Everything You Need To Know About The Happiness Advantage
Shawn Achor wrote The Happiness Advantage, a book that came out in 2010. The book details the author's take on psychological principles, overall success, and work performance. Achor's take on the Happiness Advantage theorizes that past theories of happiness have not been accurate. Achor believes that happiness leads to success, not the other way around.
Countless people have spent decades trying to understand happiness and what is involved in achieving this emotion or state of being. Some believe that contentment may be found once they have reached a specific goal, such as wealth, prestige, or fame. However, the Happiness Advantage rejects this notion and states that, due to discoveries in positive psychology, the relationship between happiness and success works opposite to what most people believe.
Understanding the principles of happiness
There are layers to The Happiness Advantage. One of the primary focuses of this book is understanding the principles of happiness, including the following.
"You are responsible for your own happiness"
The first principle of happiness in the book is the idea that individuals can be responsible for their own happiness. Some people may believe that happiness is an entity that will come to them if they have a particular lifestyle, net worth, status, or item. However, Achor believes happiness comes from within. In addition, Achor states that happiness may not be a mood or emotion, as emotions are fleeting. To him, happiness is a state of living.
Individuals serious about experiencing genuine happiness may achieve it by taking responsibility for their actions. Reaching for the stars, working to achieve goals, and understanding that each person can change may be stepping stones to this state.
"Positivity is a key part of The Happiness Advantage"
Another factor mentioned in The Happiness Advantage involves the brain and how each person exercises and utilizes it. Whether or not an individual views the world through a positive or negative lens may impact the manner of the perception and the quality of their actions. Looking for the upsides while releasing the downsides is another part of the Happiness Advantage. Achor states that like attracts like, positive energy attracts positive energy, and negative energy attracts negative energy.
"You have the choice to grow and be happy"
How one handles setbacks or failures is also a critical concept in The Happiness Advantage. No matter how optimistic one may be, life may throw surprises at you. There can be various unexpected experiences in life that may cause stress. Achor believes that individuals have one of two choices when this occurs. They can sink into a state of self-pity and succumb to negative emotions or look for lessons and the opportunity to personally evolve.
"You can determine the significance of your decisions"
Another paramount principle in The Happiness Advantage is the weight and significance one attributes to one's decisions, actions, and conduct. The happiest and most accomplished individuals may understand that their choices indicate their forthcoming results.
In some cases, life gets challenging, and it may be tempting to fault other people, situations, or environmental factors for one's actions. However, someone looking for happiness may benefit from understanding that their behaviors and choices are what cause their results. A lack of responsibility or self-accountability is considered the "enemy of happiness" in this book.
Beware of minding what is average: Focus on Excellence for Happiness
Paying attention and documenting events can be a typical pattern amongst human beings. Despite the regularity and commonness of minding average occurrences, The Happiness Advantage affirms that people who frequently observe and act upon the average are setting themselves up to be average, even if they do not initially realize it. In some circles, the preceding phenomenon is "the error of the average."
Instead of minding what happens to be average, Achor believes individuals should focus their energy on exceptionality and excellence. Individuals set a high bar for themselves by documenting the highest common denominators. Although success does not guarantee happiness, working to achieve goals can be a critical factor, according to The Happiness Advantage.
Achor also warns against focusing on what is below average. Individuals who focus on matters of failure may set themselves up for failure, even if they struggle to realize it. Achor states that knowing what not to do shouldn't be the central focus of anyone's perspective. Instead, they may follow the "law of attraction" or " manifestation."
Focusing on What Leads to Happiness
The law of attraction affirms that what people focus on is what they inherently attract into their lives. Therefore, as people strive for happiness daily, Achor states they should focus on elements, matters, and individuals above average or above what they think they can achieve.
The Happy Path: Learning how to "fall up" that can help you grow
While "falling up" sounds inherently contradictory, The Happiness Advantage sheds light on this phenomenon. According to the book, falling up entails using stressors, defeats, and setbacks to become happier and more successful.
One of the few guarantees of life is that challenges can occur. However, everyone can let these situations defeat them (fall) or use setbacks as opportunities to learn, grow, and rise above (fall up). Falling up contributes to happiness because it reinforces the notion that each person's actions and behaviors engender contentment, not external factors.
The Happy Truth: Using Setbacks for Growth and Emotional Healing
One may discover that recovery is faster when using one's stressors or defeats to fall up. Wallowing in self-pity and sorrow may worsen and extend moments of pain. However, be wary that suppressing emotions is different from growing from them. Studies show that ignoring your emotions for "logic" or "moving forward" can cause physical illness and mental health challenges.
General tips for happiness
Throughout The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor provides steps each person can take to boost the quality of contentment and success in their lives, including the following.
Practice meditation
Some may be uncomfortable with meditation because it involves sitting still and letting go of distractions and preoccupations. This process can be challenging for those used to having a full schedule. However, countless studies have affirmed the positive offshoots of meditation, including but not limited to decreased stress, calmness, contentment, heightened empathy, a more robust immune system, and a larger hippocampus region of the brain.
Find events to look forward to
Another manner of increasing happiness involves having events to look forward to. For example, you might plan a vacation, a date with a significant other, a martial arts class, or time for hobbies. Look for ways to get excited in your daily life. This process may help you grow from setbacks and balance your work-life balance, potentially increasing happiness.
Treat others with kindness
Treating other people with kindness may put positive energy into your environment. Being impolite or unkind to others can reduce happiness. According to the book, the negative energy expelled by these actions may come back to you. To treat others kindly, consider volunteering, complimenting a stranger, or spending time in a coworking space to meet new people.
