It’s long been assumed that the key to unlocking happiness comes from the idea that working hard leads to success; and when you’re successful, you will be happy. But according to positive psychology research, that formula is backwards.
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Because the entire mission of ForMen is to help people enjoy their lives and feel good, we found this Ted Talk—given by positive psychologist Shawn Achor—to speak directly to our cause.
In these entertaining 12 minutes, Achor posits that if you raise someone’s level of positivity, that is, make them feel happier about themselves, their brain experiences a “happiness advantage.” This means that a brain at positive performs supremely better than it does at negative, neutral or stressed. When at positive, according to Achor, your brain is 31% more productive, your intelligence rises, your creativity rises, your energy levels rise—every single business outcome improves. In fact, 75% of job success is no predicted by one’s IQ, but by one’s optimism level, social support and ability to see stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.
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Positive psychology theorizes that it’s not reality, or our external world, that is predictive of our happiness, but that 90% of our long-term happiness depends on the way our brain is wired to process the world. So if we can change the lens by which our brain views the world, not only can we change our happiness quotient, but we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.
So how do we change our mindset? Achor offer five ways to train your brain to become more positive. If done everyday for 21 days in a row, we will be able to rewire our brain.
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- Write down three things you’re grateful for
- Journal about at least one positive experience you’ve had in the past 24 hours
- Exercise
- Meditate
- Perform at least one random act of kindness (Ex. Write one positive email thanking or praising someone in your social network)
While the tenets of positive psychology might not be for everyone, it’s at least worth giving some of these techniques a try to see if they work for you and increase your happiness level.
Curated article from:
Ted Talk
