23 Nov 3 Exercises for more Happiness
by Dr. Acacia Parks from www.happier.com
Question: I_ã_m already pretty happy. I score low on measures of depression and high on the Authentic Happiness Index. What should I be working on? Do you know what tools will work best for me?
Answer: The data tell us that people like you (low on depression symptoms and high on happiness) benefit the most from _ã–big picture_ã exercises that can help you find meaning. Chances are you already experience a good deal of positive emotion, and as a result, you are uniquely poised to benefit from these kinds of exercises _ã_ they can be difficult at times, maybe even disheartening to people who are already feeling bad, but the positive emotion that you already experience will help you get the most out of your experience.
Your high scores on the Authentic Happiness Index demonstrate that you_ã_re feeling pretty satisfied with your present. The What Door Opened? exercise can help you gain perspective on difficult events from your past. _ã–Letting Go of Grudges_ã also helps you gain perspective on the past. The exercise guides you through the process of releasing negative emotions about past problems with other people.
Finally, The _ã–Mindfulness Journal_ã can help you fine-tune your everyday routine by making you more aware of what activities help you feel happier and what activities don_ã_t (tons of research says that we are not great at figuring these things out on our own).
Keep in mind that you are already pretty happy, so you can_ã_t expect huge gains _ã_ but you can still become happier. These exercises will help you get on the right track.
Note: to find out more about the aforementioned exercises, tests and activities – click here
Dr. Acacia Parks is an instructor in positive psychology, a researcher and a member of the Positive Psychology Practitioner Directory. Dr. Parks has taught a variety of classes on how to use positive psychology interventions, and she often gets questions from students and clients about what will work best for them.
One Caveat…
Although we strongly endorse the strategies outlined above, and although we very much encourage you all to strive for as much happiness as possible, please do remember that…
- noone’s happy all the time
- it’s perfectly OK (and indeed appropriate) to experience negative emotions (such as anger and sadness and anxiety etc) from time to time
- happiness is obviously about enjoying the good times but it’s also about how you get through the tough times
If you’d like to discuss further, feel free to get in touch with one of our team here at The Happiness Institute.