Happiness: How to Get Into the Habit of Being Happy

by Gill Hasson

Get into the habit of being happy! We may all have different abilities, interests, beliefs and lifestyles, beliefs but there is one thing that we all have in We want to be happy!  Happiness shows you how to be happy by adopting lifelong “happiness habits” that bring and fulfilment and pleasure to your days. These habits will help you manage life’s inevitable ups and downs; consistent practice will develop your happiness abilities and help you live the happy life you want.  Aristotle believed that happiness was comprised of pleasure and a sense of life well-lived. Today’s research agrees, suggesting that “happiness” is defined by your overall satisfaction with your life as well as how you feel from day to day. This book shows you that happiness is a skill made up of a particular set of habits that you can bring in your life starting today. While happiness is not feeling good all the time you do have the ability to control how you feel Happiness gives you the skills and perspective to recognise happiness and pursue a happy life―whatever that may mean for you.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

184 pages, Paperback

Published October 8, 2018

About the author

Gill Hasson is the author of Mindfulness: Be mindful. Live in the moment works with people from diverse backgrounds and situations. Her key motivation is her belief in the ability of people to positively change their way of thinking - about life, other people, and themselves.

She is a freelance journalist and writes articles on personal development and relationships for a variety of magazines, including Psychologies and Take A Break, and for a number of websites.

As well as delivering adult education courses in personal development, she is an associate tutor for the University of Sussex where she teaches career and personal development and academic study skills. She delivers training in child and adolescent development to preschool, youth and social workers, teachers and parents.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short book about happiness. Nothing in it that makes it outstanding or novel - though the brevity and directness are refreshing.

[Nora Hein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Der Autor findet gute Ansätze und verschafft einen Überblick über das Thema. Dabei bleibt ja an einigen Stellen oberflächlich, was jedoch auch in der Tatsache begründet liegt, dass er über sehr viele Themen in seinem Buch einen Überblick verschafft, welche für sich benommen sicherlich eigene Bücher füllen könnten. An einigen Stellen bleibt der Autor aus meiner Sicht oberflächlich und einige seiner Empfehlungen greifen kurz, beziehungsweise dürften diese für viele Lebensrealitäten kaum umsetzbar sein (zum Beispiel gibt es allen Grund Bildungsaufsteigern nicht dazu zu raten, das ungeliebte Studium abzubrechen, wenn sie erst einmal die Hürde an die Universität genommen haben).

[Maria Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very repetitive and all common sense.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am extremely disappointed with this book, it is unbelievably patronising. The author seems to believe that happiness is a choice. This ignores biology, negative experiences and how life works. It also conveniently puts blame onto the person as they are by definition choosing not to be happy.

The examples they gave were extremely simplified and assume that humanbeings are unable to feel more than one emotion at a time. I mean it is possible to be happy for yourself because you got the job and sorry for friend who didn't.

My 'favourite' part was the section for those who might not understand the importance of happiness. I mean need I say more?

So in other words I believe this book is extremely poorly written. And could be quite harmful to people with mental health conditions. With that in mind I would advise people not to read it.

[milica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't bad, I would definitely recommend it to people who feel stuck or stagnant in their lives. However, I am not sure how useful it is for people who are actually depressed/experiencing mental health difficulties. Additionally, the information was pretty superficial, however it was succint so that's nice.

Main takeaway - reflecting on values:
- find 5 core values - personal and social

questions to ask about each value:
- what does the value mean to you?
- what is the dictionary definition of that value?
- do i agree with that definition?
- how does it apply to my life
- why is this value important to me
- in what way does it currently apply to my life
- in what way do i currently live this value (how where when)
- do i need more opportunities in my life to live my core values

[Crystal Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:

-Know your values, how can you live your life aligned with those values
-Know your secondary values (work, relationships, etc)
- spend money on experiences more than things
- spend money on what’s important to you / in line with values
- be grateful for what you already have
- find simple pleasures and appreciate them
- life is made of moments, make the most of those moments
- enjoy things without owning things (rent vs own)
- be grateful
- have goals, progress = happiness
- spend money on others makes you happy (that make positive difference in their lives) - connections with others make us happy in general
-connect with others
-positivity is contagious ! By you being happy you help others
- show concern for others
- creating meaning takes time and effort

[Fiona Spence · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this was very dumbed down and essentially just lists and lists of suggestions and ideas, some ideas which felt very obvious, to illustrate a point. The lists sometimes went on for pages, long past the point where you had got the message. Such a shame as this can be a fascinating subject and the authors credentials suggest she knows her stuff. I was very disappointed and skim read the majority of the book

[Recto Jr. Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kind of agree with the points of other readers when it comes to this book. I really like the writing and the voice (audiobook, and English accent ughh). The tips are great and all, and what I really like was the point of short lived happiness and fulfillment. Sadly, a lot of the contents are something of common knowledge and not new. Tips of the book is what you'd expect to hear from a friend.Of course, this book would be greatly useful for people who sucks at being happy (like me).

