Science confirms choosing joy boosts mind and body, showing how gratitude and laughter support mental and physical wellness and makes life easier.
We are in an era marked by stress, uncertainty, and constant digital noise and it is easy to swim in pool of misery. But there is hope, science confirms choosing joy boosts mind and body. Data delivers a surprisingly simple prescription for a better life: cultivate happiness on purpose. Researchers in psychology and neuroscience increasingly agree maintaining a positive outlook isn’t just a feel-good cliché — it has measurable benefits for mental health, physical well-being, productivity, and longevity.
Studies in the field of positive psychology, pioneered by experts such as Martin Seligman, show individuals who intentionally practice optimism experience lower levels of stress hormones, improved immune response, and reduced risk of depression. A happy attitude doesn’t mean ignoring life’s challenges; rather, it involves training the brain to notice moments of joy, gratitude, and meaning even during difficult times.
When you experience something which makes you smile — whether it’s a silly joke, a favorite snack, or a song you love — your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters linked to pleasure and emotional regulation. These chemicals help lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and enhance focus. Over time, repeatedly activating these neural pathways can rewire the brain to default toward positivity, a concept known as neuroplasticity.
A 2023 review in behavioral health research found people who engage in daily gratitude or joy-spotting practices report higher life satisfaction and resilience. Even brief positive moments can interrupt cycles of rumination and anxiety, helping individuals regain perspective.
One simple, science-backed habit is to intentionally seek out two or three small moments each day which spark joy. These don’t have to be grand gestures or expensive experiences. In fact, the most effective mood-boosters are often ordinary pleasures:
Listening to a favorite song during your commute
Sharing a lighthearted joke with a coworker
Enjoying a comforting sandwich or snack
Watching a funny video clip
Taking a few minutes to appreciate a sunset
These micro-moments of happiness act like emotional anchors, reminding us life contains pockets of delight even amid busy schedules and personal challenges.
Mental health experts warn chronic stress and negativity can contribute to inflammation, heart disease, and weakened immunity. Conversely, cultivating positive emotions has been linked to improved cardiovascular health and longer life expectancy. A landmark longitudinal study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesfound individuals with higher reported well-being had a significantly lower risk of premature mortality.
Beyond physical health, a positive attitude can improve relationships and workplace performance. People who project optimism are often perceived as more approachable, collaborative, and resilient — qualities strengthening both personal and professional connections.
Building a happier mindset is not about forcing cheerfulness; it’s about noticing what already brings a smile. Experts suggest keeping a simple “joy list” on your phone or jotting down one pleasant moment before bed. Over time, this practice trains your attention toward what makes life meaningful.
In a world ften emphasizing what’s going wrong, choosing to find two or three small reasons to smile each day can be a quiet act of resilience. Science confirms what many have long suspected: happiness isn’t just a result of a good life — it’s a powerful tool for creating one.
Cannabis and Denmark collide as culture, health policy, alcohol use, and happiness shape the country’s evolving cannabis debate.
Denmark, the Danish Royal Family and Greenland have been in the news. This leaves us wondering, what about Denmark and cannabis? The country’s relationship with cannabis sits at the intersection of tradition, public health, and an evolving cultural conversation about substances, happiness, and social responsibility. While the country is often seen as progressive, cannabis remains illegal for recreational use, even as public debate and medical acceptance continue to grow.
Under Danish law, recreational cannabis is prohibited, and possession can result in fines or legal penalties. In practice, however, enforcement is generally measured. Small amounts intended for personal use often lead to warnings or modest fines rather than severe punishment. Despite its illegal status, cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance in Denmark. Health authorities estimate roughly one in ten Danes aged 16 to 44 report recent cannabis use, reflecting a level of normalization in everyday life even without legalization.
The Danish Royal Family
Denmark has taken a more formal step forward with medical cannabis. In 2018, the government introduced a national medical cannabis pilot program, allowing doctors to prescribe cannabis-based products for conditions such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-related symptoms. The program has since been extended and broadened, signaling institutional recognition cannabis can have therapeutic value when regulated and medically supervised.
Alcohol, meanwhile, has long been deeply woven into Danish culture. Denmark consistently ranks among Europe’s highest consumers of alcohol, particularly when it comes to binge drinking. Social drinking is common across generations, and alcohol is widely available and socially accepted. But like the United States, recent studies suggest changing attitudes among younger Danes, with declining rates of both alcohol and cannabis use among teens and young adults. Public health campaigns, wellness trends, and shifting social norms appear to be influencing these behaviors.
These substance use patterns exist alongside Denmark’s global reputation for happiness. According to the World Happiness Report, Denmark routinely ranks in the top three happiest countries in the world. Factors contributing to this ranking include strong social trust, universal healthcare, work-life balance, economic security, and a high degree of confidence in public institutions. The country’s happiness score typically sits around 7.5 out of 10, well above the global average.
An often-overlooked influence on Danish cultural norms is the Danish royal family. The monarchy, while largely ceremonial, plays a powerful symbolic role in shaping national identity. The royal family is widely respected and known for its emphasis on stability, duty, and social cohesion. Members of the monarchy tend to avoid political controversy, including debates around cannabis or drug policy, instead focusing on public service, health initiatives, environmental causes, and cultural unity. Their restrained and disciplined public image reinforces Denmark’s broader cultural preference for moderation and responsibility, even as society debates reform in areas like cannabis regulation.
In many ways, Denmark’s cannabis conversation mirrors the nation itself: pragmatic, cautious, and grounded in public welfare rather than ideology. While full legalization remains off the table for now, medical access, shifting attitudes, and open debate suggest Denmark’s approach will continue to evolve. Set against a backdrop of high alcohol use, declining youth consumption, a respected monarchy, and one of the happiest populations on Earth, cannabis in Denmark is less about rebellion and more about how a stable society manages change.
It’s easy to assume achievement will yield happiness. Start and build your own thriving business, be happier. Advance in your career, be happier. Get a bigger house, be happier. Finish a marathon, be happier.
Hard work and sacrifice lead to success, and happiness is by-product. In its most productive form, living in a dynamic of conditionality (first this, then that) is delaying gratification: doing or not doing this today, so you can have, or be, that tomorrow.
Saving money now so you can start a business down the road. Working harder than everyone around you so you can get promoted. Training and training and training so you can finally check a marathon off your bucket list.
Choosing to do (this), because you someday want to have, or be, (that): active choices, intended to produce desired outcomes.
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That’s a good thing, both in terms of likelihood of achievement and fulfillment; after all, sometimes success is a driver of happiness.
But more often, the opposite is true. As a study published in Psychological Bulletin that reviewed over 200 different happiness studies found, happiness is much more likely to drive success.
According to the researchers (long, but worth it):
The characteristics related to positive affect include confidence, optimism, and self-efficacy; likability and positive (outlooks towards) others; sociability, activity, and energy; prosocial behavior; immunity and physical well-being; effective coping with challenge and stress; and originality and flexibility.
What these attributes share is that they all encourage active involvement with goal pursuits.
The success of happy people rests on two main factors. First, because happy people experience frequent positive moods, they have a greater likelihood of working actively toward new goals while experiencing those moods. Second, happy people are in possession of past skills and resources, which they have built over time during previous pleasant moods.
Add it all up and in non-researcher-speak, happy people are primed to pursue goals — and because their happiness makes them more likely to have pursued goals in the past, they have developed skills that help them be more likely to accomplish their goals in the future.
The result is a self-sustaining loop: happiness = success = happiness = success….
Another example? A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies determined employee well-being and happiness accurately predicts employee performance. The researchers spent seven years studying over 900,000 soldiers and found that high positive affect, low negative affect, and high optimism predicted awards for performance and heroism.
How much better? The most positive and optimistic soldiers were four times more likely to receive awards than the least positive and optimistic soldiers.
Of course, you could argue the relationship is correlational, not causal. High performance could result in happiness since high performers tend to receive more recognition and praise, tend to feel more like part of the team, tend to get promoted more frequently, etc. (Instead of my happiness driving my performance, maybe I’m happy because I’m doing so well.)
Except for the fact negative affect (read: I’m kinda miserable) predicted lower performance.
In short, happiness predicted performance, and with it, success.
So if you aren’t as happy as you would like to be, stop thinking success will be the cure. Making more money, for example, can certainly improve your well-being. But after a certain point, it won’t make you happier: the famous 2018 study published in Nature: Human Emotion found that somewhere between $60,000 and $75,000 per year is ideal for “emotional well-being.” (Feel free to adjust for inflation.) Daniel Kahneman’s famous study pegged the number at $75,000.
More generally (and without having to worry about inflation), a Journal of Positive Psychology study shows people tend to “grossly overestimate” the impact of income on overall happiness.
In short, affluence (a fairly common way to measure “success”) is a terrible predictor of happiness. Financial success, past a certain point, won’t make you happier. I know at least a few incredibly rich people who say they’re miserable. Money isn’t their cause of their discontent, but nor has it helped them feel better about their lives.
On the other hand, maintaining even a few close friendships will. A 2013 PLOS One study shows doubling your number of friends is like increasing your income by 50 percent in terms of how happy you feel. So can helping other people; a number of studies show giving can be as beneficial for the giver as the receiver.
So can engaging in active or social forms of leisure. A 2017 PLOS One study shows working out, connecting with family or friends, or pursuing an interest are much more likely to increase levels of happiness compared with passive “activities” like vegging out or staring at your phone.
Bottom line? If you want to be happier, do things that make you happier. Do things that leave you feeling satisfied, fulfilled, and gratified. Not only will those successes — whether professional or personal — make you feel happier, they’ll also create a foundation for future success.
And happiness.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Time matters, if only because we all hope to live as long and healthy a life as possible.
The problem is, the recommendation bar for living a longer life can seem impossibly high. One study found you need between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to mitigate the risk of death associated with sitting. Another study found you need to jog five days a week for 30 to 40 minutes a pop for your body to have the “age progression” of someone nine years younger.
Among psychosocial factors that appear to be potential health assets (e.g., social integration), optimism has some of the strongest and most consistent associations with a wide range of health outcomes, including reduced risk of cardiovascular events, lung function decline, and premature mortality.
Investigators have speculated that optimism may facilitate healthier bio-behavioral processes, and ultimately longevity, because optimism directly contributes to how goals are translated into behaviors.
Make and keep a few close friends, you’ll likely live longer.
Optimism also directly correlates with living longer, since optimistic people tend to behave differently: While everyone has goals, people who fall on the less optimistic end of the spectrum are much less likely to try to achieve their goals. Why start a journey that feels impossible?
On the flip side, “optimism directly contributes to how goals are translated into behaviors.” When the journey seems possible, starting feels much easier.
All of which is good news for entrepreneurs.
And for everyone. In his book Bounce, Matthew Syed quotes retired soccer manager Arsene Wenger on how great athletes think:
To perform to your maximum you have to teach yourself to believe with an intensity that goes way beyond logical justification.
No top performer has lacked this capacity for irrational optimism; no sports(person) has played to their potential without the ability to remove doubt from their mind.
