Happify

Build Your Happiness Skills with Happify

April 19, 2013


A couple of months ago, one of the founders of Happify.com contacted me to ask if I’d like to be a beta tester of the site before it went public. Of course I said yes, because I’m always interested in all possible ways of increasing happiness for myself and others.

Created by a combination of scientists and game designers, Happify uses games, quizzes and activities designed to help improve your level of happiness because, as they write in the About Happify section, “Just like physical fitness, there are activities you can do on a regular basis to become happier.” Scientific evidence indicates that about 40% of our happiness level is within our control (the remaining 60 % stems from genetics and demographics). That means that we can have a significant impact on how happy we feel by doing things that make us happier.  

Happify has broken down the activities into five “essential happiness skills”: Savor, Thank, Aspire, Give, Empathize. Once you sign up, you’re given an initial assessment of your happiness level. Then you choose a “track” to follow. You can measure and follow your progress on your designated track, and you can switch tracks if you want to. Most activities take only a few minutes, with a few more minutes more to write about them. Some you can pledge to do, then come back and report on how they went. You can read about the science behind each activity by clicking the “Why It Works” button. Members are encouraged to follow other members, “Like” and comment on others’ Happify posts. You can set each activity to be visible to your followers, or just yourself. (To protect people close to me, I chose to keep a couple of the more sensitive activities private.) You can choose photos to illustrate your posts from the Happify site, from Facebook or from your own computer. There is also a Happify Facebook Group you can join.

In addition to Happify members’ posts, Happify’s home page features the “Daily Happifier”—photos, videos, quotes or short stories intended to boost your mood.

So far, I’ve completed one track: “Cope Better with Stress,” and I’m now working on “Nurture Your Body and Soul.” Other tracks include “Appreciate What You Have,” “Explore the Art in Happiness,” “Be More Socially Connected,” and “Enjoy Parenting More.”

So what do I think? I have to admit my initial response when I started was to feel more stressed! (Oh, no—I’m falling behind on my happiness activities!) The program is set up so you do a certain number of activities in a certain time frame, and I could not keep up. This was partly because since I am a “Pioneer,” I was taking them very seriously and wanting to put some time and thought into each activity. I wanted to post, comment on others’ posts and give feedback as often as I could. Once I realized I could extend my track as often as I wanted, and that no one was pressuring me to finish, I settled down to my own slightly plodding and erratic pace and relaxed about the whole thing.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is how oblivious I am throughout the day. I don’t take the time to notice and savor. I charge through my days trying to “achieve” as much as I can, whether that means a writing project, household chore or batch of errands. I’m missing my own life! The Happify activities, many of which require a bit of reflection, have helped me be more mindful, to plan treats for myself and others, and to think more deeply about my life.

I think if you go at your own pace, and participate as much or as little as you like, Happify can be a fun way learn more about what makes you happy, as well as connect with others who are focused on bringing more joy to everyday life. Happify has extended an invitation to my readers, so if you want to check out Happify for yourself, click here. And let me know what you think!

Internet

Link Love--the Sequel

February 15, 2013

Grab a cup of coffee and come surf with me!

Don’t you just love the internet? I do. It’s full of fun, interesting, educational and inspiring information (of course, it’s full of a whole lot of junk, too—I do my best to ignore that). I don’t know how I’d procrastinate without it.

Here are some links for you to explore that I’ve found interesting or entertaining and that I want to share with you. Happy Friday, and enjoy!

Visit Inspiration Peak for thought-provoking quotes, poems and stories.

Request a daily “Pause for Beauty” email from Heron Dance by clicking here. A Pause for Beauty is a daily e-journal, and each morning email contains a nature painting and a reflection or poem.

I really enjoyed this post from Dani at Positively Present. (Her whole blog is packed with good stuff.)

Need some help compiling a Life List (more cheerful than a Bucket List, don’t you think?)? Visit Go Mighty. Read others’ Life Lists, see how they progress with their goals, and if the spirit moves you, request an invitation to become part of Go Mighty, “a place to outline your goals and dreams, track your progress toward checking them off, and find inspiration to challenge your personal status quo.”

Watch this video by Brendan Burchard. He notes that the very things that make us happiest are often the very things that cause us discomfort. 

If you like looking at beautifully soothing and peaceful photographs, click on over to The Murmuring Cottage.  I secretly fantasize that I live in that world of cups of tea, drying herbs, embroidery and sketching, cozy fires, sleeping kitties…you get the idea.

Happiness

Link Love

October 26, 2012

Recognize the face on the mouse pad?

I’ve spent far, far too much time meandering through (in? on?) the internet lately. In order to justify that to myself, I thought I’d share some of my happy discoveries. Because I want everyone to waste as much time have as much fun as I do…

Puppy cam! Click here for a peek into the puppy room at the Service Dog Project in Ipswich, MA where mom Chaos is caring for her week-old puppies. 

Already thinking about the holidays, I found this post to have some really sweet handmade gift ideas. 

Scott Adams (the creator of “Dilbert”) on “engineering happiness”

Laure Ferlita shared this link with me. Gorgeous photography. 

For a good laugh (no pun intended), visit Jason Good at http://jasongood.net/. One of my favorite posts is here

I just discovered this blog, which has a philosophy I can agree with. I particularly liked this post

Have you discovered anything fun lately?

Internet

Surf's Up!

October 21, 2011


I love the internet. Where else can you find recipes, photos, quotations, trivia, inspiration, news, funny animal videos and directions to the furniture store that sells the desk you want to buy for your office (thank you, Google maps)? I keep a list of Web sites to visit periodically, and I’ve run across some really fun and wonderful stuff. So for today’s post, I’m going to share with you a few of my discoveries, and hope you enjoy them, too.

Gretchen Rubin’s blog, The Happiness Project, is always worth a read. This post is a recent favorite.

I can’t remember how I found this particular post, but it’s stuck with me. Austin’s site it worth poking around on (in?).

I don’t exactly understand how to play on Pinterest yet, but a quick scroll down the home page always elicits a number of “awwwws” and out-loud laughs.

If you love to travel, visit Journeywoman.com. Their newsletters are packed with practical travel tips for women. A visit here always inspires wanderlust in me.

Story Circle Network is an organization of women dedicated to the passion and craft of life-writing. The Web site contains instruction, inspiration and many lovely examples of women’s stories.

Where do you like to visit when you’re Web surfing?

Happiness

Find a Happy Place

January 17, 2011

It’s gray and rainy outside today, and my plans for a walk with my neighbor and a trip to see Tank have been postponed or cancelled. I’m curled under a blanket with my computer on my lap catching up on emails and convincing myself that in a little while I’ll hop on the elliptical for some much-needed cardio to replace that walk.

If you’re looking for something to brighten up a rainy Monday (or any other dull sort of day), here are three cyber-destinations that help me find a happy place:

http://1000awesomethings.com/ Check out the picture under “Clean Baby Smell.”

http://gimundo.com/ Sutitled: "Good news…served daily." When you’d rather read about heroes than horrors, check in here.

http://www.gypsygirlsguide.com/  Daily inspiration for your inner gypsy. (Thanks, Laure Ferlita, for sending me a link to this blog.)

Bonus destination:  Please click here for a great post about creativity, self-esteem and body image written by Elizabeth Patch.

OK, enough fooling around--time for that cardio…


P.S. I’d like to say happy anniversary to Larry, my husband of 23 years—he qualifies as a both a pleasure and an adventure, sometimes at the same time!