What comes first, success or happiness?
Majority of people believe working hard leads to success which translates to happiness. The problem with this paradigm is that the goalposts of success always keep changing; as a result your brain does not experience true happiness. According to Achor (2010), our brain works in reverse order. This means that when our brain is positive it is significantly better functioning than when it is neutral or stressed as it leads to more productivity, raises intelligence and energy levels.
We can train our brain to be positive by picking at least one of the five researched habits listed below. Aim to stay consistent in your practice for 21 days to see results.
- 3 Gratitudes: Write down three things you are grateful for each day. These items don’t need to be huge events remember that small things make a difference. These gratitudes will help to raise your level of optimism which improves your entire outlook on not only larger aspect of life but also smaller tasks which can lead to greater successes.
- Journaling: Writing down one positive experience you had over the past 24 hours helps your brain relive the experience. This helps to put you in a more positive frame of mind and allows you to tackle tasks which otherwise might seem overwhelming.
- Exercise: doing a workout for as little as 10 minutes a day teaches your brain positive behavioural patterns. Now who doesn’t want that?!
- Meditation/Prayer: take a few moments in the day to quiet your mind. This allows your brain to gain control over the societal ADHD we all experience as we are pulled in every direction at the same time and gives you the ability to focus at the tasks at hand.
- Random acts of Kindness: again these don’t have to be epic, small things can go a long way. Send a thank you card or letter to someone you know, bring a co-worker a coffee or share some homemade goodies with friends (Lyubomirsky et al., 2011). These little gestures significantly increase social support which is the largest predictor of happiness in the hectic lives of students Achor (2010).
By: Ahmad Syed
Studying Biology and Psychology at Carleton University
References
Achor, S. The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work. New York: Broadway, 2010. Print.
Achor, S. (Reporter). (2014, May 25). The Secrets of Happy People [Television series episode]. Winfrey, O (Producer), Super Soul Sunday. Chicago, United States: Oprah Winfrey Network.
Lyubomirsky, S., Dickerhoof, R., Boehm, J. K., & Sheldon, K. M. (2011). Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: An experimental longitudinal intervention to boost well-being. Emotion, 11(2), 391–402. doi:10.1037a0022575.
