Happiness can be an elusive thing. But with a little strategizing, you can overcome whatever is holding you back, break unhealthy habits, improve negative situations, and return joy to the center of your life. This comprehensive guide explores the many strategies for improving happiness, including mindfulness and journaling techniques, psychological work, diet and physical activities that support wellbeing, tactics for building and strengthening social connections, carefully curated playlists, and a whole lot more. Providing specific science-backed tools and processes to improve your outlook across all areas of your life, this SIP combines the latest scientific research with tried-and-true practical advice to help readers attain joy.
The Path to Happiness • The roadmap to a future filled with joy is in your hands.
Breaking Bad Habits • You may unconsciously be sabotaging your own happiness. Get ready to flip the script.
Identify Unhealthy Activities • When you turn a blind eye to your negative patterns, you subconsciously lock them in.
Balancing Social Media Use
Uncover Negative Mindsets • Eight common mental blocks that stand in the way of true happiness
Take Time To Unplug
Implement Techniques for Change • When you turn a blind eye to your negative patterns, you subconsciously lock them in.
Focus on the Present
Forge New, Better Habits • How the “habit loop” and neuroplasticity can drive more productive routines
Daily Rituals Make All the Difference
Understanding Joy • Mapping your moods, from highest highs to lowest lows
The Science of Happy • The mechanics of feeling good and the two types of happiness
Foods that Boost Serotonin
The Science of Sad • Making sense of the somber feelings we all naturally try to avoid
Dopamine: Friend or Foe?
Am I Sad… or Depressed? • Knowing how to differentiate between the two is the first step toward improvement.
Pharma Solutions
Does Happy Make You Healthy? • Research suggests optimists are healthier than their pessimistic counterparts.
The Gut-Brain Axis
Working Towards Happy • Joy generators you can control—from mindful munching to healthy hobbies
Treat Your Body Right • How the right food and exercise can lead the way to brighter days
Stretching Reduces Stress
Nurture Good Hobbies • Investing time in engaging leisure activities is vital for a happy, healthy life.
Five Happiness-Boosting Hobbies
Practice Mindfulness • Step back, take a few deep breaths, and embrace the gift of right now.
The Benefits of Yoga
Feel the Power of Music • The right tunes can spark joy, take you away, or change your mood altogether.
Tunes for Tots
Strengthening Connections • Don’t go it alone: As they say in High School Musical, “We’re all in this together.”
Your Biological Need For Connection • The scientific basis behind our natural instinct for togetherness
Lead With Empathy
Deep and Meaningful Relationships • Examining the benefits of long-term connections and the path to securing them
Setting Boundaries
Laughter: Still The Best Medicine • How social bonds are strengthened through the disarming power of humor
Active Listening
Physical Connection in a Digital Age • Step back, take a few deep breaths, and take hold of your surroundings.
Virtual Reality
Prioritizing Happiness • Putting joy at the top of your list is easy—keeping it there is the tricky part.
Exclusive Interview: Amy Spencer • A close conversation with L.A.’s most dedicated happiness harvester
Embracing Gratitude • The simple practice of being thankful can quite...