The Growing with Gratitude programs are built on the five habits of happiness – gratitude, kindness, empathy, service and positive reflection – to encourage greater resilience and contentment.
They just work at it harder than everyone else. They know how easy it is to get sucked into a routine where you don't monitor your emotions or actively try to be happy and positive. Happy people constantly evaluate their moods and make decisions with their happiness in mind.
There are three main things that make people happy: close relationships, a job or past-time that they love and helping others. On the other hand, money and material things do not have a lot to do with happiness, and people who emphasize them are less happy than those who do not.
You feel depressed, anxious, or chronically worried. You feel like you're not appreciated enough. You find yourself judging others. You frequently numb yourself with alcohol, drugs, sex, television, or excessive busyness.
One of the biggest reason for feeling unhappy or sad is that we don't count our blessings when we wake up every day. Rather, we focus on the things we lack and believe that our happiness is solely dependent on achieving the next big thing.
According to prolific novelist and playwright Weldon, women's sources of happiness are sex, food, friends, family, shopping and chocolate—in that order.
(Yes, you can love someone but still be unhappy.) “Ask yourself: If today is my last day, can I say that I'm in the relationship that I want to be in? That I deserve to be in?” says Branson. If the answers are no, acknowledge that what you want does matter—and that it ultimately might be worth ending your relationship.
If you're not sharing what's really on your mind, it might be a sign that you no longer want a deep connection. Similarly, if you've found that the usual fun banter between you is gone, or it's difficult to have engaging conversations, your bond could be getting weaker.
They might be quieter than usual or get impatient or irritated more easily than they usually do. They could seem distant or preoccupied and struggling to hold a proper conversation. Alternatively, they might seem louder and chattier than usual – or even hyper. You've noticed they've been crying a lot.
Using data from the Harvard study, two researchers showed in 2001 that we can control seven big investment decisions pretty directly: smoking, drinking, body weight, exercise, emotional resilience, education, and relationships.
Contrary to what you might think, it's not career achievement, money, exercise, or a healthy diet. The most consistent finding we've learned through 85 years of study is: Positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer. Period.
