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

by Lyubomirsky, Sonja

• ISBN13: 9781594201486
• ISBN10: 159420148X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-12-27
• Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The

Summary

You can change your personal capacity for happiness. Research psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky's pioneering concept of the 40% solution shows you how Drawing on her own groundbreaking research with thousands of men and women, research psychologist and University of California professor of psychology Sonja Lyubomirsky has pioneered a detailed yet easy-to-follow plan to increase happiness in our day-to-day lives-in the short term and over the long term. The How of Happinessis a different kind of happiness book, one that offers a comprehensive guide to understanding what happiness is, and isn't, and what can be done to bring us all closer to the happy life we envision for ourselves. Using more than a dozen uniquely formulated happiness-increasing strategies, The How of Happinessoffers a new and potentially life- changing way to understand our innate potential for joy and happiness as well as our ability to sustain it in our lives. Beginning with a short diagnostic quiz that helps readers to first quantify and then to understand what she describes as their "happiness set point," Lyubomirsky reveals that this set point determines just 50 percent of happiness while a mere 10 percent can be attributed to differences in life circumstances or situations. This leaves a startling, and startlingly underdeveloped, 40 percent of our capacity for happiness within our power to change. Lyubomirsky's "happiness strategies" introduce readers to the concept of intentional activities, mindful actions that they can use to achieve a happier life. These include exercises in practicing optimism when imagining the future, instruction in how best to savor life's pleasures in the here and now, and a thoroughgoing explanation of the importance of staying active to being happy. Helping readers find the right fit between the goals they set and the activities she suggests, Lyubomirsky also helps readers understand the many obstacles to happiness as well as how to harness individual strengths to overcome them. Always emphasizing how much of our happiness is within our control, Lyubomirsky addresses the "scientific how" of her happiness research, demystifying the many myths that unnecessarily complicate its pursuit. Unlike those of many self-help books, all her recommendations are supported by scientific research. The How of Happinessis both a powerful contribution to the field of positive psychology and a gift to all those who have questioned their own well- being and sought to take their happiness into their own hands.

Author Biography

Sonja Lyubomirsky, P.h.D., is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. She received her B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. in social psychology from Stanford University. Lyubomirsky and her research have been the recipients of many honors, including the 2002 Templeton Positive Psychology Prize and a multiyear grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. She lives in Santa Monica, California, with her family.

Table of Contents

Foreword
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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