Join Me on the 14 Day Happiness Challenge

I have been fortunate enough to be a pretty "happy" person my entire life. Don't get me wrong, I am a normal human being and have ups and downs and even reached some pretty low points- especially in the last few years.

In the last decade or so I have been studying the science behind "being happy". Are you just born that way, or can you help yourself find happiness? During the pandemic, I was delighted to see that a course I really wanted to take at Yale-The Science of Well-Being-was being offered for free. I enrolled in the 10-week course, completed it and learned a lot.

I already knew that money and "stuff" wasn't the key to happiness, but I didn't know that I our brains are hardwired to get used to things. (Hedonic Adaptation). We get accustomed to both positive and negative, so the effects you get emotionally from good (or bad) things start to wane with time. That new car you bought may bring you happiness the first few drives around, but eventually the happiness level that you had in the beginning is no longer there.

There are ways to thwart Hedonic Adaptation-savoring the experience or item, sharing them and appreciating or expressing gratitude for them. I learned to do this with ice cream (which brings me great happiness!) I savor each bite and limit my consumption to a few times a week. Each ice cream cone brings me, and whomever I am sharing with, joy and I look forward to the next experience.

The world has gone through a tough time these past two years and things are still unsettling and sad. I believe the whole world is depressed and this is having a negative effect on our societal norms. People are ruder and angrier. Crime is up everywhere. I can't think of a better time to work on happiness.

Please join me on this 14 Day Happiness Challenge. I will be starting on Monday (June 13). To find true happiness, you have to put in the effort. I'll be right there with you as we explore our personal relationships and happy habit making.