EAP Positivity Note of the Week ~ Happiness

It says “Happiness takes work, it’s achievable for everyone” ~ Lindsey Stirling

Happiness doesn’t mean the absence or ignorance of the hardship, sadness, or struggles in your life, and certainly as a whole human you should feel all of the feelings that come with the various events or interactions that you experience. 

When we’re talking about Happiness as a ‘goal’ we’re talking about the degree of happiness that is your ‘baseline’.

In Positive Psychology there is a concept of a “Happiness Baseline” – “The Happiness Baseline means that, while our level of happiness varies with events that happen in our lives, we ultimately adapt to these events and return to a baseline level.” (The Medium - “Happiness Baseline” article)

• This “Happiness Baseline” article also gives you a few activities that can help you explore what type of events or experiences are “hotspots” in your life that create the biggest deviation, both positive and negative, from your baseline.

• Some Hotspot areas that are shared includes

  • Emotion- How do I feel overall?

  • Mind- How do I feel about my purpose?

  • Body- How do I feel about my body?

  • Career- How do I feel about my career?

  • Finances- How do I feel about my finances?

  • Relationships- How do I feel about my relationships?

  • Fun- How do I feel about the amount of fun in my life?

• The author shares a few additional steps toward reflecting on these hotspots to make small and frequent changes to improve your Happiness Baseline!

Take Action For Happiness! 

Action for Happiness offers 10 keys to Happier Living:

• Giving - Do kind things for others
  • Find a charity with Charity Navigator 
  • Or Volunteer using our Center for Civic Engagement's Community Opportunities Directory!
• Relating - Connecting with People
  • TED talk: "What makes a good life?" (13 min)
• Exercising - Take care of your body
• Awareness - Live life mindfully!
• Trying Out - Keep learning new things
  • "If you want to be good at something, first you've got to be bad!" - (5 minute read)
• Direction - Have goals to look forward to
  • Set yourself some SMART Goals!
• Resilience - Find ways to bounce back
  • Check out the upcoming in-person event below: Resilience Blueprint: Positive Psychology and Healthy Habits (May 27th at noon!)
  • Take a look at the Resilience Exercises!
• Emotions - Look for what's good
• Acceptance - Be comfortable with who you are
  • Listen to this talk "Appreciating goodness and beauty in our world" (58 minutes)
• Meaning - Be part of something bigger
  • How do we find meaning? (6 minute video)
  • Volunteer using our Center for Civic Engagement's Community Opportunities Directory!