As we navigate a constantly changing work, I have one question for you: Are you happy?
If you have found yourself struggling lately, there are a lot of things you can do to boost your positivity. University of California-Riverside psychology professor Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky explains that 50% of our happiness is genetic and 10% is dependent on life circumstances, but the final 40% can be influenced by factors under our control.
While there are a variety of choices that we can make to increase our positivity, Shawn Achor, author of "The Happiness Advantage", lists 5 simple things that you can do everyday to help rewire your brain to focus on the positive:
3 Gratitudes - Listing 3 things each day that made you happy trains your brain to look for the positive instead of the negative.
Journaling - Writing about a positive experience allows your brain to relive it.
Exercise - Teaches your brain that your behavior matters.
Meditation - Allows us to process the things that happened during the day.
Random Acts of Kindness - Inspires others to be more positive which can have a powerful "pay-it-forward" effect.
If you have never tried doing these things, I challenge you to take a 21-day challenge. Harvard research says that at the end of the 21 days, you'll be more positive and your mind will subconsciously continue to do them even if you don't make it part of your daily plan.
Now if you answered the question at the top of this blog with a resounding, “Yes! I’m happy,” my follow up question is this: Are the people in your life happy? If you’re a boss, a parent, or spouse, I encourage you to check in to see how you support the efforts of the people in your life is find happiness.