The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want

by Sonja Lyubomirsky

Overview

Learn how to achieve the happiness you deserve

"A guide to sustaining your newfound contentment." —Psychology Today

"Lyubomirsky's central point is clear: a significant portion of what is called happiness . . . is up for grabs. Taking some pages out of the positive psychology playbook, she coaches readers on how to snag it." —The New York Review of Books

You see here a different kind of happiness book. The How of Happiness is a comprehensive guide to understanding the elements of happiness based on years of groundbreaking scientific research. It is also a practical, empowering, and easy-to-follow workbook, incorporating happiness strategies, excercises in new ways of thinking, and quizzes for understanding our individuality, all in an effort to help us realize our innate potential for joy and ways to sustain it in our lives. Drawing upon years of pioneering research with thousands of men and women, The How of Happiness is both a powerful contribution to the field of positive psychology and a gift to people who have sought to take their happiness into their own hands.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143114956
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/30/2008
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	82,316
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY is professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside. She received her B.A. from Harvard University and her Ph.D. in social psychology from Stanford University. Lyubomirsky and her research have been the recipients of many honors, including the 2002 Templeton Positive Psychology Prize and a multiyear grant from the National Institute of Mental Health. She lives in Santa Monica, California, with her family. Her second book, The Myths of Happiness, is now available in paperback.

Table of Contents

Foreword 1

Part 1 How to Attain Real and Lasting Happiness

1 Is It Possible to Become Happier? 13

A Program for Lasting Happiness 14

Do You Know What Makes You Happy? 16

Discovering the Real Keys to Happiness 19

The Most Rewarding "Work" You'll Ever Do 24

Why Be Happy? 24

2 How Happy Are You and Why? 27

Where Do You Fit In? 30

Happiness Myths 38

The Limits of Life Circumstances 41

The Happiness Set Point 52

The Promise of Intentional Activity 63

Conclusion 67

3 How to Find Happiness Activities That Fit Your Interests, Your Values, and Your Needs 69

Three Ways That Strategies Can Fit 70

Corniness, Again 72

Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic 73

P.S. More Options 78

Final Words 79

Part 2 Happiness Activities

Foreword to Part Two: Before You Begin 83

4 Practicing Gratitude and Positive Thinking 88

Happiness Activity No. 1 Expressing Gratitude 89

Happiness Activity No. 2 Cultivating Optimism 101

Happiness Activity No. 3 Avoiding Overthinking and Social Comparison 112

5 Investing in Social Connections 125

Happiness Activity No. 4 Practicing Acts of Kindness 125

Happiness Activity No. 5 Nurturing Social Relationships 138

6 Managing Stress, Hardship, and Trauma 150

Happiness Activity No. 6 Developing Strategies for Coping 151

Happiness Activity No. 7 Learning to Forgive 169

7 Living in the Present 180

Happiness Activity No. 8 Increasing Flow Experiences 181

Happiness Activity No. 9 Savoring Life's Joys 190

Final Words 204

8 Happiness Activity No. 10: Committing to Your Goals 205

Six Benefits of Committed Goal Pursuit 206

What Kinds of Goals Should You Pursue? 208

Recommendations for Committed Goal Pursuit 214

9Taking Care of Your Body and Your Soul 227

Happiness Activity No. 11 Practicing Religion and Spirituality 228

Happiness Activity No. 12 Taking Care of Your Body (Meditation) 240

Happiness Activity No. 12 Taking Care of Your Body (Physical Activity) 244

Happiness Activity No. 12 Taking Care of Your Body (Acting Like a Happy Person) 250

Part 3 Secrets to Abiding Happiness

10 The Five Hows Behind Sustainable Happiness 257

The First How: Positive Emotion 258

The Second How: Optimal Timing and Variety 266

The Third How: Social Support 270

The Fourth How: Motivation, Effort, and Commitment 273

The Fifth How: Habit 277

Conclusion 280

The Promise of Abiding Happiness: An Afterword 282

Postscript: If You Are Depressed 285

What Is Depression? 285

The Causes of Depression 289

The Most Effective Treatments for Depression 293

The Cure for Unhappiness Is Happiness 302

Surmounting Setbacks 304

Appendix Additional Happiness Activities That May Fit 305

Acknowledgments 309

Notes 313

Index 359

What People are Saying About This

Martin Seligman

"The right place to look for science-based advice on How To Become Happier."--(Martin Seligman, University of Pennsylvania Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology and author of Learned Optimism)

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

"Sonja Lyubomirsky differs from most self-help authors on at least three counts. First, she is a scholar who has herself done pioneering research on the topic. Second, she writes a delightfully elegant prose. Third, she provides practical suggestions for improving one's life that are easy to follow. All together, this makes The How of Happiness a wonderful addition to everyone's library."--(Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow)

Barry Schwartz

"The How of Happiness uses cutting edge psychological research to provide a series of sound, practical recommendations to make life more satisfying. Becoming happier may take some work, but reading Sonja Lyubomirsky's book is an effortless pleasure."--(Barry Schwartz, Swarthmore Dorwin P. Cartridge Professor of Social Theory and Social Action and author of The Paradox of Choice)

From the Publisher

"Finally we have a self-help book from a reputable scientist whose advice is based on the best experimental data... The How of Happiness is smart, fun, and interesting—and unlike almost every other book on the same shelf, it also happens to be true."
-Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University professor of psychology and author of Stumbling on Happiness

"A guide to sustaining your newfound contentment." —Psychology Today

"Lyubomirsky's central point is clear: a significant portion of what is called happiness . . . is up for grabs. Taking some pages out of the positive psychology playbook, she coaches readers on how to snag it."
-The New York Review of Books

"Is lasting happiness attainable or a pipe dream? For the last eighteen years, University of California-Riverside professor of psychology Sonja Lyubomirsky has studied this question, and what she reports might even sway pessimists."
-U.S. News & World Report

"The right place to look for science-based advice on how to become happier."
-Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism

Editorial Reviews

"Finally we have a self-help book from a reputable scientist whose advice is based on the best experimental data . . . The How of Happiness is smart, fun, and interesting—and unlike almost every other book on the same shelf, it also happens to be true." —Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University professor of psychology and author of Stumbling on Happiness

"A guide to sustaining your newfound contentment." —Psychology Today

"Lyubomirsky's central point is clear: a significant portion of what is called happiness . . . is up for grabs. Taking some pages out of the positive psychology playbook, she coaches readers on how to snag it." —The New York Review of Books

"Is lasting happiness attainable or a pipe dream? For the last eighteen years, University of California-Riverside professor of psychology Sonja Lyubomirsky has studied this question, and what she reports might even sway pessimists." —U.S. News & World Report

"The right place to look for science-based advice on how to become happier." —Martin Seligman, author of Learned Optimism

From the Publisher