage stress. Keeping a gratitude journal, specifically listing three things we appreciate about each day, can also make us happier.

Three things we can do in the moment to calm ourselves down: Deep breathing Physical exercise Force a smile

the happiness we feel when we get a nice shot of cash is a fleeting, momentary happiness. Eventually, we get used to it and need more to feel momentarily happy again. Psychologists refer to this as the “hedonic treadmill,” or “hedonic adaptation.”

On average, married men live longer than single men and people with children live longer than people without.