Happiness Is A Habit: Simple Daily Rituals That Increase Energy, Improve Well-Being, and Add Joy to Every Day

by Michele Phillips

Renovate the rhythm of your life to create a healthier, happier you! Forget superficial fixes like fad diets or shopping sprees and instead learn how implementing simple daily habits like journaling, juicing, and unplugging electronics can improve your quality of life. The confidence, vitality, and joy that you deserve are just a habit away!

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2013

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect time of year to read a book like this! As you start thinking about New Year's Resolutions, this book will give you 45 ideas on good habits to cultivate. She doesn't suggest that you do them all at once, either (that's way too overwhelming), but gives a 90 day challenge at the end. It's definitely doable and I've had a habit I've been wanting to develop for a while so I'm going to take the challenge.

I've read a lot of these types of books over the years and I like that her book brings a lot of the ideas together in one book which makes it an excellent resource. Some of the habits that are suggested are cultivate patience, guide your thoughts all day long, have a clear vision and goals, use your words wisely and make time to play.

Some of my favorite quotes from her book are, "Challenges come to us all, the key is how you deal with them. I have come to the conclusion that no one escapes pain and bad experiences. Everyone has something they have to deal with in life. Pain just comes to each of us in different packages. Pain is not reserved only for the poor and destitute, and how we deal with pain will determine our level of satisfaction with life," and this one at the very end of the same chapter (Chapter 2), "Happiness has less to do with what is going on in your external world and more to do with what is going on with you internally. Happiness is a state of being, not a place to arrive at."

Each chapter starts with a quote, the habit, her experiences and research on each habit and suggestions for how to make it a habit at the end. This book is packed with great information for making positive changes in your life and is a book I will refer to often!

Mel's Shelves

[Shanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Happiness is a Habit, author Michele Phillips strives to inspire readers to adopt new habits into their lives. She says “If all you did was add a new habit every 90 days, in five years you would have accumulated 20 new, positive, life-inspiring habits…”

In the introductory chapters, Michele briefly shares her history and the events that led her to where she is now. Chapter Four introduces the first of 44 habits that have helped elevate Michele’s happiness over the last several years. The chapters are only a few pages long, and each one ends with a few suggestions to help develop that particular habit. The range of habits discussed cover both physical and emotional aspects of daily life. There are several quotes and anecdotes to help motivate and inspire the reader.

Michele is a really happy person and it comes through in her writing. It’s easy to see how much she wants to inspire happiness in others on whatever level she can. One passage I really liked was in the chapter detailing “Habit 37: Nourish Your Passion.”

“When you are passionate and enthusiastic you are being lifted to a higher space. You are exhibiting the spirit of God within yourself. When you feel this excitement and passion grow within you, I believe that this is God’s way of telling you that you are on the right path.” –page 155

In the conclusion, Michele explains four steps to help implement new habits into your life. Though this is not a thick book, it contains a lot of information. The short chapters are perfect for reading one each day/week/month or whenever you are ready to move on to the next new habit. If you are looking for inspiration and motivation to help you add joy to your life, Happiness is a Habit might be just the book for you.

Review originally published on LDS Women's Book Review - www.ldswbr.com
FTC FYI: received a free paperback copy in exchange for an honest review

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every now and then I enjoy reading a non-fiction or self help sort of book. This book sounded like a winner because who doesn't want to be happier? Making happiness a habit? Yeah, that sounds good to me. A happier start to a new year. I don't really make New Year's resolutions but I am a goal oriented girl and making a goal to achieve happier habits sounds perfect.

What I like about this book is that you know right up front that this will take time and work. Habits are not formed over night. The author even recommends that you pick one habit and do it for 90 days. Just one at a time. That way you are not overwhelmed and you give the new happy habit a chance to really become a part of who you are. Happiness is a choice. Some have to work harder at it than others, I think, but everyone benefits from having a happier person around.

I can really get behind a lot of these happy habit ideas. Not all of them suit me and my exact situation, but a lot of them do. Or, the ideas can be modified to work for me. Many of them I'm already doing in some form or another. It's really all about finding things that improve your quality of life and how you interact with others.

A few of my favorite habit ideas were "Give Smiles", "Go Outside", "Do Something Kind", "Make Time for Recovery and Refueling" and "Say Yes to Adventure and Leave Your Comfort Zone".

There is really plenty of advice to be had in this book. Many habits seemed repetitive to me and I think could have been condensed into one but overall there are just a lot of good ideas here. I enjoyed reading through this book. I am going to be implementing many of these good habits over the next year. I think I'll start with "Drink Water". I do drink water but not nearly enough and I need to do better. So there you have it. My first new happy habit.

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book with bite-sized chapters that introduce new habits you can incorporate into your life to live with happiness as your constant companion. Michele instructs that happiness is a choice and we can make habits to thrive in happiness daily.

Each day I've been reading a chapter and feeling energized about how a shift in my perspective can change my own lives. I've recommitted to be the optimist I've always been and really own that character trait because it can move mountains.

This book is filled with great references, quotes, and suggestions for reading materials to help you along the way to happiness. Here is one of my favorite quotes from Michele:

"I suggest that you make the choice to be a deliberate creator in the life you live." --Michele Phillips

This book is an excellent resource. If you're looking for a manageable way to re-energize your life and claim happiness, then please read Happiness is a Habit by Michele Philips.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's a keeper

[Eugenia W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this, great practical suggestions for living one's best life everyday.

[Teragon Bearyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fine. There were a few good takeaways for me but I read a lot of books in this genre and there wasn’t much from the cookie cutter basics I felt with this one.

[Jamie Atari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it and will keep it around for future reference.

[Stacey Adams]

As she indicates at the beginning, most of her tips for habits are things we already know we should do, but we don't. She puts her spin on them and lists ways we can actually DO them.