[Laila · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book provides useful reminders to all on how to concentrate on what matters and how to maintain a positive attitude to life. In other words, we have to be thankful for all the little moments of happiness and focus on them more. There is nothing new there, but it is a good read to help us all focus on the good things in life.

[Joeline ReadsWhileSippingCoffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good easy to read book to remind us to set goals and how to reach them so we can feel happier in life. Plenty of quotes and stories with a good section on how to help others reach happiness. The back of the book has links to books and websites to reach out to for help.

[Jake Doran · Rating 1 out of 5]

A short read that can probably be shortened a lot further by removing duplicate content. Nothing new, novel or even noteworthy. Reads like a collection of blog posts that offer nothing more than common cliches.

[Patrycja · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to get into habit of being happy ? How? Definitely not by reading this book. 🤣
I am joking. Or do I? 😝
Well the thing is this book didn’t teach me anything new.I didn’t find it informative nor ground breaking. It wasn’t any fascinating nor exciting read. It's just a lot of fluff.

[Victoria Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Read in a day. Kind of book you want to pass to other people to read...

[Yazo GM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Short but a lots of very positive thinking to apply on your everyday life

[Ian Rodwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review is at my website:

https://workingwow.net/2020/08/02/boo...

Go on take a look, you know you want to!!!

[ish k · Rating 2 out of 5]

a reminder why i don’t read non fic

[Charlotte Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of tips and great advice. Easy to read format and useful 'in a nutshell' conclusion to each chapter.

[Jess Hinrichs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this on audiobook. Lots of good practical advice for increasing happiness.

[Holly Crick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy ready with easy tips and actions to follow in regards to finding happiness. Was a good reflection upon what I already do daily and reaffirmed my actions and daily habits.

[Christopher Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good approach to happiness and understanding what has meaning and purpose for your life.

[Alex]

Gill Hasson is a teacher, trainer and writer with 20 years of experience in the area of personal development. She is the author of a number of books, including Positive Thinking, where she draws from the theories behind Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to provide tips and strategies on how to think and behave in a more positive way.

In Happiness, Gill goes a step further. It is not only positive thinking, but also behaviours and habits that can contribute to our happiness.

At the beginning of the book, she considers happiness from two viewpoints: a short-lived pleasure versus a general sense of wellbeing. She discusses Aristotle’s distinction of happiness into hedonic happiness (small pleasures) and eudemonic happiness (a sense of meaning, purpose and fulfillment). As a Psychiatrist, I strongly believe that having both purposeful and meaningful, and pleasurable activities, is essential for our happiness and mental wellbeing.

In the second chapter, quoting the philosopher A.C. Grayling, who said that ‘happiness comes a sideline of other endeavors that, in themselves, bring satisfaction and a sense of achievement’, Gill examines happiness in the context of purposeful and meaningful activities.

She then goes on to examine happiness in the context of pleasurable activities. She debates the question ‘can money buy happiness?’ and writes that experiences can last longer than things. Spending money on things can certainly lift our mood. However, once the initial thrill that follows a purchase wears off, things no longer contribute to our happiness. In contrast, experiences often do, even years later. Happiness can linger on for a long time after the experience is over. This is because experiences can create happy memories; it is the recollection and reliving of those memories that can fuel happiness long afterwards. Furthermore, even beforehand, experiences can contribute to happiness. For example, planning and anticipating an experience, such as traveling or going to a concert, often has that mood-boosting effect. So, by looking forward to or reminiscing an experience, you can make yourself a bit happier.

As a Psychiatrist, I believe that happiness, like positive thinking, is a skill that can be practised and learned. In this book, Gill not only supports this view, but she also identifies ways to become happier. These are far from quick fixes though. On the contrary, these are habits that need to be practiced over and over again to become effective.

If the above sound like psychobabble, I assure you this is far from the case. A large number of published studies not only confirm the strong association between positive thinking and ‘happiness habits’ on the one hand and positive emotions and mental wellbeing on the other, but they also explain the reason for this. Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, refers to the ability of the brain to change (both its structure and its function) throughout one’s life. This is commonly called rewiring and involves creating and strengthening brain pathways. Neuroscience research shows that positive thinking and ‘happiness habits’ are effective ways to increase our happiness and improve our mental wellbeing for this very reason; they contribute to the rewiring of the brain.

Overall, I believe that Happiness is an excellent resource, as it shows that we have the ability to change our thoughts and behaviors, tells us how to do this, and empowers us to become happier.