Positive Psychology 101 – The Best Self-Help

UPDATE: THE PRICE OF THE COURSE MENTIONED IN THIS POST HAS INCREASED BY 200%. I NO LONGER RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT

What do the most successful people do differently?

Why are some people able to bounce back from failure?

What allows some couples to stay happily together for many decades?

What do very happy people do differently?

These are the questions asked by the science of positive psychology.

Through the efforts of hundreds of scientists conducting thousands of experiments, case studies and analyses we’ve started getting answers – insights into how we can become happier.

Happier Human was created to make those insights accessible. So that you can improve your life and the lives of others.

Most of what I produce is free, but at the end of the day I’ve got to be able to eat and pay rent.
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The Four Reasons Why Overthinking and Depression Are on the Rise

More and more people are getting fat.

From the growing waistlines and rates of cardiovascular disease it’s obvious.

We call it the obesity epidemic.

But there’s another epidemic that’s been spreading that’s just as bad.

Why is the rate of depression on the rise?

Why do we feel more stressed than ever before?

There’s an overthinking epidemic.

20% of Baby Boomers, 52% of Gen Xers, and 73% of Gen Yers are overthinkers. (1)

Less than 27% of people younger than 30 remain healthy!

This is part two of a three part series on overthinking. In part two, you’ll learn four of the reasons this virus has been getting worse, infecting more and more of the population.

1. Quick fixes work.
2. Chronic stressors are on the rise.
3. Dreaming comes with a cost.
4. Introspection has gone too far.

Read part one to take the Are You an Overthinker quiz and find out why overthinking is so dangerous.

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Are You an Overthinker? You’ve Been Poisoned

Feeling anxious, upset, or sad? Natural.

Feeling reflective? Productive.

• Going over a failure or conflict again and again to see how it could have gone better.
• Ranting and raving about the wrongs that have been done to you.
• Trying to figure out why life isn’t living up to your expectations.
• Constantly reflecting on your sadness.

That’s overthinking.

Overthinking is so common that many consider it natural, sometimes even productive.

No.

Overthinking is a modern phenomenon that’s unnatural and counterproductive.

Overthinking? Don’t you mean correctthinking? It’s better to confront a problem than to ignore it.

Spend more time thinking about it and you’ll discover an insight you missed.

That’s why your attention keeps coming back to it. The underlying concerns and emotions haven’t been addressed.

No.

Overthinking is poison.

Ruminating and venting isn’t processing. It’s pouring fuel on the fire. (1, 2)

Most problems have causes which no amount of reflection will uncover. (3)

And what you’ll learn in this post – overthinking was designed by evolution to trigger depression and abandonment, not effective problem solving. (4)

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Do Pets Bring Happiness?

If you want more happiness, get a pet.

In the 80s and 90s, research came out suggesting many benefits from pet ownership. From reduced risk of asthma, allergies, and cardiovascular disease to increased mood and wellbeing.

Some doctors started recommending pet ownership to their patients.

I thought the decision was a no-brainer. It seems fun and the companionship will be great. Once I have enough money, let’s get a pet!

But as scientists became more rigorous with their research, many of the benefits started to disappear.

The average person sees no change to their mood and life satisfaction from having a pet, although there are outliers.

The benefits were overstated while the costs were swept under the rug.

That doesn’t mean I won’t be getting a pet, only that I have to think harder before I make a decision.

Let’s start with something objective.

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Misattribution of Arousal: The Lies Your Inner Narrator Tells You (and How They Hurt You)

The 4 Things You Need to Know About Meditation

Meditation is HARD.

Keeping still and staying focused is so unnatural that most who give meditation a try don’t keep it up.

So it’s important to know:

• Does it work?
• Better than other techniques?
• How quickly?
• Is one type better than another?

If we meditate for 50 hours but see only small benefits, well… we would be better off spending our time on other happiness hacks.

To answer those questions I looked at three meta-analyses, which integrated the results of almost 20,000 meditation studies.

What I found surprised the bonkers out of me.

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