Greetings
all!
I
am currently reading Dan Buettner’s book "The Blue Zones of Happiness." I am enjoying it even though I do not agree with all of the author’s recommendations. Certain things, however, make a lot of sense - for example, short commutes contribute to increased happiness! The book discusses a lot of happiness-related topics but in this post I want to share just a couple of interesting points to pique your curiosity!
What
is happiness? In his book, Dan explains the three strands of happiness and
provides guidelines on how to combine them "into a resilient form of well-being." His "three P’s" of happiness with countries that scored high in each category are:
- Pleasure (enjoying life – how often did you feel joy in the last 24 hours?). Costa Ricans have captured the idea of enjoying life and being happy in the country's unofficial motto 'pura vida' ('pure life').
- Purpose (living out your values and passion). In Denmark, "people are more likely to pursue jobs that they love doing, work that fuels their passions."
- Pride (being satisfied with your accomplishments in life - how will you rate your life on a scale of zero to 10?). Success in Singapore is "traditionally summed up as the 5 C's: car, condominium, cash, credit card, and club membership."
Of
course, the best life weaves all three strands of happiness together. Which
strand is prevalent in your life?
TAKE
THE TEST: https://apps.bluezones.com/en/happiness
Dan’s
lessons in happiness are also based on his research on longevity. Here are the best “Power9”
practices to add happy years to your life (the pyramid is from his TedTalk):
- Move Naturally: Walk as much as you can. No gym is required unless you really enjoy it.
- Purpose (adds 7 years to your life!): Why do you wake up in the morning? Is there something meaningful in your life beyond work?
- Downshift: What can you do to stress less?
- The 80 Percent Rule: Stop eating when you are 80% full.
- Plant Slant: Eat less meat.
- Wine @5: Drink alcohol moderately and regularly with friends and/or with food.
- Belong (adds 4-14 years to your life!): Do you belong to a faith-based community?
- Loved Ones First: I think this is self-explanatory!
- Right Tribe: Does your social network support healthy behaviors?
I
think some of these practices are not that difficult to incorporate. How about we walk (1)
to a restaurant to share a glass of wine (6) and some vegetarian appetizers (4-5)
with friends (9) and chat about happiness (3)? Spells "happy hour" to me!
Useful Resources:
More
information (including more tests):
Watch
Dan’s TedTalk on longevity (VERY INTERESTING! transcripts available in several languages):
Watch
Dan’s Megyn Kelly Today interview:
What
did you think? Drop me a line!
I find that a short commute is an important factor for my happiness. Some people enjoy long commutes and listen to audiobooks or music, but some of us find that it’s a waste of life. Whatever it is, our happiness factors differ because we are not all the same. But I must admit that we should focus on what makes us happy more than what others tell us should make us happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteIrina, thanks for your latest post. Those were words of wisdom. I think people something get so caught up in work or career objectives that the rest of their life suffers. They forget what brings them joy. I've also heard that experiencing "wonder" in life also leads to happiness, whether that be in religion, music, art, travel or nature. But also, the small things count, too: a short commute (which I am thankful to have), going for a run after work, or having a glass of wine at home on Fridays, and, of course, connecting with friends and family.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading RJ! Glad you found this article useful! Here is to finding joy in our busy lives!
Delete