There are as many definitions of happiness as there are people. It’s as if each of us has a very specific profile with a diverse set of elements. Within all that mix, we find pleasure. But what’s the real difference…
Dan Gilbert is a psychologist, writer, and professor at Harvard University. He’s famous for writing the book Stumbling on Happiness, which has been translated into more than 30 languages. He’s also known because, in many of his talks and conferences, he…
The absence of problems doesn’t automatically lead to happiness. More important is the willingness to change and tolerate the uncertainty that fear can generate. Putting this into practice, however, can be difficult. As Albert Camus said, people obsess over finding…
In the end, there comes a time when you finally make it: you learn to be strong. Life is full of lessons and some situations help you build a fireproof attitude. Therefore, you tell yourself that you can do anything…
Carl Jung’s keys to happiness ring just as true even decades later. The Swiss psychiatrist and father of analytical psychology was much more than just the man who left us with concepts such as archetypes and the collective unconscious. Jung…
Eduardo Punset is a rather popular politician who left us a wonderful legacy of human wisdom. Today, we’re going to discuss one of his most revealing and interesting statements. To the suggestion that happiness is the absence of fear, he…
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) belongs to a category called “third-generation therapies“. These therapies are a departure from conventional psychological treatments because they put more emphasis on certain aspects of mental health. In ACT, things such as acceptance, mindfulness, cognitive…
Which do you think makes you happier: time or money? Author Marc Levy, in his novel, If Only It Were True, answers that question in a curious way. In the book, the author proposes a curious thought experiment. Imagine that…
Being happy for others is a selfless act that can say a lot about you. Even better, this type of personal focus and real intent for others’ well-being can make you happier. However, you might come across people that say,…
You may already know that there’s no such thing as complete happiness. Instead, happiness is a path you consciously take. (The path we’re about to discuss here today). Being happy with your life means you enjoy yourself most of the…
In his last book, It’s Not So Terrible, Rafael Santandreu offers a practical manual for personal transformation and self-therapy through inner dialogue. It’s a very thorough and original work that will give you valuable strategies based on cognitive psychology. Santandreu…
It isn’t pleasant to experience negative emotions. In fact, it can be downright painful, especially if you consider that your brain is designed to seek pleasure and avoid pain. That’s why accepting negative emotions can be so complicated. As difficult…
It’s normal to be envious, indifferent, or even to really dislike that others are doing fine. However, sometimes you might find it hard to feel happy about other’s happiness and this could mean there’s an underlying issue. Most of the…
Life is meaningless. That’s the main belief among those who feel indifferently toward life. People who feel the weight of injustice and a sort of disconnection to everything that surrounds them. In other words, they feel an existential vacuum. They’re…
Why do you do what you do? Why do you carry out some actions and not others? The answer to these difficult questions, at least in the context of social interactions, lies in the concept of emotional energy. The theory…
There are times in life when you feel exhausted and you find yourself asking the “big” questions. Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? Am I doing the right thing? What happens when I die? Everyone has…
Everyone’s had a bad day at least once… and we all know that sometimes a bad day can turn into a bad week. Since having a bad day affects your mood, it also affects how you treat your friends and…
Nothing can stop time or its effects. Aging is a part of life, and no one should feel ashamed or afraid of it. In fact, life expectancy is increasing, which means that many people are living very long lives. Thus,…
Most people believe that a good quality of life consists of good physical and mental health. Consequently, when they get sick, it feels like everything is falling apart and life isn’t worth living. This is a common problem for patients…
Have you ever wondered about the benefits of humor? When we’re in a good mood, doubts and worries leave our minds and we’re left with a feeling of genuine contentment. Laughter is a mysterious gift we’re all born with. Although it…