The same is true for you. Be smart, be logical, be rational and calculating, and never stop trying to improve your skills.
But most importantly, be optimistic. Because optimism — and its effect on the way you think and work and persevere — can help you succeed in education, experience, and connectons cannot.
Still. I know what you’re thinking. “I should be more optimistic. But it’s not like I can just flip a switch.”
Actually, you can. Research shows that approximately 25 percent of your optimism set-point is genetic. That means 75 percent of your level of optimism can be shaped and learned. For example, a study published in Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry found that participants who spent five minutes a day for two weeks imagining their “best possible self” (in terms of professional, relationship, and personal goals) experienced significant increases in optimism and overall life satisfaction.
If visualization isn’t your thing (it isn’t mine), try another approach. If, as Jim Rohn says, we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with, just start spending more time with optimistic people. They’re more encouraging. They’re more supportive. Their enthusiasm will naturally rub off on you.
If spending time in groups isn’t your thing (it kind of isn’t mine), then take a step back and think about your mindset. Generally speaking, people fall into two camps. Those with a fixed mindset believe intelligence, ability, and skill are inborn and relatively fixed. That we are what we were born with. Someone with a fixed mindset might say, “I didn’t handle that well. I’m not cut out to be a leader.”
People with a growth mindset believe that intelligence, ability, and skill can be developed through effort. That we are what we work to become. Someone with a growth mindset might say, “I didn’t handle that well, but next time I’ll make sure I’m more prepared.”
People who embrace a growth mindset believe success is based on effort and application, not innate talent.
That makes them more optimistic.
And helps them live longer, healthier lives.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
What’s one thing every leader can do to make sure employees are happy at work and engaged with their jobs? Make sure they can trust in you, your organization, and each other. That’s the finding in a 2024 meta-analysis of studies more than 1 million participants. When leaders seek to improve employee wellbeing, they typically think about things like remote work, flexible schedules, and wellness offerings such as gym memberships. But trust may be the most valuable perk of all.
A 2024 meta-analysis by an international research team led by Minxiang Zhao and Yixuan Li of the Renmin University of China Psychology Department examined 132 studies on trust from around the world. The studies had a total of more than 1 million participants. The researchers focused on two types of trust, interpersonal trust and institutional trust, exactly the two types than can occur in workplaces. They found that both types of trust correlate with social, psychological, and to a lesser extent, physical wellbeing.
If trust is so important, how do you get more of it? Unlike some other things, you can’t mandate trust, and you can’t demand that employees trust you, your company, or each other. But you can provide a workplace culture where trust can flourish. Here are some ways to do that.
1. Be transparent.
If you want employees to trust you and your company, it’s obviously important to treat them fairly. But it’s almost as important to let them know what’s going on. You may have to find a delicate balance between sharing competitive information and keeping too much to yourself. But half the employees in a recent survey said lack of information about what was going on at their companies was their biggest source of stress. Keep that in mind when considering whether to share bad news.
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2. Be predictable.
Many years ago, a CEO known for turning troubled companies around told me that his employees should never have to guess how he would answer a question. He told them his top priorities so they could always predict what he would say. He never wavered from those priorities.
We may be fascinated with leaders like Elon Musk who often change their minds. But we trust those like Warren Buffett, who consistently say the same things year after year. The more they can predict what you will say and do, the easier it is for employees to trust you.
3. Be trusting yourself.
It may be hard for employees to trust you if, say, they know you’re using software to monitor their keystrokes. Admittedly, treating employees with trust can backfire in the short term if you trust the wrong person. But in the long term, research shows that more trusting organizations tend to perform better, even in the often mistrustful retail industry.
I believe the reason for this is that, while we can easily see the cost of employee dishonesty when it happens, we don’t always recognize that our mistrust comes at a high cost as well. If an employee has their bag searched every time they leave work, they won’t feel the same trust or affection for the company that they otherwise might. And it’s human nature for them to try and figure out a way to sneak items out despite the search.
4. Help employees trust each other.
Setting up competitions that pit employees against each other for important things like compensation can bring about acrimony and mistrust among employees. Here again, the short-term gain may not be worth the long-term loss. Employees who trust their co-workers are more likely to collaborate effectively with those co-workers. They’re also likely to be happier, and to stay in their jobs. Relationships at work are often the biggest deterrent to leaving company.
You can help foster those relationships by asking people to collaborate on important projects and letting them share the credit equally. You can also create teams across different functions so that employees get to know their colleagues outside their immediate areas. And of course, any opportunity for employees to socialize, get together outside work, or work together on community projects, can help create those relationships and that trust.
In my book Career Self-Care, I explore workplace happiness, and how relationships at work can contribute to that happiness, or detract from it. The more employees can trust in you, your company, and each other, the happier and less burned out they’ll be. It’s your job as a leader to make that happen.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl is inarguably a commercial and popular success with over 4 million equivalent units (album sales and streaming activity), and all 12 songs hitting the top of the Billboard 100.
So yeah: Swift knows juust a little about being successful.
But as ESPN writer and author Wright Thompson once told me, Swift might be the most incredible person in American life.
She experienced global, nuclear success at a young age. And she’s continued to be incredibly successful. Yet she never had that “teen star” meltdown.
Her success is amazing … but even more incredible is that she’s mature, well-rounded, and happy. That accomplishment is truly staggering.
How does Swift pull off that balance? While I’m not necessarily a fan of her music (I’m old), I am a fan of a few of her perspectives on success and happiness.
Taylor Swift on Kindness
Jeff Bezos says that while cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Mark Cuban says one of the most underrated skills in business is being nice.
No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.
Choose to include rather than exclude. Choose to build people up rather than tear them down. Choose to give before you receive, knowing you may never receive. Choose to shift the spotlight to other people. Choose to listen more than you talk.
Choose to be nice: not because you’re expected to, but simply because you can.
Start being nicer and you’ll be a lot more likely to get what you want, especially over the long term. And you’ll surely build better professional and personal relationships.
Win-win.
Taylor Swift on the Power of Solitude
A study published in the British Journal of Psychology found that people who socialize more tend to be happier, which makes sense: relationships, friendships, connections, spending time with people we enjoy… those things tend to make us happier.
But that’s not completely true if you’re highly intelligent; the same study found that the more highly intelligent people socialized, the less happy they became.
Swift appears to fall into that camp:
I am alone a lot, which is good. I need that time to just be alone after a long day, to just decompress.
Why? One theory is aspirational: the smarter you are, possibly the more focused you will be on longer-term goals — which means spending too much time socializing can be distracting instead of helpful. (In short, if you’re always hanging out with people, you aren’t getting stuff done.)
The above study is just one study, though, and may only be directionally accurate. Plus, the relationship between intelligence and the desire for “alone time” doesn’t necessarily work in reverse. (I’m a great example: I like time alone, but I’m not particularly bright.)
In your case, though? If you like to spend time alone working on a project, learning something new, developing your business plan, or grinding away on the things you need to do achieve your goals… don’t assume you’re a loner.
And definitely don’t assume you’re antisocial. There could be a much better answer.
Granted, I’m cherry-picking examples, but still. As Swift says:
I never give advice unless someone asks me for it.
One thing I’ve learned, and possibly the only advice I have to give, is to not be that person giving out unsolicited advice based on your own personal experience.
Even when asked for advice, who are we to tell anyone what to do? We’re us. We’re not them.
What we can do, though, is help the people who ask for advice work through the process of making the right decision .
The next time you’re tempted to offer unsolicited advice, resist the temptation. If you’re asked for advice, don’t tell that person what to do. And definitely don’t say what you would do.
Yet your emotions — in this case, your emotional response to the fatigue, effort, or mental challenges you normally don’t face — get the best of you. Change is hard. Adding something new to an already packed schedule is hard. Those first few days of trying to create a minimum viable product, or cold-calling in search of an enabling customer, or training for a marathon, or embarking on any difficult long-term journey towards a major goal?
They’re .
Especially if you look too far ahead.
Swift’s approach?
As soon as I accomplish one goal, I replace it with another one.
I try not to get too far ahead of myself. I just say to myself, ‘All right, I’d like to headline a tour,’ and then when I get there, I’ll see what my next goal is.
But what if you struggle to get started with your first goal? Try embracing the two-week rule. Pick a goal. Pick something you feel you want to achieve. Create a daily process or routine you will follow.
Then commit to following that routine for two weeks. For each of the next 14 days, keep your head down and focus solely on what you need to do that day. Not next week. Not next month. Not next year.
Just that day.
At the end of two weeks, you’ll know whether you want to keep going. You’ll know whether the goal you chose means something to you, or was just a whim. (Either outcome is fine; “wasting” two weeks only to find out you don’t want to run a marathon is better than spending the next 20 years feeling like a failure because you still think you want to… but haven’t.)
If you decide to keep going, the two weeks you put in will make it much more likely you’ll stay the course over the long term. Partly because of the improvement you’ve made — improving is always fun, and we all like to do things we’re good at — and because your emotions will start to work for you, not against you.
The pride you’ll feel in having stayed the course will help fuel future effort. The fulfillment you’ll gain from doing something most people can’t will do wonders for your confidence. The knowledge that you can achieve more than you ever dreamed possible will inspire you to reach even farther.
Pick one goal, and commit to two weeks. If you can’t do something for two weeks, the goal didn’t mean enough to you.
But if you can do it for two weeks, then the odds are good you can, with time and effort, achieve what you really want to achieve.
And you can decide what your next goal should be.
Taylor Swift on Happiness
Success in business — and in life — means different things to different people. “Success” should mean different things to different people. Whether or not you feel successful depends on how you define success, and on the tradeoffs you are willing to not just accept but embrace as you pursue your definition of success.
Even so, the best way to define success is to ask yourself a simple question: “How happy am I?” How successful you are — more importantly, how successful you feel — is largely based solely on the answer to that question.
As Swift says:
I have this really high priority on happiness, and finding something to be happy about.
My ultimate goal is to end up being happy, most of the time.
Sound impossible? Think about it this way. Compartmentalize all you want, but no single aspect of your life can truly be separated from the others. Business success, family and friends, personal pursuits — since each is a permanent part of the whole, putting more focus on one area automatically reduces the focus on another area.
Want to make more money? You can, but something else has to give. Want more time with family? Want to help others? Want to pursue a hobby? You can, but in each case, something else has to give.
What motivates you? What do you want to achieve for yourself and your family? What do you value most, spiritually, emotionally, and materially? That’s what will make you happy — and if you aren’t doing it, you won’t be happy.
Defining what “success” means to you is important, but taking a clear-eyed look at the impact of your definition matters even more. As in most things, your intention is important, but the results provide the real answer.
Ask yourself if you’re happy. If you are, you’re successful. The happier you are, the more successful you are.
And if you aren’t happy? It’s time to make some changes.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Tech leaders have consistently warned that AI is already as good as entry-level workers and that it could halve white-collar jobs by 2030. In fact, a “first-of-its-kind” Stanford University study has warned that the new technology is already having “significant and disproportionate impact” on Gen Z.
So it’s no wonder they’re eyeing up jobs in healthcare which offer low unemployment rates, the potential to earn over $200,000, and is unlikely to be replaced with robotic doctors and nurses anytime soon.
But there’s one thing they should know before filling out medical school applications: pursuing job security doesn’t necessarily guarantee job satisfaction.
That’s because recent research from shift work platform Deputy, which surveyed 1.28 million users, ranks doctors, paramedics, and even chiropractors as the unhappiest workers.
In fact, doctors’ offices and medical clinics recorded the highest levels of dissatisfaction, with nearly 38% of respondents saying they’re unhappy in their jobs. Chiropractors and staff in critical and emergency services weren’t far behind. And if you include animal health roles, 4 out of the 5 worst jobs for happiness in the UK right now are in healthcare.
Despite healthcare’s reputation for meaningful work, these roles are often more likely than most to leave workers burned out and ground down by long hours and high stakes.
“Staffing shortages, emotional strain, unpredictable rosters, and an ageing population are cited as key contributors to declining morale,” the report highlighted.
Top 10 unhappiest industry sectors, per the research
Doctors Office/Medical Clinic – 37.84%
Animal Health – 17.95%
Chiropractors – 12.93%
Critical & Emergency Services – 12.05%
Call Centres – 12.00%
Catering – 8.60%
Delivery and Postal Services – 6.97%
Care Facilities – 6.22%
Cleaning Services – 5.80%
Private Services (Chefs, Gardeners etc) – 5.62%
Gen Z may be happier in hospitality jobs
What’s perhaps most surprising is that jobs many recent grads might have once looked down on—like fast food or waitressing roles—are emerging as a safer bet for a more satisfying career.
Hospitality fared well in Deputy’s study, making up half of the 10 happiest job sectors, despite the sector’s reputation for high stress, unsociable hours, and low pay.
Hospitality jobs dominated the happiness rankings. Sit-down restaurant staff (89.7%), fast food and cashier restaurant workers (82.9%), food pop-up teams (82.5%), and café or coffee shop employees (82%) all reported some of the highest job satisfaction scores of any sector.
Florists, childcare workers and cleaners also reported notably high levels of job contentment.
What makes these roles so satisfying? The report suggests it’s less about pay or prestige, and more about the day-to-day experience: “These roles may benefit from clearer routines, manageable workloads, and stronger team camaraderie, highlighting the emotional value of operational structure and positive workplace culture.”
Although probably not at the top of most graduates’ dream career list, separate data also show that wage growth for bartenders and baristas is outpacing that of desk workers.
Top 10 happiest industry sectors, per the research
“If it bleeds, it leads”. This is a known and horrendous saying in the news media industry. The more horrible the news, the more likely we are to click on it. The more eyeballs they have on their articles (and ads), the more the money rolls in. And so they keep it coming. This shouldn’t be news to you, and I recognize this is also an unsettling way to start a conversation about rewiring the brain for happiness. But stay with me because this point is important.
Without active vigilance and awareness, our eyes, ears and nervous systems are bombarded with bad news, aggressive television, suspense, and drama. Since March 2020, that bombardment of stress and fear-inducing messaging has skyrocketed.
We have a nervous system igniter in the palm of our hand with smartphones available to give us our fear fix every minute of the day. The media we take in – the news clips, TV shows, books we read – are all part of it. You know what else is? The conversations we’re having with our friends, colleagues, and loved ones.
The human species is programmed to be on high alert for threats. That’s how our species has survived – by using our senses and impulses to save us from real-life threats. The intake of a signal, physical or mental, that the brain perceives as life-threatening shuts down our thinking (and our digestive processes, immune system, and other critical functions of the body to keep us healthy), and moves blood to the extremities so we can run. Basically, less critical functions are put aside so the life-saving ones can step up.
Now, however, it’s not the potential for a wild animal attack or an early frost that leaves us feeling like we’re fighting for survival. It’s every headline and ping of our phone or a billboard we walk by.
All of this contributes to how our brains get wired. As brain training lingo goes, what fires together wires together. Information we take in and think about, often in a repetitive nature, begins to hardwire in our brains. Because we naturally avoid anything that challenges the wiring in our brain, and instead the natural inclination is to continue cementing it in and seek out more of it. We are hardwiring our brains for negativity and fear, to function in a state of stress and reactivity.
It becomes cyclical. We get twitchy if we don’t get our dose. That feeling is addictive, and we seek out more and more of it to get our fix. What begins to happen is that even when we are in what should be a joyful state, or there is some good news, we bypass it all and let our brains take us to the bit that’s not right. We zero in on where and how we should be scared and worried. We have wired our brains to move to the doom and gloom.
This is why, now more than ever, taking active, intentional action to wire our brains for happiness is so critical. Rising above the chaos is in no way a simple or easy process. Your brain will create every excuse not to do it. You’ve hard wired a pattern that you are now trying to break and the resistance is strong.
Near the end of 2020, I hit my own breaking point. My brain felt absolutely fried. By what felt like divine intervention, I flipped open a book and landed on a page discussing neural retraining of the brain. I took a course and began to practice exercises that support the limbic system of my brain – the bits that deal with the stress response.
I began to actively rewire my brain for happiness. This has felt like a life changer, akin to the experience I had when I first began meditating back in 2006. It has invited me to seek out different information, consume different types of media, and create firm boundaries on who I will engage with and the topics I am willing to have conversations about. It has also changed what I share with my subscribers.
Why the excitement about this? Because this is a critical missing component for an optimal, healthy, and happy lifestyle. Our efforts are wasted if we’re deteriorating our health by allowing our nervous systems, limbic system, brain, heart, and body to be hijacked by bad news, violent media, aggressive music, and agitation-forming conversations and relationships.
The scary bit is that we don’t see and likely don’t feel this hardwiring as it’s happening. We simply don’t know about it. I didn’t know about it, at least. It’s not like falling off the wagon with other health goals, where there are usually physical signs that something’s not right. Hardwiring fear creeps up until you find yourself in a state of exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and general overwhelm. We know practicing loving-kindness, compassion, and gratitude are important, but we end up without the strength of mind to pull ourselves out of the fear cycle to see, accept and embrace all the goodness that surrounds us.
Let me tell you, there is a lot. There is so much goodness. So much connection. So much love and compassion and care; of course, you’d never know about it from the evening news. When we make these first steps to retrain the brain for happiness, slowly we can see the glimmer come back. We can come back to the joy inside and seek it out. We release the addiction we have to checking feeds, looking for the next thing to trigger us, and further hardwire the stress response in the brain. We begin to rewire the brain for happiness.
The goal is simple: look for the good. Retrain the brain to seek out the goodness, the generosity, love, and care. Focus on that. And slowly but surely, we can retrain the brain – and build up those synapses in the brain. Again, the thoughts we think matter. They build these connections in the brain. We need to fire new thoughts and ideas and build up new wiring. When we do that, the old patterns slowly break down and dismantle.
It’s time to rewire for happiness. The change is profound and life becomes a dramatically more kind, and beautiful one to be living. More so, even with all the realities of life, it becomes easier to live.
5 Ways To Start Rewiring Your Brain For Happiness
Mindful Of Your Media
Stop with the bad news. Seriously. Delete your news app, mute or unfollow the fear spreaders, or anyone who is in your network that triggers that feeling in the pit of your stomach. From now on, your evening entertainment is limited to nature shows, romantic comedies from the 90s, blooper reels, compilations of pets doing funny stuff, babies laughing, choreographed dancing flash mobs, or anything that is so lulling to your nervous system that basically makes it impossible for you to stay awake. Let that sympathetic nervous system rest and infuse your brain with joy.
Make That Gratitude Practice Real
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know #grateful this and #grateful that but you have to find a way to make it real and make it easy to be consistent with. The simplest is to grab any old notebook and leave it beside your bed. In the morning, write down three things you’re grateful for, and at the end of the day, write down 3 wonderful, heartwarming things that happened that day. You can be grateful for a hot shower, seeing your best friend, or your pinky finger. A heartwarming moment could be seeing a little boy holding his mom’s hand. Keep it simple. This is training your brain to pay attention to the goodness that is abundant all around us. The more we tune into it, and take a mental note in the day of the heartwarming moments, the more we will seek them out. We begin tuning our brains to a new frequency.
Add More Heart To Your Day
This is an easy one. I’ve been doing a training with the Heartmath Institute and they teach a technique that is really simple to take on and practice multiple times a day. Basically, all you do is take a few deep and slow breaths, imagining that breath coming in and out from your heart. At the same time, tune into heart-led emotions like care, compassion, love, or gratitude. Feel that emotion in your mind and in your body. Do this 3 to 4 times a day for a couple of minutes. You’ll start to notice that in times when you feel stressed or rushed, you will want to take a pause and take a couple of heart-based breaths. I created a free Heart Coherence Practice that you can join in right here if you’re feeling inspired.
Change The Topic
It is difficult not to fall into step talking about the worst world events broadcasted in the moment, but starting to pay attention to conversations as they head in that direction is a great first step. The reality is that most people don’t really even want to talk about it, but like most people, it is probably all they are seeing and reading about, and it’s something to share. I like to have a few other topics ready, so if a conversation turns, I will say, “How about we take this in another direction,” and then I’ll ask a question like, What are you reading right now? Have you discovered any new music lately? Have you picked up a new skill in the last few months? Can you imagine where humanity will be in 400 years at this current rate of consciousness elevation? (Okay, this last one is reserved for certain audiences only!)
Change The Company
Joking, but not joking. Recent events of life have highlighted what many of us want more of in our life, and what many of us want less of. I want fewer obligatory friendships. I want to surround myself with people who are striving to elevate themselves, to keep learning, keep thinking critically and who are also looking for the bright lights in the world. As I have said before, I can’t do my work and best serve in business or in my personal life when I am being dragged down. So when attempts to change conversations to more positive and productive topics fail repeatedly, and that leaves not much else, it may be time to move on and focus time on those who are operating on the same level as you.
It starts with Awareness
Rewiring the brain for happiness is a process. It requires vigilance, and you’ll experience this as you begin to practice. When we’re tired or feeling stressed, it becomes much more difficult to work against the tide of fear. I mean, the human mind and our natural way of seeking out the dangers in our world are how we have survived for this long.
However, there may come a point when we’re programming our brain to believe we’re in a constant state of life or death when it’s just not true. As my friend Veronica Ciandre once said, “We are only one thought away from who we truly are.”
We get to choose that thought. We get to choose who we are. We also get to choose whether we want that glass to remain half empty or on the verge of empty, or half full and only getting fuller and fuller with love, care, compassion, kindness, joy, and happiness.
On My Mind Episode 10: How to Retrain the Brain for Happiness
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If you use social media, you know about the loved and loathed “algorithm.”
As small business owners, we are constantly trying to figure out how to beat it, and then, of course, it changes.
As consumers of content, we know that more of the same—plus more of the same—will keep delivering us more of the same, landing us in an echo chamber. We become less able to see or hear what we’re not regularly seeing or hearing, allowing us to ignore anything that falls out of sync with our belief set. It’s a beautiful way to entrap yourself (and mostly your ego) in your own confirmation bias. Why be uncomfortable, challenged to learn or have empathy for another’s perspective when you can always just feel right?
