Who doesn’t want to be happy?
Before we get too far, let’s look at what exactly we’re talking about.
Happiness is not about being in a constant state of joy, or about being on a constant high all the time. It’s about positivity and mental wellbeing. It’s enjoying the good times and being able to bounce back from the bad times. It’s grieving when we need to grieve and being resilient when we need resilience.
There’s more to life!
You see, life isn’t just about being successful, it’s about being satisfied too!
Many of us struggle with stress or trying to find balance in today’s busy world. Some might wonder whether this is it… or are there are other ways to live?
Are you overwhelmed or burned out? You’re not alone. We’re all living in a Change Storm — experiencing more change, more often than ever before. Whether we’re finishing full-time education or starting our first job, starting or ending a relationship, changing careers or retiring, it’s clear that life is full of major transitions and changes. Then there are the increasing small changes due to globalisation and technological change which are transforming companies, industries, countries and societies. More than that, they’re leading to uncertain, volatile ways of living and working. We’ve all heard it before, the only constant is change, and there’s no escaping change in our lives.
It’s overwhelming, and it’s even making us sick, and it is all too common.
So, can it really be true that we all go through major life changes, yet none of us are taught how to be prepared to do it well?
The answer to a happy life
The crazy thing is that there is a better way, you just have to know about it, and buy in. But I get it, if you’re a cynic like me, that might be a little bit hard.
It involves things like self-care, gratitude, kindness, mindfulness and meditation. You see, while us Westerners might be new to all this, Eastern philosophers have been teaching this for eons!
The sad news is that if you haven’t bought into all this stuff in the past, you’ve been missing out!
The good news? Now there is a whole lot of credible research into this — so if you’re a cynic, and need to know the cold hard facts, you really have no excuse anymore.
Positive Psychology is a fairly new sub-field within the study of psychology. It is the rigorous study of happiness, and it looks at how people can live a more fulfilling, satisfying and meaningful lives. There has been an explosion of research over the past couple of decades, and one thing is absolutely obvious: you can practice happiness!
To celebrate International Happiness Day, we’re launching a new podcast to help you help yourself
Join us on the Happiness for Cynics podcast as we present the latest research on happiness, with a heavy dose of cynicism and a lot of laughs.
Each week, we’ll cover hot topics like exercise, finding awe and practicing gratitude. We’ll look at the research and facts (no #fakenews or new age platitudes here!) and provide some practical tips to help you to bring more balance, happiness and satisfaction into your life.
Join Marie (the cynic) and the always happy Pete on their journey to discover what makes people happy.