Happiness Is a Choice
In my first job out of college, I was deeply depressed.
There were probably many causes, ranging from physiological to emotional. Physically, I was not getting the proper nutrition that I needed because I was battling an eating disorder. On top of that, I was in a job that I was so looking forward to, only to be deeply disappointed by the toxic, misogynistic, and frankly pretty xenophobic culture. My community was not as strong as I hoped for. I was single and struggling with dating. Basically, my post-college life was a far cry from what I daydreamed about all of senior year.
I spent a good deal of my 9-5 researching about mental health, nutrition, ways to feel happier, ways to make friends and be liked, and so forth. One thing that I would read all the time was that happiness is largely genetic.
Fast forward 11 years: in a weird research rabbit hole, I came across The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor. I found out that the information I was fed— that happiness is largely genetic— is false.
Shawn Achor argues that there are easy, free, habits that we can incorporate into our daily lives to increase our happiness levels. You can choose one of these 5, repeat them every day for 21 days, and watch your happiness levels measurably increase.
Gratitude: list 3 new things that you are grateful for
Visualization: recall one positive thing that happened that day in detail
Exercise: engage in 15 minutes of fun cardiovascular activity
Meditation: for just 2 minutes per day
Express Kindness: first thing in the morning, send a 2 minute message to someone expressing your gratitude, love, or appreciation for them
I explain these 5 daily habits in detail in episode 66, “5 SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN WAYS TO FEEL HAPPIER,” along with the scientific background and research results; along with my personal experiences. Listen now on iTunes, Spotify, or everywhere else you get your podcasts.
