The Happiness Institute has a number of free resources. One I like is a fact sheet with 12 tips to increase your happiness.
They include:
The first two encourage you just to ‘be’ - try and do more things in the moment.
For the full factsheet click here
I came across this TED talk by Ric Elias, who was on the plane that crashed into the Hudson River in New York back in 2009.
He talks about the life lessons he learned and how he has changed:
His talk ends with the question “How would you change?”
Check out the video (just under 5 mins) at this link
I came across this saying on the top of a gift box recently - “Explore everything and keep the best”. I thought this was a good approach to life as it encourages us to:
I recently came across the personal development website 24-7 free tips. It’s been set up by a publisher of e-learning books, so the free tips are linked to publications you can buy.
However, there are various things you can download, listen or watch for free.
I particularly liked the short audio tip that helps you think through what you really want. The author Berry Winter asks 3 questions covering:
If you are struggling to set goals, these 3 questions can help you identify what is most important to you.
The audio tip lasts about a minute, click to get the link to this tip and others
Ever wondered why your holiday goes by so quickly yet when you get back to your daily life it seems like you were away for ages? I’ve just been reading about something called the holiday paradox in an article written by Nick Collins last month. Apparently it’s all to do with the way our brains process time.
When we do lots of non-routine things like when we are on holiday, then it seems like we have been away for ages. Daily life is full of routine things, so time feels like it is passing more quickly.
So, to get that holiday feeling during the daily grind bring more change into your life. It doesn’t have to be big. You could walk to work a different way, try a different coffee shop or use the weekend to try out something new. What other ways could you mix things up more?
If you want to read the full article click here
Happiness has been linked to acts of kindness. Check out the link to this video with suggestions for acts of kindness. See how this may make you happier!
The Action for Happiness project has lots of free resources and links to other websites. One free resource is its Happiness Action Pack, recently reviewed in Red magazine (UK version, June 2012 p.252) and found to be as effective in improving mood as some paid for therapies!
Check it out at this link.
The pack takes you through some exercises to think through what happiness means for you and makes some suggestions of what you can incorporate in your everyday life.
This is a link to a short (about 4 min) video on the Mind, Body and Soul website that describes some of the characteristics of perfectionists, such as finding it difficult to say ‘no’ and some suggestions of how to change negative thought patterns e.g. praising yourself and setting realistic goals.
Norfolk and Waveney NHS Mental Health Care Trust produced a booklet back in 2005 on assertiveness techniques. It is very easy to read and has information on:
- what does it mean to be assertive? For example making clear “I” statements about how you feel and think about something
- the “broken record” - a key assertiveness technique - where you repeat a key phrase
- tips on body language
The booklet also includes some examples of scenarios e.g. how to use the broken record technique in practice and some exercises to work through. As it has been produced by a mental health trust some of the information is aimed specifically at patients/clients e.g. seeking further advice from a GP. This is obviously the right thing to do if you have a mental health problem; however if you are just looking for some general information on assertiveness techniques then you could just focus on those sections of the booklet.
I recently came across some information on the topic of assertiveness. Although aimed at managers in the health service it is quite general and has some useful tips including:
- how to communicate more assertively
- needing to decide to change
- needing to practise
and most importantly for me, recognising that you need to start small and your behaviour won’t change overnight.
For the full article produced by the NHS North West Leadership Academy click here
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