About Happiness from Gretchen Rubi

These are the best observations from the Gretchen's blog on happiness & I would like to remember those writings. So here keeping for the reference.

1) Happiness is much less about accomplishments and much more about relationships.

In it, he shows that people who focus on extrinsic motivations like being “successful” in the eyes of others are less happy than those who focus on intrinsic motivations like personal growth and loving relationships—even when they achieve those successes they crave. This was a huge revelation for me, and prompted me to rethink my life and even write a blog post about The Meaning of Life.

2) Do good feel good

I had a friend who went through a period of tremendous rejection: she was fired from her job, she didn’t get into the graduate program to which she’d applied, and her boyfriend broke up with her. Everything worked out fine in the end, and I asked her how she got through such a tough time. She said, “I was practically addicted to doing good deeds for other people. It was the only way I could make myself feel like I wasn’t a total loser.

One of the critical pieces of information I’ve learned from m happiness project is that I should act the way I want to feel. If I want to feel more energetic, I need to act more energetic: pace when I talk on the phone, walk more quickly, put more energy into my voice. One of my favorite new resolutions is to Jump.

This sounds like magical thinking, but hard science show that the “Fake it ‘till you feel it” strategy really works. The least productive approach is to do what I’ve been doing – dwelling on my feelings of tiredness. No more complaining!

9 common happiness mistakes.
To delay to do something important until you have some “free time,” because you may never have any free time

1. To retreat into isolation when you’re unhappy
2. To neglect to make a small change because you think a big change is necessary
3. To refuse to consider a big change because you assume you can only make a small change
4. To “treat” yourself to something you wouldn’t ordinarily permit yourself, because you’re feeling blue
5. To postpone something important until you’re feeling healthier, or thinner, or married, or whatever
6. To think that you can “make” someone else be happy
7. To imagine that what’s true for other people is true for you
8. To spend too much time, or not enough time, thinking about the past, present, or future
9. To ignore the truth about your own temperament, interests, and aptitudes

Tips for Boosting Ones Energy Right Now

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For long-term energy, it’s most important to A) get enough sleep and B) get some exercise. But that doesn’t help you if you need some energy RIGHT NOW. If you’re desperate for an immediate boost, try these tips:

1. Go outside into the sunlight; light deprivation is one reason that people feel tired. Research suggests that light stimulates brain chemicals that improve mood. For an extra boost, get your sunlight first thing in the morning. And while you’re outside…

2. Go for a brisk walk. One study found that even a ten-minute walk was enough to supply a feeling of energy and decreased tension.

3. Act with energy. We think we ACT because of the way we FEEL, but often we FEEL because of the way we ACT. Trick yourself into feeling energetic by moving more quickly, pacing while you talk on the phone, and putting more energy into your voice.

4. Listen to your favorite upbeat song. Hearing stimulating music gives an instant lift and is one of the quickest, most reliable ways to affect your mood and energy level. I’m always surprised by the effectiveness of this strategy.

5. Talk to an energetic friend. Not only do we gain energy from interacting with other people, we also – in what’s called emotional contagion -- “catch” their emotions. Instead of infecting others with your draggy mood, try to lift yourself by catching the energy of a boisterous friend.

6. Tackle an item on your to-do list. Unfinished tasks weigh us down. So if you feel bad about never having had a skin-cancer check, or not having completed an over-due report, or not having faced this month’s bills, force yourself to tackle one thing that’s nagging you. It’s tough, but you will feel a HUGE rush of energy when you cross it off your list.

7. Clean up. I’m not sure why tidying makes such a huge difference, but when I feel like I can’t face the day, I just tidy up my desk, and I perk right up.

8. Eat -- if you're hungry. If you're actually hungry,

eating makes a huge difference to your energy. Both my children become very droopy and crabby when hungry, and I've learned the hard way to pay close attention to this; I suffer from it myself. During the workday, my husband will go far too long without eating, so I try to remind him to eat enough, as well. However, it can be tempting to eat a snack to try to get an energy boost even when you're not hungry. If food isn't the problem, other strategies to boost your energy may be healthier.

GENERAL TIPS

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1. Suffer 15 minute every day to complete a boring task

2. Observer 1 minute rule to complete a taks that you can complete within a minute