The Happiness Project

This is the exercise which inspired me to create this blog because it's so easy to do. The basics are this: Once a day, think back over the past 24 hours, and choose a positive experience you had during that time. Write down as much detail as possible about this experience. The theory is that your brain can't tell the difference between having the actual experience, and merely visualising the experience. As a result, you are effectively having a positive experience twice. Image by engin akyurt from Pixabay I think there are a number of things I think we could do to make this work even better. Always write the details of your positive experience by hand, rather than on a computer or mobile phone. There is research that shows that handwritten notes are retained in the memory more easily than notes typed on a laptop. I would suggest using a cheap notepad, or a diary, for this purpose. It might be an idea to do this exercise first thing in the morning so that ...

I created this blog to bring together any ideas I come across that would help people (myself included) live happier and more contented lives. You might wonder what qualifies me to give such advice. I'm a happy, middle-aged Glasgwegian. However, in my twenties, I suffered from anxiety and depression requiring medication. I got through those dark days, particularly with the help of my wife, Joyce. Many of my work colleagues will be surprised to hear this about me. Even these days, people generally don't talk about mental health, particularly their own. Perhaps, if we remove the taboo from talking about it, we can make all of our lives better. Note - this is not me. It will make you smile, though. Image by rawpixel from Pixabay The truth is, in life I've seen failure and success, grief and joy, sadness and happiness. We all have to deal with the good and bad in life. I don't have all the answers, but life is a journey and we can all find out more along the...