TresSugar

Pursue Your Happiness With Posts From TrèsSugar Past

TresSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

It's Pursuit of Happiness Week, so let's look back at posts that made us smile, or maybe just consider it. Nothing wrong with that! Test your knowledge on the science of happiness; tell us how you lift your spirits; or find out if love really is all you need and if happiness has an expiration date. Not feeling it? Well then tell us if happiness is contagious or grating. If all that fails, we've got the key, or chart, to happiness.

Science of Happiness Quiz	How Do You Lift Your Spirits?	Is Happiness Contagious?
Is There an Ideal Age For Happiness?	Love Is All You Need	Are You?

When you're done, head over to The Couch on the TrèsSugar Community - Pursuit of Happiness Week is being celebrated there, too.

Source: Flickr Users OpenEye, Lukeje, and naukhel

Say What? Martha Stewart's Idea of Happiness

TresSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

"A verdant landscape filled with beautiful animals of all kinds, harp music, cumulus clouds in a bright-blue sky, and happy people conversing pleasantly, sipping cold sake from homemade bamboo cups."

-Martha Stewart shares her idea of perfect happiness with Vanity Fair. Who doesn't love hanging out with animals to the sound of harp music, while tipsy on sake?

What's your idea of perfect happiness?

How Do You Feel About Having Children?

TresSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Maureen Dowd asks why women seem unhappier today than ever in her New York Times column over the weekend. Are they unhappier? Women today seem way happier than the defeated and bitter Betty Draper on Mad Men. But the General Social Survey, which has tracked Americans’ moods since 1972, along with five other major studies, show women have become more dissatisfied while men are becoming happier. (Black women, interestingly, are a little happier since 1972, but still not as happy as black men.)

The number of distractions we have today correlated with women's rising unhappiness. The biggest distraction? Children. “Across the happiness data, the one thing in life that will make you less happy is having children,” Betsey Stevenson, professor and coauthor of a paper called “The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness" told Dowd. “It’s true whether you’re wealthy or poor, if you have kids late or kids early."

Stevenson concedes she doesn't know one mother who said she wished she never had kids, but knowing kids aren't all bundles of joy could make you feel more confident should you decide to opt out. How do you feel about having children?

Source: Flickr User Naso3

Do Tell: What Do You Do to Lift Your Spirits?

TresSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

I'm a fan of motivational tips because even though some of them may seem corny and random, they can be helpful in a pinch.

I needed a picker-upper the other day and was reminded of this list of things to do to ensure a better life. It may sound silly, but doing two things on the list - eating almonds and taking a walk while grinning like a weirdo (OK, that's not how he put it!) really did boost my mood.

I'm all about being proactive. What do you do to lift your spirits?

If Only It Were This Easy, or Is It?

TresSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Source: megpickard.tumblr.com

Quiz: What Do You Know About the Science of Happiness?

TresSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Psychology, before Martin Seligman arrived on the scene, focused on trauma, grief, and sadness. (Thanks, Doktor Freud!) But when Seligman started his Positive Psychology field around 10 years ago, he believed that the science of happiness could help people learn how to be happier. Ten years later, he and his researchers have modified their theories. Take this quiz to see what you know about the science of happiness!

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Take the quiz

Do You Think There's an Ideal Age For Happiness?

TresSugar — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:00:00 -0700

I found the results of this study dubious, and then I read that Clairol Perfect 10 sponsored the research, asking 4,000 women between ages 25 and 65 at what age they were happiest.

The answer? 28, before visible aging occurs (wrinkles, gray hair - you know, the things Clairol has products for) and when sex is supposed to be best. (Wait, I thought sex was best for women in their 30s and 40s?) In addition to being happiest with their looks in their late 20s, the women surveyed said their careers and relationships were best in the 28 to 30 range.

A spokesperson for Clairol Perfect 10 said, "A little time put aside in hectic schedules for self-pampering and the odd beauty product can help keep you feeling young and looking your best." Riiiight.

What do you think - is there an ideal age for happiness?

Can Being Unhappy Have a Purpose?

TresSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

I say yes. Without a cup half empty, you could never appreciate it full. Like the stinging burn that tells you to take your hand off a hot pot, unhappiness slows you down, asks you to take stock and, hopefully, helps you to make decisions.

Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project agrees that unhappiness clues us in on how to be happier. She draws the line, though, at reveling in displeasure. "Some people," she says, "describe a pleasure, or a sense of purposefulness, in feeling sad. I guess I just don’t get that."

While it's easy to dismiss people who brood until they figure things out, it's not uncommon to wring all the pain out of a problem until there's nothing to do but move on. Ultimately, as some Zen adherents say, feel what you’re feeling, try to understand it, and make your goal to feel balanced rather than staying with the extremes of happy or sad. (One of their salutations I love: “Have an ordinary day.”)

What about you? Do you find purpose in unhappiness, or would you rather just make it all better?
Source

All You Need Is Love? Study Finds What Makes Us Happy

TresSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 11:30:00 -0700

We can be so caught up in the day-to-day commotion of our lives that it's rare we get a chance to step back and look at life as a whole. But psychiatrist George Vaillant has been doing that every day for the last 42 years as head of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.

The study began in 1937 by following 268 Harvard male undergrads, who were deemed "well-adjusted" by the day's standards. It has followed the men through school, marriage, career, parenthood, divorce, illness, and - for half the participants - death.

What has Dr. Vaillant learned? "The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people." "Happiness is love" he says, "full stop."

To see his interview with the Atlantic, (it will make you happy!), read more.

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The How-To Lounge: Making the Best of Things

DearSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Financially, things are rough right now, and even if you’re not personally affected, it’s impossible to miss the changes happening everywhere as people lose their homes and their jobs. In such a time of uncertainty, it’s easy to let worries overtake you. But as they say about life giving you lemons, maybe it's time to make lemonade. To see my ideas for doing just that, read more.

First of all, do what it takes to get your finances in order. Organizing your money will allow you to feel more comfortable and alleviate many worries. You couldn’t possibly have a better excuse to now. If you don't know where to start, I'm sure Savvy has plenty of tips for you.
It’s too expensive to go out, so stay in. Offer to have people over for a cheap wine party or a pot luck dinner.
The same goes for family. It’s expensive to meet at a restaurant or take an outing to the movies. It costs a fraction of that to whip up some chili and pull out the Monopoly board. And you know what? These are the family memories that last longest.
In need of extra cash? Try cleaning your house. The junk that’s been clogging your counters and cabinets this year could bring in some money. Not to mention that your house will actually be clutter-free, too.
Give volunteering a shot. You may be surprised how working with an organization you care about will start to make you feel hopeful. It’s easy to sit at home depressed, but you’ll feel much better taking action.

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