New research suggests that people who laugh together like each other more. Victor Borge once wrote, “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.” Many of us would probably agree that laughter brings us closer to others, whether we’re joking with our spouse or laughing with an audience at a comedy club. Yet laughter[…]
Many people believe that all stress is bad, but you may have heard that there’s “good stress” and “bad stress.” Do you know what people mean by that? We rarely hear people say, “I’m really feeling stressed—isn’t that great?” But if we didn’t have some stress in our lives—the ‘good stress’ variety—we’d feel rudderless and unhappy. If[…]
When You’re Feeling Down We all get in a bit of a rut now and then. You can usually pull yourself out of one with a little self-care. But if feelings of anxiety or sadness regularly cause problems at work or home, talk to your doctor about them. Reach Out Meet a close friend[…]
Modern-day research supports much of what ancient philosophers already knew about happiness. Here’s what you should know about the link between good character and happiness. When we talk about happiness in modern life, we are often referring to the feeling we get after the first lick of a delicious ice cream cone or when spending an afternoon[…]
Take a moment and imagine the happiest person you know. Got him or her in mind? Now think about how you would describe that person’s personality. Did adjectives like outgoing, energetic, or bubbly come to mind? It’s very likely that one of the personality traits you described is related to extroversion, or the tendency to draw[…]
When we stop hiding our true selves and become vulnerable, our work environment is more enjoyable—and productive—for all. Have you ever wanted to speak up about an issue or situation at work, but were afraid to? Or wanted to share something about yourself, but worried people might judge you? Or pretended to understand something[…]
See how meaningful projects, pets, and maybe even a second career or scaled-down version of your old job can enrich this stage of life. Find a New Purpose When you retire, you don’t just leave a job. You enter a new stage in your life. If you do something you find meaningful, you’ll be[…]
For decades, we’ve known that “positive thinking” can combat stress and negativity by helping us focus on what is working, by helping us to maintain a less dire view of what we are facing, and by enabling us to put things in perspective, among other things. Researchers and psychologists have broadened our understanding of how positive thinking can[…]
Much of modern life, though seeming to promote connectivity, has had the opposite effect of fostering social isolation and loneliness, experts say. A four-minute film produced for the UnLonely Film Festival and Conference last month featured a young woman who, as a college freshman, felt painfully alone. She desperately missed her familiar haunts and high school[…]
Hurray for the HotBlack Coffee cafe in Toronto for declining to offer Wi-Fi to its customers. There are other such cafes, to be sure, including seven of the eight New York City locations of Café Grumpy. But it’s HotBlack’s reason for the electronic blackout that is cause for hosannas. As its president, Jimson Bienenstock, explained, his aim[…]