Embark on a journey of self-discovery and positivity with the simple yet powerful practice of gratitude journaling. Journaling has been an effective and important strategy for self-development over many centuries. It can help you understand your fortunes, and thus instill more positivity in your life. With gratitude journaling, you can unlock positive emotions and great experiences you never knew were possible. In this article, we will uncover the many personal and health benefits of gratitude journaling, as well as how you can begin your gratitude journey. What is the Gratitude Journal? Grati ..read more

The Challenge: We love our digital devices, but using them in an unsafe way can have repercussions for our physical health. The Science: Research suggests there are some big ways that our digital device use is having a negative impact on our physical health. The Solution: Avoid certain bad digital habits and you can use your devices without fear of damaging your health and productivity. Has your smartphone become a permanent part of your hand? Is your tablet or laptop your constant companion? We’re all guilty of overdoing it on the digital devices. And most of us regularly feel ..read more

The Challenge: We assume we should play to our strengths to be successful. The Science: When we fail at something, we think we should do something else instead. The Solution: Here’s why! You’ve failed at something again: that date you loved didn’t lead to any follow-up calls, the project you worked so hard on was picked apart by your boss, or your New Year’s resolution lasted about 1 and a half days. When faced with a challenge or failure, you often assume that you just don’t have what it takes. “I scare away romantic partners.” “I suck at my job.” “I have zero willpower.” In th ..read more

The Challenge: Good things happen to us daily, but we let small things get us down. The Science: A well-kept secret to increasing our joy lies in the simple act of sharing it! The Solution: Learn how to share your bliss to give it a boost! Positive experiences happen to us every day yet most of us don’t know how to capitalize on them. Have you ever noticed that it could be a great day (you had 8 hours of sleep, it’s sunny, you feel great, had a great conversation with a friend etc, …) but that it takes just one harsh word from someone or one bad email or text to ruin the da ..read more

The Problem: Leaders sometimes find themselves leading a divided organization or country. The Science: There is one skill that can help any organization thrive. The Solution: If a leader is compassionate, s/he can unite people and move forward effectively. President-elect Trump wrote in The Midas Touch “Unite to win. Divide to conquer.” He conquered the Electoral College to become President by dividing Americans (he lost the popular vote by nearly 2.9 million votes), but to win America he must unite them. In short, he has a clear want and an even clearer need: He wants ..read more

The Challenge: We are driven by fear in work and our personal lives. The Science: Research provides a simple technique to combat fear and live happier lives. The Solution: It’s something you may never have heard of before. We all live in fear: fear of getting laid off, of being left, of getting sick, of losing a loved one. We are driven by fear and so we live in constant stress. In order to feel more secure, we end up buying more things, overeating, overworking, and so on. However, there is a science-based technique you’ve probably never heard of that can help you achieve freedo ..read more

The Challenge: You can’t stick to resolutions (diets, exercise regiments, a book project) you know would make you happier. The Science: You CAN make a change and transform your habits! The Solution  Follow this one snappy formula and reap huge benefits. Research shows that 50-60% of individual happiness is determined by biological factors and our life circumstances. At first, this may feel like a massive existential slap in the face. However, the good news is that the lion´s share of our well-being lies in our own hands! Happiness doesn’t just happen to us, we have a s ..read more

The Challenge: When we fail, we often beat ourselves up… But is this effective? The Science: Actually, self-forgiveness may make you much more successful! The Solution: Learn the 3 key elements for capitalizing on failure in order to succeed! When we fail at something, the natural reaction for most of us is to punish ourselves for our slacking. When we drink too many beers, when we smoke that cigar we shouldn’t have smoked, when we eat that greasy pizza or fail to meet that deadline, we get angry at ourselves: “You lazy slacker, again you failed! You will never succeed at a ..read more

The Challenge: We often use praise to uplift or thank others. The Science: However, if we do it the wrong way, we can actually harm them! The Solution: Learn to give the right kind of praise. Praise is a wonderful way to show our love and appreciation for others. However, did you know that some kinds of praise are not helpful and that other kinds of praise are incredibly empowering? Before you start celebrating others, learn to give them the right kind of praise! Why is mindset important? As we discussed in an earlier post on mindset, our mindset affects the way w ..read more

The Challenge:  We struggle to eat healthy food – the rest is just so much tastier to us! The Science:  Consuming more daily portions of fruits and veggies greatly improves our mood. The Solution:  The more you raise your portions of fruit and vegetables, the happier you become! We’re all familiar with the adage as old as nutritional science itself – eating more fruits and vegetables betters our health in the long run. Indeed, vigilant mothers have impressed this fact’s importance on growing children long before medical research provided any scientific corrob ..read more