When you were little and the teacher asked what you wanted to be when you grew up, you surely didn\u2019t answer \u201cmiserable!\u201d<\/p>\n

At every stage in life, unhappiness is not a state to which we aspire. But with the economy rolling downhill, the vision of our own prosperity can seem like a tiny, inflatable raft in an ocean of fear. In such unstable times, the pursuit of happiness can feel like a taunt rather than an inalienable right.<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s worth the effort. Emerging research shows that while trauma has a profound impact on the brain, the brain is not as hard-wired as previously thought.\u00a0 We can learn to be happier.\u00a0 In fact, the most popular class at Harvard University is one in which students learn to train their brains to cultivate what instructor Tal Ben-Shahar calls the ultimate currency: happiness.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why Happiness Matters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Medical evidence suggests being unhappy affects our memory and our capacity to learn, while increasing the risk of illness. On the flip side, happier people are more likely to:<\/p>\n

\u2022 be more creative, confident and productive.
\n\u2022 have a stronger network of allies and friends.
\n\u2022 be sick less often and get well faster.<\/p>\n

How to Support Your Own Happiness<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you would like to train your brain for happiness, consider some of these ideas:<\/p>\n

Decide that you want to be happier<\/strong>. When you make that decision, you start to notice choices for happiness that you may have missed before. Those choices may be small, such as lying down for 10 minutes when you\u2019re tired rather than powering hrough a task, but you start to create a habit of seeking happiness that grows.<\/p>\n

Acknowledge your feelings<\/strong>. When you feel distressed, don\u2019t make it worse by beating yourself up for being upset. Do your best to accept your feelings. When you give your feelings respect and attention, they usually begin to shift on their own, and you start to feel better.<\/p>\n

Work with your thoughts<\/strong>. If you\u2019re having thoughts that are hurtful to you, try reaching for a better thought or scenario that you can actually believe. For instance, if you\u2019re worried about losing your job, recall something stable in your life,\u00a0 whether it\u2019s your partner\u2019s income or your healthy savings account. When your mind returns to the worry, bring it back to the better-feeling thought.<\/p>\n

Celebrate success<\/strong>. Whether it\u2019s the achievement of a major goal or a week when your children got along, take in the accomplishment, and give yourself and your children a pat on the back.<\/p>\n

Seek meaning<\/strong>. Happiness comes from doing something that gives us pleasure and meaning. If your job doesn\u2019t provide that, find something that does. It could be a hobby, volunteering, taking a course, or allowing time to read a book or cook something tasty.<\/p>\n

Express gratitude<\/strong>. Be grateful for everything that makes your day better, from a colleague\u2019s smile to your morning latte.<\/p>\n

As you practice happiness and make it a habit, you\u2019ll find yourself in a lovely upward spiral that will support you through challenging times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DOWNLOAD THIS ARTICLE AND MORE AS A PDF FILE by clicking this link: Summer Newsletter How to Support Your Own Happiness When you were little and the teacher asked what you wanted to be when you grew up, you surely didn\u2019t answer \u201cmiserable!\u201d At every stage in life, unhappiness is not a state to which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59\/revisions\/100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.drilonatobin.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}