Enjoy on the go with an audio recording of the post in its entirety. Full written post below.
Let’s get technical for a moment: An algorithm is a step-by-step set of instructions or rules designed to perform a specific task or solve a problem.
When it comes to social media—and also our life—we get to choose the energy of our own algorithm. We have the capacity to influence it, guiding how we meander through our day and navigate life’s little and big challenges.
It can be easy to fall into the doom and gloom of what surrounds us, chasing the ongoing dopamine fix or adrenaline surge. If you’re not mindful about this, you may find yourself feeding a low-vibrational algorithm for your life. As humans, we are wired to spiral down. We are conditioned to keep our eyes peeled for threats. That survival instinct is why we still exist.
How Do We Break Free from a Living Doom Scroll?
How do we free ourselves from a low-energy life algorithm?
Recently, I was home alone for a whole week. Just me. This wasn’t in the plans, but it’s how it evolved. Suddenly, for the first time in as long as I could remember, I had no plans and no schedule. I became finely attuned to how my time was being spent. And without anyone else’s energy to bounce mine off of, I also became acutely aware of how I was feeling.
In short, I began to mindfully curate my life frequency—the personal algorithm of what I was willing to be served.
Is this easy to do?
No. Especially when you have a job, a partner, a pet, a kid (or three)—in other words, commitments, obligations, and responsibilities beyond yourself and your own basic needs.
You could also argue that when you have all of those things—people, pets, and life to take care of—you must be even more mindful of what you can control so you can capitalize on the opportunity to live at the highest vibration of life.
Is this making sense to you?
How Do You Shift This?
Start paying attention.
Reading a novel that stirs up anxiety and makes it hard to fall asleep? Read something else.
Using social media in a way that fuels isolation, wasteful wants, or less-than self-talk? Change who you follow or opt-out altogether.
Working too much to avoid addressing what needs to be addressed in your life? Cushion your resilience so you can face it head-on.
This isn’t woo-woo—it’s the science of energy and the quantum field.
Just as we can choose the tone of voice we use to respond to someone, we also choose the energy we bring to our life.
When it feels like, time and time again, you’re being thrown off course—before blaming others or circumstances outside your control—first, ask yourself:
What is within my control that I can shift?
The answer will always be: Your own energy. Your own perspective.Your own response in any given situation.
Ultimately, the algorithm you are curating for your life.
A Small But Impactful Courageous Pivot
An easy shift of your life algorithm? Short of throwing your phone under the bus, start curating a highlight reel of your own life. Rather than mindlessly scrolling through others, take some time and scroll through your own camera reel. Remember the moments you have forgotten, seek out the joy and start noticing the highlights in your present day. Where our attention goes, our energy flows. Curate that algorithm mindfully, for as I said at the beginning, more of the same will deliver more of the same. Choose mindfully what you are calling in more of.
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Celebrate 15 years at The Emotion Machine with our ‘Best of 2024’ roundup, featuring top articles and worksheets on psychology, personal growth, relationships, and philosophy — then get excited for another year of self-improvement!
2024 marks the fifteenth year of self-improvement at The Emotion Machine, making it one of the oldest and largest independent psychology websites on the internet – with zero plans to stop or slow down anytime soon.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that no matter the ups and downs we face over the year, a steady commitment to growth always pays off on a long enough timeline. Over the past 15 years, I’ve had many rewarding highs and devastating lows, but at the end of the day, I’m better off today than I was before — and that’s the truest measure of growth. It’s the benchmark I’ll continue to use as I move forward in life.
This year, as always, we’ve explored a huge range of topics related to psychology and self-improvement: from practical tips for emotional regulation to in-depth movie reviews to social analyses about the current state of the world. A quick look at the list below shows that The Emotion Machine is far more than just your everyday self-help blog, it’s a vast resource dedicated to education and knowledge in all its forms.
Without further ado, here are our best articles and worksheets of 2024!
Articles
Our best articles of the year, broken down by category.
Why the belief that “emotions are weakness” leads to suppression and dysfunction — and why accepting and embracing emotions plays an important role in happiness, health, and well-being.
The same brain regions handle both rumination (negative replay) and savoring (positive replay) — here’s how to use this part of your brain in a new and healthier way.
How the overload of misinformation on the internet is eroding trust, intelligence, and sanity.
Worksheets
At the start of 2024, I pledged to create at least one new worksheet every month. By year’s end, I exceeded that goal, creating a total of 16 new worksheets, including:
Focus: These worksheets help users structure their daily lives, track progress, and maintain a focus on long-term goals and habits.
An Evergrowing Resource for Self-Improvement
We now offer a total of 29 self-improvement worksheets, cementing our long-term commitment to providing practical, actionable advice. These worksheets are exclusively available to members — join today to gain full access to these transformative tools.
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Do you have trouble transforming talk → action? Learn about Personal Growth Initiative (PGI) and the essential components behind a lifelong mindset of self-improvement.
Personal growth doesn’t just happen — it requires intention, planning, and action. While many of us may talk a lot about the things we want to change in our lives, transforming that talk into action can be a real challenge.
Psychologists have identified Personal Growth Initiative as a mindset that bridges this all-too-common gap between “talk” and “action,” helping individuals actively and consciously pursue their development in a clear and deliberate way.
As a reader of this article, you likely already check off some boxes for Personal Growth Initiative. The average person doesn’t consciously seek out knowledge about psychology and self-improvement, so you’re in a unique and special group of people. By virtue of being here right now, you are demonstrating a rare initiative.
Now let’s dive more into what PGI is all about.
Personal Growth Initiative: The 4 Core Components
Personal Growth Initiative (PGI) is a set of beliefs and attitudes that help individuals intentionally engage in their own growth process. It consists of four main components.
Readiness for Change
The first step is to be ready to make a change. A person can have all the help, guidance, and resources in the world at their disposal, but it all amounts to nothing if they aren’t ready to make that final leap. The basic truth is we often need that proverbial “fire under our butts” before we take conscious action. Once you’re ready, the next step is to translate that readiness into a clear plan of action.
Thought Patterns:
“I am aware of when I need to make a change.”
“I take every opportunity to grow as it comes up.”
“I am willing to step out of my comfort zone to achieve growth.”
“I take an active role in my self-improvement.”
“I don’t sit and wait for change to happen.”
Example: Imagine facing burnout at work. Instead of feeling trapped, a person with a high readiness for change may recognize this as a signal to re-evaluate their work habits or career path, making room for new habits and healthier routines (such as sleep, diet, exercise, or leisure time).
The second step is to create realistic plans for your growth. An idea remains just that until you put it on paper and hold yourself accountable. Having a clear vision of your future and where you want to go, then setting small and realistic goals that are within your reach, can help propel you forward in a natural and sustainable way.
Thought Patterns:
“I set realistic goals for what I want to change about myself.”
“I have a specific action plan to help me reach my goals.”
“I break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks.”
“I regularly review my progress and adjust my plan accordingly.”
“I stay committed to my plan even when faced with setbacks.”
Example: Let’s say you want to improve your physical health or lose weight. Instead of jumping into an unsustainable workout routine, a planful person might research the best exercise programs, consult with a trainer, and create a structured plan that best fits their lifestyle, personality, and fitness goals.
Another essential feature of the Personal Growth Initiative is actively seeking help and guidance from outside resources, including learning materials like articles and books, as well as reaching out to friends, mentors, or counselors. This is one of the most common ways people handicap themselves because they wrongly believe “I have to do everything on my own,” when the truth is there are plenty of resources available to take advantage of (including this website).
Thought Patterns:
“I ask for help from others when I need it.”
“I do my own research to learn more about new topics.”
“I like reading articles and books to learn new things.”
“I’m not afraid to reach out to a therapist or coach if I really need one.”
“I connect with communities or groups that align with my values and goals.”
Example: During a stressful life transition, like a divorce or job loss, someone with strong PGI would actively seek out the right books and resources, such as counseling or career coaching, to navigate the situation more smoothly and effectively.
Intentional Behavior refers to the daily or weekly actions you take that are purposefully directed toward achieving your goals. Unlike Readiness for Change, which is about being mentally prepared and open to growth, Intentional Behavior is about translating that readiness into consistent, goal-directed actions. It’s the final step between “talk” and “action.” For example, Readiness for Change might mean deciding that improving your health is necessary, while Intentional Behavior is actually getting up every morning to go for a jog or preparing a healthy meal.
Thought Patterns:
“I turn my intentions into actions.”
“I take small steps forward every day.”
“I build new habits into my daily routine that bring me closer to my goals.”
“I know what steps I can take to make intentional changes in myself.”
Example: After recognizing the need for change and making a plan, intentional behavior would involve committing to daily or weekly actions—whether it’s setting aside time for self-care or networking to explore new career opportunities. Each small step compounds over time, leading to greater progress and resilience.
Each of these components supports and strengthens the next, creating a clear pathway from “ideas” to “actions.”
“Readiness for Change” sets the foundation by keeping you open to new paths and patterns in life, ensuring that you are mentally prepared for growth and change when needed. From there, “Making a Plan” gives direction and a direct course for action, “Using Resources” provides support, knowledge, and inspirational boosts, and “Intentional Behavior” turns plans into consistent daily and weekly action. Together, they create a feedback loop that encourages continuous growth and resilience.
For example, someone with high Readiness for Change will see a major setback, like losing a job, as an opportunity to learn new skills or change their career path. They use Planfulness to plot a course of action they can follow, like going back to school or learning a new trade, seek new resources like career counseling, job fairs, or apprenticeships, and take consistent daily action, such as taking classes, practicing new skills, or sending out resumes – all of which help them not only cope with this major life change, but also thrive and ultimately find a better path forward in the long run.
One study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that PGI is positively related to adaptive coping styles and self-efficacy, suggesting that those who actively engage in personal growth are better equipped to handle negative and stressful events more effectively, because they approach life’s obstacles with the mindset of growth and learning rather than resignation and defeat.
If you aren’t ready to make a change – or you are completely resistant to change – it’s unlikely to happen. This includes therapy and coaching, where studies show that “motivational readiness” can be a contributing factor to how effective a therapeutic intervention is. This aligns with common factors theory, where one of the most important features of successful therapy and counseling is “shared goals” among therapist and client – you have to be on the same page about where you are and where you want to go.
Overall, PGI fosters a mindset that not only supports mental health and well-being but also builds long-term grit and resilience. By approaching challenges with intentional growth, individuals are more prepared to navigate life’s obstacles, setbacks, and inevitable ups and downs.
Embrace the Will to Improve
The best way to prove your commitment to something is through your actions.
Ask yourself, “What is the smallest step I can take today to start moving in the right direction?” Maybe it’s joining a gym, starting a new hobby, setting a 10-minute daily reading habit, or subscribing to our newsletter for more actionable tips and advice on self-improvement.
