Want to be Happier? Learn Something New
“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease at death.” – Albert Einstein
Find Your Happy
Every month this year we are highlighting simple practices that we can engage in to invite more peace, joy, and contentment into our lives. Why? Because our mission is to help people live richer lives, and we’ve found evidence to suggest we can all increase our happiness through simple skills that are easily learned and turned into habits. This month our focus is on learning.
Learning
Two important conclusions are surfacing from recent research on the brain and happiness. First, our brains are far more plastic than we had assumed, adapting in response to new experiences throughout our entire lives to a degree we had never thought possible. Second, our happiness and thriving actually depend on keeping our brains engaged in learning and doing new things on a regular basis. This is especially true as we age. It follows then, that if you want to be happier, learn something new!
Practice: Learn Something New
Every day this month, watch a short TED talk. At www.TED.com you can find thousands of outstanding videos, and if you are short on time, the website allows you to sort for videos by length. There are hundreds under six minutes. The assignment is to watch a talk that strikes you as interesting and take notes, highlighting 1-3 things that you learn. Then, share what you have learned with another person.
Would you like to receive our 2017 calendar, Year of Happy? The calendar contains mindfulness practices that will help you make 2017 a year of happiness and compassion. Request your calendar today.
Recent posts in this series: