Habits Of Happiness

Monthly Habits

* Gratitude Letter

1x month

Write a letter expressing gratitude, appreciation or thanks. Hand Deliever this letter. [3]

* Give

5% of earnings

Give the money away personally. Follow its use to a successful conclusion. Do your research to find a good use for it. [3]

Giving associated with better well being.

* Volunteer

1-4x month

Volunteer. [3]

Weekly Habits

* Acts of Kindness

5x week

5 Acts of kindness a week. [4]

* Exercise

150 minutes of Moderate OR 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

Should include 2-3 strength training sessions. Each seperated by 48 hours of rest. [2]

30 minutes brisk walk 3x/week [4]

* Flow Activites

?x week [1] [4]

* Signature Strength

1x week

Use an identified signature strength at least once per week. [1]

* Completely Unplug

Completely unplug from work and school [1] [4]

* Celebrate

Celebrate your and other peoples achievements and other such things. [1]

* Nature

Spend some time in nature [2]

Daily Habits

* Gratitude Journal

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what you receive, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, you acknowldge the goodness in your life. And because, in the process, you recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partically outside yourself, gratitude also helps you connect to something larger than your individual experience
~ Positive Psychology [1]

Try to set aside a few minutes each day to write about 5 things that you are grateful for. Be specific when writing about what you are grateful for. As you write, recall the sensations you felt as you write about what each thing means to you. [1]

researchers Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough asked groups of students to write down five gratitudes, five hassles, or five events that happened over the past week for ten straight weeks. ... The students who wrote firve gratitudes were happier and physically healthier.
~ The Happiness Equation [4]

Write 3 to 5 things you're grateful for from the past week. [4]

* Positive Writing

20 mins per day

Writing about a positive experience for 20 minutes a day [1] [4]

* Meditation

The effects of mindfulness meditation tend to be dose-related the more you do, the more effect it usually has. Most people find that it takes at least 20 minutes for the mind to begin to settle, so this is a reasonable way to start. ... for a more serious commitment 45 minutes of meditation at least six days a week.
~ Positive Psychology [1]

Studies have shown that taking a course on mindfulness meditation grows parts of the brain associated with compassion and self-awareness, while shrinking parts associated with stress. It appears that as little as a 2 minute meditation can start to bring these effects. [4]

* Optimistic Writing

Tune in on the perpetual dialogue that takes place in your mind and that you are usually unaware of. It's a matter of picking up the connection between a certain adversity--even a very minor one--and a consequent feeling.
~ Learned Optimism [3]

Adversity: Record your description of what happened, not your evaluation of it. Be objective about the situation.

A: I got back the results from my exams and I didn't do as well as I wanted.

Belief: Your beliefs are how you interpret the adversity. Be sure to seperate thoughts from feelings.

B: I no doubt did the worst in the class. I'm just stupid. It's just too late for me.

Consequences: Record your feelings and what you did. Write down as many feelings and actions as you were aware of.

C: I felt totally useless. I was embarrassed and decided I should withdraw from my courses.

Disputation: Give your beliefs an argument. Focus on alternative explanations that are changeable, specific, and the nonpersonal causes.

Bad events should be perceived as being temporary. (They are in a bad mood)

Good affects should be perceived as being longer lasting. (I'm always lucky)

Bad attributes should be attributed to specific downfalls. (This test was impossible)

Good attributes should be attributed to universal characteristics. (I'm smart)

When things go well they focus on what they did well, when things go wrong they focus on what externally happened.

There are four methods:

Energization: Observe the energization that occurs as you succeed in dealing with the negative beliefs, and record all of this.

I feel better about how my exams went. I am not going to drop the class. I am going to study harder for the next exam and ask more questions in class.

* Drink Water

5-8x cups/day [2]

* Sleep

Consistent Sleep Schedule every day. [1] [2]

Current Habits

Here are some of the habits I would like to start implimenting into my weekly routine:

Past Habits

I used to keep a number of habits. I've had mixed experiences with them.

Meta-Writing

Topic: Daily and Weekly habits that correspond to happiness.

Goal: Have a single place of reference for all of the habits and routines I find that are suggested for improving happiness or wellness.

Scope: Happiness, Joy, Contentment Habits/Routines.

Audience: Myself, as a quick reference for later. Something that I can update when I find new or contradictory information.

Footnotes:

  1. Harvard: Positive Psychology
  2. Harvard: Boost Energy
  3. Martin Seligman: Learned Optimism
  4. Neil Pasricha: The Happiness Equation