Personal Growth Initiative is about more than just wanting to improve — it’s about intentionally working toward becoming a better version of yourself. Start today by taking one small step, however small it may be.
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My son, now four years old, loves drawing people with really long necks, long oval eyes, a dot for a nose, a jagged line for a mouth and sometimes there’s a torso, sometimes the arms and legs come straight from the neck. He puts marker to paper, or chalk to sidewalk and just goes for it. There’s no pause. No doubt. No I’m worried this won’t turn out like I imagine or what if no one likes this?
I can remember a defining moment for me. As a kid, from around the age of seven or eight, I sewed my own clothes. I loved it. They were awful and crooked and usually fell apart by the end of the day. The next day, I’d sew something new. I did get better over time, and was the student designer in my high school fashion shows and loved nothing more than spending hours creating in my basement sewing room.
Then I spent four years in fashion school and never sewed again. The joy of creation was taken out of the creative process.
That, I believe, is what plants the first seed of hesitation for our creations. We become too attached to the outcome, the critics, the judgements, the grand finale result, and the resistance becomes so strong that we don’t even start the creative process.
It applies to our work, too, you know. We have ideas – ideas for the company we work for, ideas for our own business or an idea of a new business, hobby, or initiative we want to do. We’re sparked, we’re excited and then do nothing. We don’t ever take the first step. We’re afraid it’s silly, or will be a lot of work, or won’t succeed and so… nothing.
taking the leap to create
One of my most favourite moments in the work that I do is during the first week of the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program when our newest students introduce themselves and share a bit of their personal story and inspiration for joining. There is always a huge majority of students who will include something along the lines of:
I’ve been looking at this program for years and finally took the leap.
I am so excited to finally be pursuing a dream of mine.
I’m retired/my kids are all gone / I quit my job… and I am finally doing something for me.
There is an energy that comes from finally taking that leap to create. The creative process itself is healing, grounding and resonates in profound ways, and yet, we allow our fear to stop us before we start.
how can we start the creative process?
What if creation could be part of our everyday lives? What if every single day we set the goal to do one thing that tapped into that inner creative force we all have to create something? Can you think of what your thing would be?
Maybe it’s as straightforward as trying a new recipe and making something new for dinner. Maybe it’s writing the first page of a book you want to write. Perhaps it’s putting paintbrush to canvas, or fingers to piano keys or guitar strings. Maybe it involves knitting needles, tap shoes, a garden hoe, or a roll of wallpaper.
Creation comes in all forms and bringing something new into the world that never existed is a powerful part of the experience of being human. Creativity is built into our make-up – every single one of us. It has nothing to do with left brain or right brain. Creativity is simply how our brains work, and what’s really incredible is like any wiring of the brain – the more you tune into the creative aspects of yourself, the stronger they become. Creative thinking, creative production, creative creating can be strengthened through practice.
how am i tapping into my creativity these days?
As you may be aware, I’ve been working on two things primarily these days. The first is running the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program (it’s the tenth run!) and connecting with my students and answering their questions (and digging in to find those answers) is one form of the creative work I am doing.
The other has been digging in deep, in myself and in research to create my new program. What’s been really incredible to experience is that as I do more and more work getting into coherence, calming the mind, nurturing the space in between and learning about the mind, brain, body and our capacity to create, my creative drive is exploding.
I am back to sewing clothes at long last, doing cross-stitch, getting thrifty and creative in decorating my new house, and pouring my creative energy into this new program. The program isn’t about creativity or the creative process, but as I’m working on it, I realize that one of the ways it will serve those who join is that by doing the work we’re going to do together, creativity is going to blossom.
I have long since come to trust that whatever experience I have in creating something is the experience others will have as they participate in it. I do believe that one of the greatest gifts for our wellbeing, our development and fulfillment and evolution as humans is taking the leap and creating without fear. And that creative energy, all of us thinking and being in the zone of creation, well that is needed right now more than ever. Go for it. Take it on. Make it happen. Send me a photo!
Photo Credit: Nikki McKean
On My Mind Episode 29: Why Are We Afraid to Create?
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Gen Z are increasingly ditching corporate careers to take up traditional trades like welding, plumbing, and carpentry. But despite the appeal of working far from a desk, they should be warned that it might not actually make them happier than a 9-to-5 office job.
That’s because the recruitment firm Bubblegum Search has analyzed over 2,000 Reddit comments, as well as wages and working hours, to rank the happiest (and unhappiest) workers in the U.K.—and topping the list for being the least happy are electricians.
According to the study, the physically demanding nature of the job and 40+ hour workweeks didn’t make up for the “decent” £25,000 to £40,000 salary.
Construction workers, warehouse managers and construction project managers also made the list of unhappiest jobs for having “unpredictable hours,” topped with being stressful and taxing.
Perhaps surprisingly, not a single trade job made the list of happiest jobs.
Gen Z could be in for a rude awakening
The survey results could be a big wake-up call for Gen Z, who are increasingly shunning the corporate rat race and picking up the tools instead.
The same data shows a 23% surge in students studying construction trades in 2023 compared to the year before, and a 7% increase in HVAC and vehicle maintenance and repair programs.
What’s more, according to the LinkedIn’s analysis of millions of member profiles and job postings, utilities, oil, gas and mining, and construction are all among the top five fastest-growing industries right now for graduates.
Why the shift? A handful of Gen Zers told Fortune they went down the traditional trades route because it’s a path to solid earnings, the freedom of being your own boss, and the ability to work remotely (or at least, not chained to a desk.)
However, as Bubblegum Search research highlights, those freedoms come at a cost: Long hours and as you’d assume, tiresome manual work.
The top 10 unhappiest jobs, as per the study
1. Electrician 2. Psychiatric aide 3. Social worker 4. Construction worker 5. Warehouse manager 6. Night cleaner 7. Video game quality tester 8. Hospital security 9. Surgical coordinator 10. Construction project manager
The top 10 happiest jobs
1. Car designer 2. Animator 3. Game developer 4. IT support specialist 5. Cybersecurity specialist 6. Dog photographer 7. Developmental biologist 8. Occupational therapist 9. UX designer 10. System administrator
Trade workers: Fortune wants to hear from you. What does Gen Z need to know about the realities of the job? Email orianna.royle@fortune.com
In the Preschool years, educationalists and parents adopt the ‘Play and Learn’ approach. Why does this way of learning fade away in the later school years? Balanced learning is the way to go. Kids can excel in their studies and at the same time be happy doing it. Seems contradictory? Not at all if you read these tips. ~ Ed.
We all want our kids to excel at school, but who says success has to come at the expense of their happiness? Let’s face it: A+ grades and smiling faces are not mutually exclusive. There is a way to encourage your little ones to ace that math test without turning them into mini robots who sleep next to their textbooks (although, how cute would that be?).
Turn Learning Into a Game (Because Life Is a Game, Right?)
If your idea of helping your child excel at school involves quizzing them with flashcards until they beg for mercy, we need to talk. Kids love games, so why not turn learning into one? It could be as simple as turning math problems into a “who can answer first” competition or using spelling apps that feel like arcade games. There’s no reason school work has to feel like work when you can disguise it as fun. Besides, when you gamify learning, you sneak in that essential “practice makes perfect” time without the groans and eye rolls.
Prioritize Pre-K Sight Words Early On (Without Driving Everyone Nuts)
Alright, let’s talk about those prek sight words that keep popping up on every preschool agenda. Yes, they’re important for setting a strong reading foundation, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours drilling them like you’re preparing for the preschool Olympics. Instead, casually incorporate sight words into everyday life. You can spot them on cereal boxes, road signs, or even in bedtime stories. And once your kid nails the word “the” for the hundredth time, give them a high five and move on to more exciting things. Trust me, they’ll be happier for it—and you will too.
Encourage Questions (Even the Weird Ones)
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it’s the fuel that drives academic success. If your child’s constantly asking why the sky is blue or how planes stay in the air, don’t shoo them away with an “I don’t know.” Instead, dive in! You don’t need to be a walking encyclopedia (that’s what Google’s for), but fostering their curiosity will teach them to love learning. And who knows, maybe their weird questions will lead to fascinating conversations that could end up inspiring a new favorite subject.
Create a Cozy Homework Space (AKA The “Productivity Zone”)
No one wants to sit in a dull, sterile environment to do their homework. You wouldn’t, so why should your kids? Set up a dedicated study space that’s comfy, well-lit, and stocked with all their favorite supplies. Throw in a funky lamp, a cushy chair, and a few colorful pens, and you’ve got yourself a homework haven that feels more “cool kid corner” and less “snooze fest.” Bonus points if you sneak in a snack drawer!
Celebrate the Little Wins (Because Acing a Spelling Test Deserves a Party)
It’s easy to get caught up in pushing your kids to do better, but let’s not forget to celebrate the victories along the way—no matter how small they seem. Whether it’s nailing a math problem they’ve been struggling with or moving up a reading level, those moments deserve a shout-out. Get creative with your celebrations—make it silly! Maybe they get to pick the dinner menu for the night or choose a fun family activity. These celebrations will remind your kids that effort and progress are just as important as perfection.
Break It Down into Bite-Sized Chunks (Because Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day)
If your kiddo is freaking out over a mountain of homework, take a deep breath and break it down. No one expects them to tackle all 20 math problems in one sitting (except maybe their teacher). Encourage them to work in small, manageable bursts with plenty of breaks. The Pomodoro Technique is a good example: 25 minutes of work followed by a short break can make even the most overwhelming task seem doable. Plus, regular breaks can help prevent burnout and keep those stress levels low.
Encourage Movement Breaks (Kids Are Not Statues)
Kids aren’t designed to sit still for hours. Heck, adults aren’t either! When schoolwork has your little one glued to their seat, give them permission to move around. Let them stretch, jump, or run in place for a few minutes. Incorporating movement not only helps release pent-up energy, but it also boosts focus and productivity when they return to their studies. Remember, sitting still is not a sign of success—movement is just as important!
Let Them Fail (Yep, You Heard That Right)
Failure gets a bad rap, but it’s actually one of the best teachers. Instead of swooping in to rescue your child from every mistake, let them experience the consequences of their decisions (within reason, of course). Whether it’s not studying for a quiz or forgetting to turn in an assignment, these little failures teach responsibility and resilience. Plus, once they realize they can recover from a less-than-stellar grade, they’ll be more motivated to put in the effort next time. And honestly, learning to bounce back is a life skill they’ll need far beyond the classroom.
Take Their Hobbies Seriously (Yes, Even Minecraft)
Is your kid obsessed with Minecraft, Fortnite, or some other game you barely understand? Well, news flash: these hobbies might actually help them excel in school. Gaming can improve problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and even teamwork (if they’re playing with friends). Instead of dismissing their hobbies as distractions, try finding the educational benefits in them. If you can strike a balance between screen time and study time, their hobby might even make them a better student.
Make Sleep Non-Negotiable (Trust Me, They’ll Thank You)
You know how cranky you get when you don’t get enough sleep? Kids are the same—times ten. Sleep is crucial for cognitive function, memory retention, and overall happiness. So, if you want your kids to excel at school, make sure they’re getting those precious Zzzs. Set a bedtime routine and stick to it, even if they beg for “just five more minutes.” They might grumble now, but their well-rested brains will thank you in the morning when they ace that spelling test.
