My 10 Rules for Happiness
In the past five-ish years, I’ve spoken and written a lot about “happiness.” I’m a normal human, so I’m not happy 24/7 (and anyone who says they are is lying). My life has as many ups and downs as the next person. But I don’t believe being a student of happiness is an attempt to operate in a constant state of euphoria; rather, it’s a way of acquiring the necessary tools to stay on track, create more upswings than downward trends, and — most importantly — know how to course-correct when life throws you a curveball.
So here are ten of my happiness rules to contemplate as you mentally drift into a summer haze. It’ll make me happy if one or two of them lingers and helps you reset in the fall.
10. UNBUSY YOURSELF: Rework your daily routine to enhance quality time/thought/work and resist becoming “one of those busy people.”
9. FIND MOMENTS OF SOLITUDE: Carve out time alone (including time free from virtual pings) to gain clarity, recharge, and feel more connected when you return.
8. ARTICULATE YOUR GRATITUDE: Words are precious and powerful, whether we’re speaking them to ourselves or sharing them with others: Create a personal gratitude mantra and let it flow through you daily, and write notes of gratitude to people you appreciate.
7. TURN DOWN THE NOISE: Regularly silence the chaos of modern life, minimize distractions, and give yourself and others the most valuable the gift in the age of technology: your undivided attention.
6. BE THE BOSS OF TECHNOLOGY: Or it will be the boss of you (and destroy your sanity, productivity, health, and relationships in the process).
5. FIND THE FUNNY: Reclaim humor by finding the funny in your everyday life, using it as a tool for persuasion, connection, health, and JOY.
4. GET SERIOUS ABOUT ADULT FRIENDSHIPS: Be deliberately mindful and ruthlessly discerning in choosing your active relationships, then make human investments by committing to quality time with those special people.
3. LEAN INTO UNPOPULARITY: The perpetual need to be “liked” stifles authenticity and raw emotion, suffocates creativity, and cripples intellectual thought. Going against the grain to speak your personal truth from a place of integrity takes guts. So let go of the need to be popular and have your own back.
2. BE THE SUPERHERO OF YOUR OWN LIFE: Answer the call to bravery when it comes to how you show up to yourself. Courage is a choice — not an inherited trait. Choose to live a life you are proud of.
1. BRING THE ADVENTURE HOME (PERHAPS WITHOUT EVER LEAVING): Living like you’re on vacation — with the same sense of wonder, adventure, and awe — allows you to (re)discover small pleasures, stave off mindlessness, and take risks, even from the comfort of your own home.
What’s on your happiness list? Tell me in the comments.
p.s. Share this with the people in your life who need a happiness reset. Or anyone who just really loves lists.