The How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want

by Lyubomirsky, Sonja

• ISBN13: 9780143114956
• ISBN10: 0143114956
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-30
• Publisher: Penguin Books

Summary

You hold in your hands a different kind of happiness book. The How of Happiness is a comprehensive guide to understanding the elements of happiness based on years of groundbreaking scientific research. It is also a practical, empowering, and easy-to-follow workbook, incorporating happiness strategies, exercises in new ways of thinking, and quizzes for understanding our individuality, all in an effort to help us realize our innate potential for joy and ways to sustain it in our lives. Drawing upon years of pioneering research with thousands of men and women, The How of Happiness is both a powerful contribution to the field of positive psychology and a gift to people who have sought to take their happiness into their own hands. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Sonja Lyubomirsky is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and an award-winning researcher.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 1
How to Attain Real and Lasting Happiness
Is It Possible to Become Happier?	p. 13
A Program for Lasting Happiness	p. 14
Do You Know What Makes You Happy?	p. 16
Discovering the Real Keys to Happiness	p. 19
The Most Rewarding "Work" You'll Ever Do	p. 24
Why Be Happy?	p. 24
How Happy Are You and Why?	p. 27
Where Do You Fit In?	p. 30
Happiness Myths	p. 38
The Limits of Life Circumstances	p. 41
The Happiness Set Point	p. 52
The Promise of Intentional Activity	p. 63
Conclusion	p. 67
How to Find Happiness Activities That Fit Your Interests, Your Values, and Your Needs	p. 69
Three Ways That Strategies Can Fit	p. 70
Corniness, Again	p. 72
Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic	p. 73
P.S. More Options	p. 78
Final Words	p. 79
Happiness Activities
Foreword to Part Two: Before You Begin	p. 83
Practicing Gratitude and Positive Thinking	p. 88
Expressing Gratitude	p. 89
Cultivating Optimism	p. 101
Avoiding Overthinking and Social Comparison	p. 112
Investing in Social Connections	p. 125
Practicing Acts of Kindness	p. 125
Nurturing Social Relationships	p. 138
Managing Stress, Hardship, and Trauma	p. 150
Developing Strategies for Coping	p. 151
Learning to Forgive	p. 169
Living in the Present	p. 180
Increasing Flow Experiences	p. 181
Savoring Life's Joys	p. 190
Final Words	p. 204
Happiness Activity No. 10: Committing to Your Goals	p. 205
Six Benefits of Committed Goal Pursuit	p. 206
What Kinds of Goals Should You Pursue?	p. 208
Recommendations for Committed Goal Pursuit	p. 214
Taking Care of Your Body and Your Soul	p. 227
Practicing Religion and Spirituality	p. 228
Taking Care of Your Body (Meditation)	p. 240
Taking Care of Your Body (Physical Activity)	p. 244
Taking Care of Your Body (Acting Like a Happy Person)	p. 250
Secrets to Abiding Happiness
The Five Hows Behind Sustainable Happiness	p. 257
The First How: Positive Emotion	p. 258
The Second How: Optimal Timing and Variety	p. 266
The Third How: Social Support	p. 270
The Fourth How: Motivation, Effort, and Commitment	p. 273
The Fifth How: Habit	p. 277
Conclusion	p. 280
The Promise of Abiding Happiness: An Afterword	p. 282
Postscript: If You Are Depressed	p. 285
What Is Depression?	p. 285
The Causes of Depression	p. 289
The Most Effective Treatments for Depression	p. 293
The Cure for Unhappiness Is Happiness	p. 302
Surmounting Setbacks	p. 304
Additional Happiness Activities That May Fit	p. 305
Acknowledgments	p. 309
Notes	p. 313
Index	p. 359
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