Involve Them in Setting Goals (Because Ownership is Everything)
Instead of setting all the academic goals for your kids, why not involve them in the process? Let them have a say in what they want to achieve, whether it’s reading a certain number of books a month or improving their math skills. When they feel like they have ownership over their goals, they’ll be more motivated to work towards them. Plus, it teaches them the valuable skill of setting and pursuing goals, which will come in handy long after their school days are over.
Wrapping It Up
At the end of the day, it’s all about balance. Yes, we want our kids to excel academically, but their happiness and mental well-being are just as important—if not more so. By creating a supportive, fun, and encouraging environment, you’re setting them up for success in and out of the classroom. Just remember: they’re kids, not mini adults. A little play, a little laughter, and a lot of love go a long way.
Over to You
How do you strike the balance between encouraging your child’s academic success and keeping them happy? Do you have any tips or tricks for making learning more fun at home? We’d love to hear your ideas! Let us know in the comments below.
Do you ever feel kind of tight and contracted, like the littlest thing can cause you to spring up (or lash out) for no real reason at all? Or that you are overreacting to things that should be no big deal, and even as you’re reacting, you know you’re being dramatic about it?
Why am I even asking?
We’ve all done it before. It may happen again. Rarely, however, do we spend a moment considering whatever it was that just went down and whether there could have been a better way to handle it. All we can ever do when we’ve behaved or reacted in ways that leave us in a state of regret, shame, or needing to apologize to everyone in our vicinity is to try and do better next time.
Stepping back, taking a pause, and acknowledging this is hard, can be laced with shame and embarrassment, and is also vital to helping us continue raising our set point to become more compassionate, empathetic, emotionally available, and evolved humans.
We can meditate our hearts out, do yoga under a full moon by the ocean, and drink all the green smoothies in the world, but it’s only when we get pressed, tightened, and wound up that we can truly test whether we are taking those calm-making practices out into the world.
Our goal should be to be more spring-like – a slinky spring, a loosey-goosey one that can move and shake and wiggle, adapt, and bend as needed. Most of us, however, end up winding ourselves up even more in times of stress. If we don’t find a way to unwind, exercise those muscles, and use the tools we have, we instead wind tighter and tighter until we spring forth in a reactive mode.
When I see this happening to people (because it’s so much easier to see in others, right?) all I can think is how uncomfortable they must be feeling. Springing out like a Jack-In-The-Box never makes anyone feel good.
Learning to have kind and productive responses to stressful situations and triggers is hard. One essential key to limiting those stressful responses is by regularly finding ways to unwind. That way, when you start bringing attention to the tightening, you can catch it, undo it, and unwind it before you bust out in anger or overwhelm.
Best Strategies To help you Unwind
1. Move Your Body
When the body grooves, the brain moves. Not like inside your head, but it can help interrupt a pattern of stressful reactive thinking and move you into a more helpful state of mind and way of thinking. Get up from your desk, your chair, your bed, wherever you may be, turn on your favourite song of the moment, and just bust it out! Dance, dance, dance for a whole three, four, or five minutes. No? Then at least take a walk around the block. Breathe and calm. You’ll change up the blood flow in your body, you’ll get your lungs pumping a little and, most importantly, you can be a little bit silly. Silly goes a long, long way to unwinding.
2. Breathe
When we sit with our shoulders slouched forward, as most of us do when working on a computer or driving, we are limited to only being able to take quick, shallow breaths. When we do this, we switch our nervous system into fight or flight mode, making us feel more fatigued, stressed, and ready to fly off the handle. Make a point to frequently stand up, or at least sit straight, and take a deep, deep, deep inhale filling your chest and your belly. As you exhale, drop those shoulders down and back, keeping your chest open. This will feel so good that you might just want to do it again and again and again.
A slumped posture drains our energy and has been associated with increased feelings of depression and anxiety. Remember – stand, and sit tall, and breathe deep!
3. Get In Coherence
What’s this coherence I speak of? Well, it has to do with your breathing and your heart rate. The heart and brain maintain a continuous two-way dialogue, each influencing the other’s functioning. The signals the heart sends to the brain can influence perception, emotional processing, and higher cognitive functions. Heart rate variability is the measure of the naturally occurring beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. When we feel stressed or anxious, this beat-to-beat measure is more erratic and we experience cognitive impairment. When we have a steady beat-to-beat ratio, different from an irregular heartbeat, it is called being in coherence. We are better able to problem solve, feel joy and love, and think clearly and calmly in that state.
We describe positive emotions such as love or appreciation as coherent states because they generate coherence in the heart-rhythm pattern. Negative feelings such as anger, anxiety, or frustration are examples of emotions that lead to incoherent states and reflect incoherence in the heart’s rhythmic patterns. By taking anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes or more every day to focus on inhaling and exhaling calmly and steadily, you can move into a coherent state. This can have lasting effects throughout your day and positively impact sleep patterns as well.
4. Make A Date To Have The Time Of Your Life
Doing the laundry, washing dishes, commuting to work – these are typically not the time-of-your-life-moments that you will look back on fondly one day. But time-of-your-life-moments can actually happen every day if you decide to make it so. And when we are having the time of our lives, we are also allowing ourselves to unwind from stress and refuel our vibrancy. Try to make a date every day to do something, read something, watch something, be with someone, hug a tree, jump on your bed, blast some music… Something that invites you to have micro-moments that make you feel blessed, cherished, and most awesome.
And those dishes and laundry I mentioned (by the way, I love doing laundry – folding underwear pockets is my meditation of choice!), shift your mindset from the “I need to”, “I have to”, or “I should” to “I get to”, “I want to”, and “I can”. Acknowledge the blessings in the little things. It rewires your brain over time and this is one of the most little and subtle life-changers I know.
These intentional moments will unwind you, while simultaneously fueling you up and changing how your brain is wired.
5. Eat To Support Emotional Wellbeing
When we’re stressed, we are more inclined to indulge in contractive foods like salty snacks, alcohol, sugar, and other junk foods that contribute to our winding up. Try and bring a little awareness to this habit and instead choose warming, grounding, nourishing foods that are home-cooked, slow-cooked, made from scratch with loads of nervous system-supportive fats that will give you the reserves you need to truly feel the unwinding happen.
6. Focus on Quality Sleep
People of all ages feel cranky and tightly wound when they haven’t slept, or when sleep has been fitful or spotty. In the short term, sleep deprivation can negatively impact our mood, increase anxiety and make us impatient and quick to anger. In the long term, lack of sleep can impact our immune system and leave us susceptible to chronic inflammation.
A good night’s sleep has long been a struggle of mine – and I now have a solid system in place to facilitate sleep. You can read more about that here.
Life is undoubtedly stressful. We all feel the shift in seasons, the quickening pace of busy schedules and new routines. The best thing you can do to manage the Jack-In-The-Box syndrome of the wind-up is to catch it before you hit your breaking point, to pay attention today. Taking on these little habits every day will rock your soul and help your happiness flourish.
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There’s a saying that self confidence is a super power. Once you start to believe in yourself, magic starts happening. Definitely, confidence means feeling sure of yourself and your abilities. But how does one go about radiating confidence. Here are some self-care practices that can help you transform into a confident person. ~ Ed.
Self-care is not just some hipster term du jour, it is key for boosting self-esteem and self-improvement. Practicing self-care helps you heal yourself not just on a physical level, but also in aspects of your mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health.
Such an approach toward self-care ultimately gives you the courage to stand tall despite this reality and let your inner strength express itself as a pure light that exudes confidence— which others seemingly cannot escape.
12 Transformative Self-Care Practices
This article will examine some life-changing self-care practices that will help you shine confidence from your core.
Practice Mindfulness to Promote Mental Health
However, one of the most effective self-care practices out there is mindfulness. This means fully living in the moment, not judging yourself for what you are thinking and feeling or perceiving. This will help reduce stress and increase attention and mindfulness in your emotions.
Clarity of mind gives you the mental strength to take on challenges and live with a composed tranquil mind. Gradually, this mental control would be an excellent way to build your self-confidence as you can manage your life turbulence easily.
Practice Positive Self-Talk
Confidence is the language you use with yourself. Many people fall into negative self-talk which leads to lower levels of self-esteem and ultimately limits their success. The only way to feed confidence is to shut the door on negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations.
Every day remind yourself of your strengths, successes, and all that you can accomplish. This way, you can better stave off any naysaying thoughts and conquer challenges with more confidence as a byproduct. Confidence comes from inside out and it begins with self-talk.
Fill Your Body with the Good Stuff
One of the primary self-care tips is to make yourself physically well by eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, and getting regular exercise. The right diet and exercise will give you energy and keep you in a good mood, all of which improve your confidence.
Exercise can also release endorphins, which are natural lifters of our mood. Both your physical body health and emotional health will be enhanced through movement whether that is a morning yoga routine or walking with the dog in nature.
Establish Regular Sleeping Patterns
Sleep can do wonders in terms of transforming you confidence-wise. Good, proper sleep is the key to a clear thinking process. Try to regulate your emotions and stay healthy. Rested means you are present, aware, and capable of navigating a curve ball easily. Create a calming pre-bedtime ritual — whether it is reading, meditating, or practicing gratitude that allows you to relax and get ready for a good night’s sleep. Also, this keeps you in a good mood, and productive and enhances your confidence as well.
Personal style as Self-Expression
Your style is also a reflection of your confidence. This is all to say if you wear something that reflects who and how you are when no one is looking, it will always make a good day better. Whether or not you are into fashion trends, and you would feel 100 percent as comfortable in this tank if it were made two weeks ago or ten years ago, wearing clothes that give you a natural “superwoman” or “superman” feeling can seriously help your self-esteem.
One of the examples is certainly hair – trying out new hairstyles, like baby bangs or micro bangs, can be fun and you’ll feel better in your skin (just make sure you know what the difference between baby bangs and micro bangs is).
Establish Boundaries to Guard Your Energy
Boundary setting is integral to self-care, particularly with your time and energy. This is an excellent step towards securing your mental health and a better deed for your self-esteem as well. Picking the right person, place and thing gives you the energy to focus on what matters.
Often it is the word “no” that gives you the power to put yourself first and live a life that works for you emotionally. This over time builds self-esteem by your confidence in controlling your life to maintain pieces.
Boosting Your Confidence with Skill Building
This may require you to learn new competencies or increase proficiency in existing ones. Something I have learned is doing something new boosts your self-esteem and makes you feel good about yourself.
Be it a follow through on a distant whim of wanting to take up some course learning that language you always wanted to or getting good at your hobbies — the act of growing can in itself change your perspective. You become more competent when you focus on becoming better at what you do through self-improvement in education and skill-building which in turn, increases your confidence.
Foster Healthy Relationships
Your support system massively contributes to your self-esteem and overall happiness. Good, positive relationships help give us energy and feed our ego while toxic/poisonous relationships diminish us. Look at your relationships as a part of self-care, and judge if any are serving you well.
