draft contents: 6-7 Introduction: What is happiness anyway? 8-11 Start Small: 7 things to do straight away There are so many things that you can do to bring greater happiness into your life straight away. Here are seven quick fixes to boost your mood: * come into the now * walk walk walk * smile booster * posture power/relax the body * find the positive 123 * listen to music * speed think [Harvard Princeton Study] 12-13 Chapter one opener: The happiness habit Take a look at the basic building blocks of wellbeing: good sleep, exercise, diet and more. Chances are that if one of these is under par, your happiness will be affected. 14-15 A positive start Those first minutes count 16-19 Checking in Self-awareness; making space; taking breaks and acknowledging transitions 20-21 Get outside How being in nature boosts mood [eg forest bathing] 22-23 Get active The link between exercise and happiness 24-25 Diet Healthy eating and moderate alcohol [including Positive Psychology research about cooking creatively] 26-29 Self care Time for nurture 30-31 Ditch the digital How not to be overwhelmed by social media 32-33 Relaxation exercise Wind down, destress 34-35 Sleep long and deep Prioritize rest, reap the rewards 36-37 Chapter two opener: The happiness toolkit Here are some proven skills and activities that can build your happiness quotient. 38-41 Meditation A different way to be in the world [two spreads] 42-43 What makes you happy Identify what works for you 44-45 Find the flow Hobbies that feed you, and micromastery 46-47 Creativity The joy that comes from self-expression 48-51 Mindful movement Relaxation and mind-body alignment [two spreads] 52-53 Journaling and writing Setting your emotions down on paper 54-57 Thoughts are just thoughts Common distortions in the thinking process, and how to recognize them 58-59 Chapter three opener: Finding meaning A happy life is a purposeful life. Purpose helps to sustain us through times of difficulty, and provides a thread of meaning. 60-61 Discovering purpose The Japanese concept of ikigai; challenge as a source of pleasure 62-65 Prioritising what matters Make a commitment, voice your wishes; aligning actions and dreams; the positive art of selfishness 66-67 Happiness and work Introducing joy into the working day 68-69 The money question Materialism and ease 70-71 The Goldilocks principle Finding a balance and a middle path 72-73 The virtue link Ancient wisdom on the benefits of ethics 74-75 Keep on learning Why you should never stop feeding your mind 76-77 Chapter four opener: Qualities of happiness Mind operates like a muscle, and it can be trained to incline towards positivity and away from negativity. Here are some of the qualities and attributes of happy people, and how you can cultivate them. 78-79 Positive thinking/optimism 80-83 Satisfaction and gratitude 84-87 Acceptance, patience and stoicism [Finnish idea of sisu] 88-89 Curiosity and interest 90-91 Openness to love and joy 92-93 Compassion and empathy 94-95 Chapter five opener: Embracing the shadows Negative emotions are part of life. It's an irony/contradiction but the more we accept and embrace our difficult feelings, the less they bother us and impede our happiness. 96-97 Primary and secondary pain Fighting our feelings doubles our difficulty 98-101 Self-criticism Redefining the inner voice/ACT, CBT strategies, embracing the imperfect (kintsugi), self-kindness 102-103 Anger The link to acceptance, ways for healthy expression 104-105 Fear and worry Learn to try, release worry 106-107 Grudges and bitterness Practice forgiveness - and let go of the small stuff 108-109 Envy and comparing Cultivate gratitude and goodwill 110-111 Hedonistic cravings How to surf past the urge 112-113 Reaching out Therapy and other support 114-115 Chapter six opener: The power of people Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Human beings are social creatures, so a key thing you can do to boost your happiness is to prioritize connection and community. Being alone, by choice or necessity, is also explored. Guidelines for the different ages and stages of life are discussed, and how and when (and when not to) help others who are unhappy. 116-117 Positive connections The three circles: family, friends, community 118-119 Trust, hugging and oxytocin Our physical connection with those we are closest too 120-121 Keep talking Why communication and conversation are essential; the art of positive speaking and listening 122-123 Letting go Saying goodbye to negative relationships; living with loss 124-125 The kindness connection How doing good does you good; volunteering, the wider world 126-127 Index 128 Acks
