Most healthy behaviors are simple. Eat vegetables. Exercise. Read. See? Nothing complicated there. Very simple to do. But unless you have established these behaviors as habits, they’re not easy to do. Simple is not the same as easy. Meditation is simple. You just sit still with your eyes closed and focus on your breath. But it’s not easy, so if you want to start a meditation habit, you’ll need… Read More »Simple is Not the Same as Easy
A lot of people try to get into meditation because they read about some scientific study that demonstrates the benefits of meditating for 20 minutes a day (like this one or this one). Mindfulness meditation will make you healthier, happier, smarter, more focused, and more creative, they say. All you have to do is sit down and meditate for 20 minutes a day. I was one of those people. 20… Read More »How to Meditate for 20 Minutes a Day
I want some chocolate. There’s a thought that pops into my head from time to time. It’s a totally valid thought, based on a very real feeling. Chocolate is delicious, and I occasionally crave it. However, there are other things I want that don’t align with the desire for chocolate: I want to eat healthy, nutritionally dense foods. I don’t want to spike my blood sugar because then I’ll crash… Read More »What Else Do I Want?
When people talk about the science of happiness – a topic I love – they usually talk about the importance of exercise, the benefits of meditation, or the value of gratitude journaling. And clearly I’m as guilty of that as anyone in the self-development field. But positive psychology has more to offer than that. There is another practice that might be both easier to do and more universally helpful: using… Read More »Increase Happiness By Using Your Signature Strengths