Spend more time nurturing relationships with those who uplift you and encourage your growth and less time around those who can only bring negativity. This makes you feel stronger and be able to live a more beloved life.
Practice Gratitude Daily
One of the easiest habits that can have the most dramatic impact on your way of thinking and sense of self is gratitude. Spending a little time daily to think about what you are thankful for can shift your awareness from a scarcity mindset, the things that are missing in your life, to an abundance mindset or all things positive.
This changed perspective also unleashes negativity and the birth of a happier, more holy life that no longer consists of dwells on negative circumstances. Give thanks for what you have, not focusing on what you wish were different, and confidence will come naturally.
Prioritize Self-Reflection
Such an honest self-reflection is fundamental to growth. Reflecting on the lessons you learned, how far you have come, and your emotional growth provides perspective on these patterns.
This reflection is essential in identifying things you can do better and celebrating victories, big or small. You could do things like journaling, meditating, or just introspect a bit more regularly. The more you know about yourself, the easier your decisions will be.
Create a Self-Care Ritual
Self-care becomes a ritual of receptiveness. Then it can be a day at the spa once a week, to spend some time outdoors in nature every day, or your joyful hobby that you do every single day; they all give a sense of grounding and peace.
These rituals give you the intensity to replenish and reconnect with your being. With regular practice of these habits, they become gentle reminders to yourself about the value you bring and how important it is for you to trust in them.
Be Compassionate to Yourself
Finally, one of the most powerful forms of self-care that you can cultivate is to simply be nice to yourself. When things don´t go as expected it is very easy to put ourselves down but practicing self-compassion helps you realize that we all make mistakes and it´s ok… this is being human.
Give yourself as much grace as you give others, and accept that it is through setbacks and mistakes that we grow. Confidence is not perfection, confidence is believing that you can face a challenge and keep pushing forward.
Over to You
What is your plan for daily self-care to help you expand your sphere of confidence? Take a moment to reflect on which of these habits resonates most for you and how you might integrate them into your day bit by bit. It starts with that very first step onto the path of being your most confident and empowered self. What will yours be?
In conclusion, incorporate these life-changing self-care habits into your daily routine and before you know it, you will become both a more confident person and one that is truly happy and healthy. Reminder: Self-care is not self-indulgent; it is essential for growth and mental health. The more you practice, the higher your vibrations of confidence expand to every corner of your life.
Disclaimer: Though the views expressed are of the author’s own, this article has been checked for its authenticity of information and resource links provided for a better and deeper understanding of the subject matter. However, you’re suggested to make your diligent research and consult subject experts to decide what is best for you. If you spot any factual errors, spelling, or grammatical mistakes in the article, please report at [email protected]. Thanks.
“Inside Out 2” introduces new emotions like Anxiety and Envy as Riley navigates the challenges of growing up and forming her sense of self. This heartfelt sequel naturally builds on the inner world of its predecessor, teaching important lessons in mental health for both children and adults.
The original “Inside Out” (2015) was a monumental Pixar film that humorously depicted the chaotic inner world of emotions that we all have to navigate.
In the first one, the young protagonist Riley had to learn that negative emotions like “Sadness” (a blue-colored character) aren’t something that have to be avoided at all costs, but are appropriate emotions to feel sometimes, and even a necessary function of a happy and healthy life. It was a powerful lesson in emotional intelligence that resonated with both children and adults alike.
The sequel “Inside Out 2” (2024) continues to build off of these themes in a fun, organic, and intuitive way. Riley is now thirteen and about to enter high school. She starts to experience a new range of emotions (especially “Anxiety” and “Envy”), which start to influence her newly forming “belief system” and a “sense of self.”
The creators of the Inside Out franchise have a team of psychologists that help them illustrate key concepts in an imaginative way, which makes this film both enjoyable and educational. This article will explore some of the new concepts in the film and how the mental world-building in the franchise continues to expand.
New Emotions
Inside Out 2 introduces a bunch of new emotions into Riley’s inner world. In addition to the original line-up (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, Disgust), they also include:
Anxiety (orange): The focus of the film. Anxiety is always thinking ahead and wanting what is best for Riley, but also overworks and overworries her. The main narrative of the film shows Riley wanting to become the best hockey player she can possibly be; anxiety tries to help her achieve this by motivating Riley to constantly push herself forward, wake up early to train more, and work harder. However, too much anxiety distracts her from other core values in life, such as kindness and friendship, and also hurts her ability to just have fun and enjoy the game of hockey. At the climax of the film, Anxiety works itself up into such a frenzy that it freezes and has a panic attack (this scene has resonated with a lot of people who have experienced similar attacks, including myself). Riley must learn that while anxiety can be a powerful motivator it also needs to be balanced with feelings of acceptance, relaxation, and joy.
Envy (cyan): This emotion is always admiring others, looking up to them, and wanting what they have. When Riley first meets her hockey idols, she becomes envious of how “cool” and “successful” they are, so she strives to become just like them by mimicking them and copying their behaviors, including at one point dying her hair the same way to be more like them. Like all emotions, envy and jealousy can be insightful emotions with the right perspective: they can show us what we want or value in life. However when our lives are completely run by these feelings, we end up trying to be something we’re not.
Embarrassment (pink): A big goofy emotion that looks away and covers his head in a hoodie whenever something shameful or embarrassing happens to Riley. It’s interesting to note that many of the new emotions added have a social component to them. This makes sense as Riley comes of age and begins to balance her self-perception with how she is perceived by others.
All of the emotions in Inside Out 2 (both old and new). One cool thing about each emotion is that it is naturally paired with a specific color. Sadness is blue, Anger is red, Joy is yellow, Disgust is green, and Anxiety is orange.
Ennui/Boredom (purple): A humorous emotion with a stereotypically snobby French accent that constantly pretends to not be interested in anything. They will often deflect serious or uncomfortable situations with sarcasm, irony, or feigned disinterest. This character cleverly shows how many people use sarcasm as a defense mechanism when they are too afraid to be honest or sincere about their true thoughts and feelings. It reflects a common attitude among teenagers and young adults where it’s perceived as “lame” to care too much about anything.
Nostalgia (beige): This emotion is a side character that pops up a couple times throughout the film. Each time the other emotions humorously tell “Nostalgia” that she is arriving too soon, and that Riley has to at least wait for her first date, first kiss, or graduation before she starts reminiscing on the past. Perhaps Nostalgia will be the main character in Inside Out 10, when Riley is much older and has already lived the bulk of her life.
The original creator Pete Docter conceived of between 5-27 emotions that could be added to the Inside Out world, so it’s likely newer emotions will continue to be introduced if the series keeps going. Check out different classifications of emotions here, the original five in the movie are based on Paul Ekman’s model (excluding “surprise”).
Belief System and Sense of Self
One of the most interesting new features added to the Inside Out world is the idea of a “belief system.”
In the first movie, they introduced the concept of a “core memory” as a highly emotionally charged event that is then stored in Riley’s brain. Now these core memories can be brought to the “belief system” and turned into a belief (or recurring thought pattern). For example, when Riley fails an important exam at school, that core memory may be turned into the belief, “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not smart enough.”
Here’s how the belief system is visually represented, it looks similar to a bunch of neurons in a brain. Each ray of light represents one specific belief:
All of these beliefs come together to create Riley’s “sense of self.” This is depicted in the movie as a type of “electric tree,” with its roots representing each core belief.
At first the character Joy takes complete control over Riley’s “sense of self.” It only feeds positive memories and positive beliefs into her belief system, and tries to protect her from negative memories by throwing them into the “back of the mind” where they can be ignored forever.
When the emotion Anxiety takes over, only negative beliefs are fed into the sense of self, such as “I’m not good enough” or “I need to be better.” The “sense of self” changes color and shape to reflect these changes in how Riley sees herself.
After Riley suffers from a panic attack during a hockey game due to being completely controlled by Anxiety, the character Joy intervenes and gets Anxiety to “let go” of the controls.
In the outside world, Riley practices a grounding technique by making note of her five senses and taking deep breaths to bring herself back to the present moment. She then does the right thing by apologizing to her friends for being so mean and distant toward them.
Finally Riley “calls” Joy back to her and allows herself to have fun playing the rest of the hockey game with her friends.
By the end of the movie, Riley forms a completely new “sense of self” that accepts all of her thoughts and feelings, even when they can be conflicting or contradictory at times. Riley’s emotions come together and realize that she needs all of them.
No single emotion gets to determine who Riley is – they all contribute in helping Riley become the best version of herself.
Conclusion
Overall Inside Out 2 is a worthy sequel that builds off of its predecessor in an organic and intelligent way that is bound to resonate with both children and adults. Make sure to put it on your watchlist this year!
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We’ve all done this at one point: we’re out for dinner and constantly check our phones, we double-, triple- or quadruple-book our schedules to have social plans, or we stalk other people’s photos and posts on social media. This is the condition of FOMO, or “Fear Of Missing Out”.
What does FOMO look like?
Researchers describe FOMO as a “pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent,” meaning we’re worried that we’re being left out of the fun. While feelings of exclusion aren’t new, what makes FOMO such a modern phenomenon is social media and our obsessive desire to stay connected through our devices. This is what makes FOMO so prevalent. In the past, we may not have known we missed out on a fantastic party until days or even weeks later, whereas now we know we weren’t invited instantly because we see posts from the party in real-time.
FOMO has become an epidemic, and perhaps it’s why we have constructed our lives in such a way that we are perpetually busy. If we keep busy then we feel justified in our own sense of place; we are doing something and therefore, the feeling of missing out is lessened. But busyness is not a badge of honour, nor is it the solution to make us feel more included, welcomed, or loved.
I am guilty of it too. I scroll through Instagram and I wonder why I hadn’t heard of that conference that everyone seemed to be at, or how I missed that awesome yoga class in the park.
can fomo be harmful to our health?
Research emerging in the last half-decade about the fear of missing out shows that this phenomenon can lead to:
Much of this research is performed on teenagers and young adults, but I don’t know if the results would be all that different if people my age were the subjects. We all struggle with FOMO. What is more concerning about this prevalence in the younger generation is they often don’t know what it’s like to live without smartphones, the internet, or other technologies, and these consequences of FOMO are more likely to continue into adulthood without a course correction.
FOMO takes Us Away From Being in the Moment
The downside of FOMO for all of us is we become so chronically – or seemingly – busy, that we don’t ever get to be in the moment, here and now. We’re worried about where we need to be next and what everyone else is doing.
What most of us fail to notice, in those moments, is that where we are is exactly where we’re supposed to be. What we’re doing is just what we’re supposed to be doing. And how we’re feeling in that here-and-now moment is of our own choosing. We can fear that we are missing out, or we can take the time to find the grace, gratitude, and small bits of awesomeness that surely surround us right now.
Fortunately, the emergence of FOMO has led to another phenomenon: the joy of missing out, or JOMO. This concept invites us to enjoy and celebrate our disconnection from technology and social media and experience a healthier, happier life.