Attend therapy
A robust support system may make a significant difference when attempting to find happiness, especially when living with a mental health challenge. Speaking to a therapist can be a healthy way to find support in these cases.
Online therapy for support with happiness
If you face barriers to in-person therapy, online platforms like BetterHelp offer guidance. You don't have to have a mental illness or diagnosis to receive guidance, and counseling can be an effective way to increase moments of joy in your life despite any challenges you're experiencing. Online therapy may offer convenience and affordability, as you can meet with a therapist on your schedule at a lower cost.
Studies back up the effectiveness of online therapy. One review of 17 studies found that internet-based interventions were often more effective than in-person therapy for mental health conditions like depression, a common cause of profound sadness and apathy.
Takeaway
If you're struggling to follow the tips in Achor's book or want a more personalized perspective on happiness, consider contacting a licensed therapist for further guidance and support.
What is the main idea of The Happiness Advantage?
Many people believe that this conventional wisdom holds true: achieving success enables happiness. However, according to the author of The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, we have it backward. Achor explains that, actually, happiness fuels success. In this book, Achor explores this concept, finding that:
- Real happiness is achieved when we work towards finding our purpose.
- We have the power to alter the way we process and react to the world, which is the “happiness advantage” for success.
What is Principle 5 of The Happiness Advantage?
Achor breaks down seven principles of positive thinking and happiness. Principle Five is The Zorro Circle, which means that we should start by focusing our efforts on a very small area, expanding the size of our circle as we expand our knowledge and confidence. Central to this principle are the following concepts:
- By focusing on something manageable, you can increase your sense of control.
- When you have a sense of control, and can envision the direct impact your actions have.
- When things go wrong, you won’t be as tempted to blame external factors.
You can start practicing this principle by acknowledging when you feel overwhelmed, identifying things you can control, creating a small goal that you can quickly achieve, and then setting progressive goals that help you move in the direction you want to go in.
The rest of the seven principles in The Happiness Advantage are:
- The happiness advantage: Capitalize on positivity to improve performance
- The fulcrum and the lever: Change your mindset to feel more fulfilled
- The tetris effect: Look for opportunities in patterns
- Falling up: Use failure as a learning opportunity
- The 20-second rule: With small changes, you can replace bad habits with good ones
- Social investment: Build community, even in the times when you want to avoid it
What is The Happiness Advantage and how can it impact our life?
The Happiness Advantage is a self-help book written by Shawn Achor and published in 2010. Before writing the book, Achor studied for more than a decade at Harvard University and was co-founder of the company, GoodThink Inc. In addition to being one of TED’s top 25 most popular presenters, he’s a recurring contributor for the Harvard Business Review and he has worked with nearly half the Fortune 100 companies. He now works with the research and political think tank, World Happiness Council.
Throughout the book, Achor challenges the conventional wisdom that success leads to happiness. The Happiness Advantage reveals that you can fuel productivity and performance by finding a positive mindset, which leads to a happy and successful life. Achor often refers to peer-reviewed psychology journals to provide a scientific basis for his claims, and he provides seven guiding principles and practical advice to help you improve your life.
What is an example of a happiness advantage?
The happiness advantage is the first principle in the book by the same name. The author, Shawn Achor, argues that happiness is felt most when we reach towards our potential and capitalize on positivity. In doing so, he argues that happiness can help us achieve success.
You may find your happiness advantage by redecorating your work space so you’re surrounded by pictures of people that make you feel positive, or by planning a future vacation to look forward to.
How does The Happiness Advantage define happiness?
Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, is a follower of the positive psychology movement. Positive psychology is the scientific field of study on what makes people happy and how more people can reach an improved sense of well-being. Within the principles of positive psychology, happiness is derived from three components: pleasure, engagement, and meaning. In Anchor’s own words, happiness can be defined as “The joy you feel growing toward your potential.”
Is The Happiness Advantage real?
The happiness advantage, as defined by Achor, is “How happiness gives your brain – and your organization – the competitive advantage.” Studies in modern psychology provide some factual ground for this claim. Indeed, happy people are more likely to be successful and experience the following, compared to their less-happy peers:
- Less burnout
- Receive more job interviews
- Better workplace performance and productivity
- Higher college graduation rate
- Higher income
- Better problem solving skills
- Higher rates of volunteering and giving back to community
- Stronger interpersonal relationships
- Better mental health
Overall, scientific research supports that happy people tend to be more successful than their peers. By harnessing the power of positive attitudes, many people can find their happiness advantage to fuel success. However, according to Alison Beard, The Happiness Advantage may be oversimplified, neglecting the nuanced differences in human psychology and circumstances.
What is the summary of The Happiness Advantage?
The Happiness Advantage is a self-help book that promotes concepts from positive psychology that fuel professional success. The main takeaway is that increasing positivity and happiness leads to greater productivity and success.
Through the book, the author, Shawn Achor, provides readers with seven guiding principles and actionable steps they can take to harness the power of positivity.
What is the summary of Happiness is Success?
Happiness is Success was written by Atman in Ravir (AiR) when he discovered that happiness comes from enlightenment in the soul, rather than from success. Throughout the book, he provides a path for people to find the three components of happiness (achievement, fulfilment, and self-awakening).
What is most important for happiness in life?
There are many things that contribute to enduring happiness. According to a decades-long study conducted at Harvard University, the most powerful predictor of happiness is strong, positive relationships. Another study of almost 1,200 German participants found that people who took up goals with social elements like volunteering or spending more time with family (as opposed to solitary goals, like getting promoted or staying fit) tend to experience greater life satisfaction and commitment to their goals.
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