23 Jul 4 simple paths to happiness
We can all incorporate small changes into our lives in order to be more mindful, more grateful and ultimately more happy, writes Sophie Scott.
What is happiness and how do we get it?
It's something I spent months thinking and writing about when I researched and wrote Roadtesting Happiness. The genesis of the book was dealing with grief – or not dealing with it, really.
I'd been struggling to regain some semblance of a normal life after my mother died. I found it almost impossible to reconcile that life would go on as normal around me while I felt that everything I cherished had been shaken to the core.
So to bring some equilibrium, I looked into the advice of the world's best happiness experts, to see if their advice really works.
Here's what I found.
Be happy, not perfect
While we all want to do well and succeed in work and in relationships, if we set unreasonable standards, the opposite can occur. So let go of unrealistic expectations on yourself, your time and your loved ones.
Remember good enough is OK. At the end of each day, there are always things on my to-do list that don't get done. But I would rather spend some quality time with family, and turn a blind eye to the household and work tasks that always need doing…
…keep reading more about enjoying more happiness from Sophie's great article HERE