When Did You Last Play?
A few days ago Winter Storm Jonas buried the Mid Atlantic and Northeast under two feet of snow. It was quite a doozy and has kept schools and businesses closed
The Mental Skills That Mindfulness Builds
I recently attended a conference on mindfulness and well-being at work at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. I learned so much from some of the world’s top
What Do You Believe?
Last week I had the privilege of moderating a Veritas Forum discussion on well-being between Dr. Todd Kashdan, professor of psychology and senior scientist at Mason’s Center for the
Stop Trying to Be Happy
We are obsessed with being happy. I just googled “how to be happy” and got 613,000,000 results. I admit that I share plenty of articles about happiness on
Forget Work-Life Balance, Pursue Well-Being Instead
Trying to fulfill professional, family, and personal responsibilities is a constant struggle for everyone. A Google search of work-life balance shows almost 200 million results. Juggling competing demands is especially
Are You Fully Charged?
I recently read Are You Fully Charged?, the latest book by well-being expert Tom Rath. I highly recommend adding it to your summer reading list! Tom has written six best-selling
One Easy Step to Stress Less
I don’t know about you, but May is an especially hectic month around our house. I feel completely overwhelmed by all the end-of-year activities. So many things are swirling
Beyond Happy
My book is finished! I’m beyond happy! It hits the shelves in August 2015 (ATD Press). If you want to be notified as soon as the book is available
A Sense of Wonder May Do Wonders for Your Health
On a recent trip to Philadelphia, I visited the Barnes Foundation, which has an impressive collection of Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings. I was awed by the wonderful paintings I
Follow Your Heart
I have had the great fortune of seeing Yo-Yo Ma play the cello. What an amazing experience! He was fantastic! But what impressed me the most was how incredibly happy
Look Up!
It’s hard to believe The Breakfast Club came out 30 years ago this month. What an awesome movie! And how sad to think that something like that would probably
Choose Compassion Over Empathy
I attended a dinner last week with Tania Singer, a neuroscientist from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, and Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk, scientist, and meditation expert. They told
Top 10 Ways To Manage Stress During Finals
With finals week quickly approaching, you might think you can’t afford to focus on your well-being. On the contrary, you can’t afford not to! Taking care of yourself
Don't Just Feel It, Say It!
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward Many of us will be counting our blessings next week as we
Feeling Overwhelmed?
Time confetti. Isn’t that a wonderful way to describe the feeling of never having enough time to do anything? The only free time you have comes in tiny bits
Lessons from Revitalize 2014
Last weekend one of my favorite websites, MindBodyGreen, hosted an online wellness summit. Wow! It was awesome! There were 26 different talks by leading experts in food, fitness, personal growth,
Creating Blue Zones
Have you heard of Blue Zones? They are places in the world where people live significantly longer lives. Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; Vilcabamba, Ecuador; and
Increase Happiness by Savoring the Past
I have written a number of blogs about how mindfulness or paying attention to the present moment can increase happiness. Becoming more mindful has been especially helpful to me because
2 Dimensions of Well-Being
According to researchers in positive psychology, our well-being depends on more than just being happy. In Flourish, Martin Seligman explains that positive emotions are one element of well-being, but well-being
Purpose Matters
People and peace of mind increase our day-to-day happiness and reduce our stress, but a truly meaningful life comes from having a sense of purpose. Purpose is about making a
Peace of Mind Matters
Peace of mind matters for your well-being. There are two things you can start doing right now to lower your stress. First is mindfulness, which is simply paying attention to
People Matter
Your relationships are one of the most important factors affecting your happiness. Being around people reduces our stress and increases our joy. People give us help and emotional support. This
You Can’t Have it All! Focus on What Matters
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, and Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, are leaning into their careers. Others, like Anne-Marie Slaughter, have made different choices. She decided to scale back when
Do You Know Your Family Story?
Have you ever watched the TV show “Who do you think you are?” It’s a documentary series that takes celebrities on a journey to trace their family tree. I’
Bad Times Can Bring Out Our Best
I’ve blogged before about how we can increase our happiness by making a point of noticing the good and looking for the silver lining when something bad happens. It