What the heck does “meaning in life” mean, anyway?
searchers at Tohoku University in Japan did a 7 year study of over 43,000 adults age 40 to 79 asking if they had ikigai (a Japanese term for meaning in life) and then tracked their health. People with ikigai were much more likely to be alive 7 years later. Via Pursuing the Good Life: 100 Reflections on Positive Psychology: Even when likely confounds were taken into account, ikigai predicted who was still alive after 7 years. Said another way, 95% of…
2 minutes
Happiness: Bestselling author Gretchen Rubin explains the secrets
bsp; Gretchen Rubin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun and Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life. She also runs the very popular blog The Happiness Project. I've posted a lot of research on…
5 minutes
4 things that will make you more motivated, happy and creative at work:
rvard's Teresa Amabile gave office workers something very simple: diaries. Then she reviewed their ups and downs and drew connections. What she learned was extraordinary. She described the study in her book The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work. Here are four of the biggest things she learned: 1) Progress Motivates You More Than Anything Else Nothing is more motivating than progress in meaningful work and nothing more taxing than setbacks. Via The Progress Principle: Using…
5 minutes
What 10 key lessons can we learn about living the good life from studying older people?
ve posted about three major studies of older people that gave deep insight into what makes a good life: The Terman study (which followed over 1000 men and women from childhood into old age) The Grant study (which followed a group of young men at Harvard from college until the end of life) The Legacy Project (which interviewed almost 1500 people ages 70-100+) Here are my top ten takeaways from the research: 1) What it takes to live a long…
5 minutes
Money Can Buy Happiness: 6 Ways You Can Do It
Buy Many Small Pleasures Instead Of A Few Big Ones Via The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does: One researcher, for example, interviewed people of all income levels in the United Kingdom and found that those who frequently treated themselves to low-cost indulgences— picnics, extravagant cups of coffee, and treasured DVDs— were more satisfied with their lives. Other scientists have found that no-cost or low-cost activities can yield small boosts…
4 minutes
What 6 secrets can the oldest couples teach us about how to have a long, happy relationship?
rl Pillemer of Cornell University interviewed nearly 1500 people age 70 to 100+ for his book “30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans.” What did they have to say about long, happy relationships? Via 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans: Here’s the “refrigerator list” of lessons for successful married life: 1. Marry someone a lot like you. Similarity in core values and background is the key to a happy marriage.…
2 minutes
What makes us feel good about our work?
n Ariely teaches psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University and is the bestselling author of Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions and The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic. Join over 275,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related posts: How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert New Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You Happy New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More…
1 min read
Important Life Lessons: What’s The Most Important Life Lesson Older People Feel You Must Know?
rl Pillemer of Cornell University interviewed nearly 1500 people age 70 to 100+ for his book “30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans.” He asked them what life lessons they'd pass on. What piece of advice were they more adamant about than any other? More adamant about than lessons regarding marriage, children and happiness? Do not stay in a job you dislike. Via 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans:…
3 minutes