The trick and the challenge is learning how to pursue JOMO. That is our own work, something only we can do.
How to Overcome FOMO and Experience JOMO
1. Focus on the Exhale
It is in our breath, in the exhale, that we can release into the present. Too often, we get caught up in the stress of ‘busy,’ breathe shallowly, and then find ourselves holding that breath with slumped shoulders and contracted lungs, surging us straight into the body’s stress response. The simplest strategy to switch into the grace of here and now, rather than worrying about what everyone else is doing, is to focus on the exhale.
How To Do It
Take the deepest inhale you can, counting to five, and then exhale out counting to 10. Extend the exhale longer than the inhale and then carry on. You will feel differently, and if you don’t yet, do it again. And again. As one of my favourite yoga teachers, Sean Corne says, “Breathe, and this too will change.”
Technology, and particularly social media, are the strongest influences that lead to FOMO. I own an online business so this is challenging, but it’s really challenging for all of us because many jobs require us to use devices and be available at the touch of a button. You don’t need to ditch technology or social media entirely, but it’s important to manage your consumption – not just to avoid FOMO, but to have more time to spend with the people who matter to you.
How To Do It
Practice healthier cell phone use, turn off all notifications on your phone, turn your phone off at night or leave it outside at night, and shut down all devices an hour before bed.
3. Practice Gratitude
We will always feel like we are missing out if we can’t appreciate what we have. Our experience of life can be as awesome as we want it to be. Sure, there will always be challenges, but maybe that’s the opportunity to learn an awesome lesson. We can find joy, fun, laughter, and beauty in just about anything. This is the practice of gratitude, using the moments that challenge us as the moments to look for the goodness.
How To Do It
It doesn’t need to be as formal as journaling but go for it if you like. Before bed, try recounting five amazing things that happened to you that day and then marinate in that goodness all night. Try it for a week and you’ll be delighted by the in-flow of even more awesomeness.
4. Spend Time in Nature
Being outside has an incredible ability to ground us and improve our health. Disconnect – even for a short time – from technology and reap the health benefits of ‘forest bathing’, which include a boost to the immune system, a reduction in stress and pain, improved mood, and better respiratory and cardiovascular health.
How To Do It
Go for a walk in a forest. It’s really that simple. Even if you live in a city, you can benefit from visiting an urban park or garden – learn more about that here.
5. Choose Happiness as Much as You Can
Every choice counts. Some of the sufferings we experience day-to-day are the result of questioning the choices we make or the result of giving that power of choice to someone else. What obligations or doubts can you release, knowing that every choice we make will build our emotional and physical health or work against it? Knowing that every choice counts, from diet to sleep to socializing to pooping, can you choose your own prescription for health and happiness? What choices would you make?
How To Do It
Choose your prescription for feeling great. What do you need to do, who do you want to see, where do you want or need to be to feel your absolute twinkling, sparkling, and shining best? Though we can’t always choose everything we wish we could, we do have the option of choosing how to respond and react in any given situation. That’s where exhaling and gratitude can help, too.
What are your best strategies for keeping yourself in the Here and Now, and warding off the evils of FOMO?
On My Mind Episode 26: From FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) to JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out)
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For more than twenty years, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with dozens of CEOs and high-net-worth individuals to help them meet business and personal/lifestyle goals — in part by creating legacy projects that deliver lasting impact.
One of the most important things I’ve learned through this work is that there are pronounced distinctions between happiness and fulfillment and that knowing the difference is critical for personal and business success.
Because while happiness is important, it’s often fleeting — whether felt in the wake of an important sale, solid third-quarter results or upon receiving a promotion. It makes you feel good, as it should, but in the long run, tends not to change anything significant in how we live our lives day to day. It’s like a boost of dopamine—tends to leave as quickly as it arrived.
Conversely, fulfillment is the result of extended dedication to a task, project, objective or dream. It is most often the result of a commitment to something greater than yourself, like family, a cause or community. Fulfillment is essentially, sustained and deep happiness.
Innately, we recognize that happiness is fleeting and that fulfillment should be our long-term objective. However, for most of us, the goal continues to be the former. As a result of having the wrong focus, untold millions wind up stressed, unhealthy and suffering from debilitating mental illnesses like depression and addiction.
So how do we break the cycle of chasing short-term satisfaction as opposed to long-term fulfillment?
It may sound simplistic, but the basic truth is that fulfillment is impossible if you don’t first take care of your body and mind. Focusing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing is the foundation for any other achievement.
A good place to start is with diet and exercise. This doesn’t mean you have to live like an athlete training for the Olympics: small adjustments can go a long way toward creating big changes, both physically and psychologically.
When it comes to diet, I love a simple phrase in Michael Pollen’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, “Eat (real) food, not too much, mostly plants.” In other words, take it easy on heavily processed or fast food, as well as meat, and instead go for lots of vegetables and fruit. Just following that uncluttered guidance will work wonders.
In terms of exercise, every bit helps, and the mantra “Use it or lose it” is great to keep in mind. A 2013 study found that, without regular exercise, we lose 1% to 2% per year in lean body mass and 1.5% to 5% per year of overall strength after turning 40.
If you don’t exercise at the moment, start slowly. Even simple strolls have significant benefits. A 2023 Harvard report found that walking just 20 minutes a day, five days a week, yields significant health benefits, including cutting obesity incidence in half, reducing joint pain, lowering the risks of cancer and boosting immune health. Workers who were active in this basic way took 43% fewer sick days than those who were sedentary.
No matter how busy we are, everyone should be able to find 100 minutes a week to walk.
To me, a striking similarity among the myriad of theories, seminars and self-improvement coaching available today is that they tend to be focused on looking inward. But finding a purpose greater than ourselves is even more vital. Personal change is part of the process, certainly, but the ultimate goal — the true purpose in life —should be something greater. This kind of looking outward will also help with Step 1 because science tells us that interacting with and connecting to others is critical on many levels.
The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, details in part that we have a fundamental human need to meaningfully connect with others. It emphasizes the importance of social connection in regulating nervous system responses and promoting emotional wellbeing.
Similarly, the U.S. Surgeon General stated in 2023 that loneliness — a phenomenon made much more widespread by both the pandemic and the isolation that comes from living in a digital world—poses health risks as deadly as smoking, its effects equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.
But what constitutes a wellness-producing connection? In practice, it can be as simple as going for a coffee with an elderly neighbor and extend to coaching a youth sports team, joining a book club or volunteering at a community center. These are simple, tangible actions that place you in the company of real people — much more spiritually fulfilling than social media or Zoom calls.
Step 3. Redefine what success means
A commonplace Western construct is that happiness comes from success. The hitch is that, in my opinion, our definition of success is flawed. We generally equate it with wealth, fame and power. Further, we are conditioned to think that more is better: more money, more possessions and more attention, but I have seen first-hand that some of the wealthiest and most “successful” people are among the least fulfilled. They’ve checked all the boxes of conventional notions of achievement but remain wanting.
A 2018 study found that a stunning 49% of CEOs report struggling with a mental health condition (compared to just under 23% of the U.S. adult population as a whole) and that the majority of them report feeling overworked and combat both fatigue and continual stress.
Chasing short-term happiness in the form of money, possessions and social media status creates a vicious cycle of never having enough, which leads to more stress and more unhappiness. Instead, look inward to better yourself physically and emotionally so that you have the capacity to look outward. You will then become a better leader, friend, coach and parent — and create a self-perpetuating cycle of betterment.
Do you see yourself as more of a “trader” or a “hero?” Learn about these two distinct mindsets, and understand how balancing moral duty and economic ambition can lead to a more harmonious and sustainable future for humanity.
The hero mindset vs. the trader mindset are two distinct ways people see their roles and responsibilities in a healthy society.
Each one focuses on different values and priorities, but a balance of both is often needed for a society to function and flourish.
Here’s an outline of what defines each mindset.
Trader Mindset
The trader mindset dominates our current culture. It places emphasis on individualism, material gain, and personal freedom. This mentality often asks, “What can life give me?” and is driven by the pursuit of happiness, pleasure, and profit.
It’s especially characteristic of American life and contemporary Western thinking, where people tend to see their value only in terms of economic or material output: “What do you do for a living? How much money do you make? How big is your house?”
Key attributes of the trader mindset include:
Rights-Oriented: The trader mindset focuses on personal rights and freedoms, operating on the principle of doing what one wants as long as it doesn’t harm others.
Materialism: The trader mindset is materialistic and money-driven, placing a high value on comfort, pleasure, and luxury.
Individualism: The trader mindset is competitive, individualistic, and often sees life as a series of transactions aimed at maximizing personal advantage rather than collective well-being.
Utilitarian Approach: They adopt a business-minded and utilitarian perspective, often focusing on what is pragmatic and realistic, rater than engaging in abstract and idealistic goals.
Status Climbing: Traders often strive for increased status, wealth, or power, engaging in frequent social comparison, and viewing most aspects of life as a social ladder to climb.
The trader mindset is a product of liberal and Enlightenment philosophy, reflecting the values of individual rights and free market capitalism. It promotes a “mind your own business” attitude which emphasizes personal freedom and the pursuit of happiness, but can also lack a sense of social duty.
In excess, the trader mindset can lead to negative behaviors such as excessive swindling, grifting, corruption, and fraudulent schemes. People become willing to seek material gain at any moral cost, believing that everyone is inherently greedy and selfish, thus creating a “dog eat dog” world.
Hero Mindset
The hero mindset is less common and in many ways it’s more needed in our current society.
The heroic mindset is characterized by a focus on duty, sacrifice, and the greater good. Those with this mentality often ask, “What can I give to life?” rather than “What can life give me?” This approach emphasizes responsibilities over rights and prioritizes the well-being of others over personal gain.
Key attributes of the hero mindset include:
Duties-Oriented: Heroes feel a strong sense of duty and responsibility toward others and society. They ask themselves how they can best serve their family, community, nation, or humanity as a whole.
Idealism: The hero mindset seeks higher ideals than just status or wealth, such as honor, loyalty, and devotion to a higher purpose, striving to do what is right at all costs, even if it means facing death.
Collectivism: The hero mindset is communitarian-minded, often emerging in contexts like the military, team sports, or tight-knit organizations where serving a greater whole is paramount.
Warrior Spirit: Heroes embrace challenges and are willing to sacrifice their comfort and security for the common good, embodying a warrior mindset that values moral and spiritual achievements over material ones. The hero isn’t afraid to ask, “What am I willing to die for?”
Leadership and Accountability: Heroes are willing to stand up and take charge when no one else will. This means assuming leadership roles and taking risks, as well as accepting blame and responsibility when things go wrong.
In essence, the heroic mindset is about fighting for something greater than oneself.
Heroes can take many different forms. It’s not only about sacrificing yourself on a battlefield or saving a child from a burning house. Being a hero can also mean dedicating your life to a social cause, being a leader in your local community, taking care of your family, or creating more beauty in the world through art or music.
While the heroic mindset can lead to noble actions, in excess it can also result in zealotry, self-destructive martyrdom, or an inflexible approach to moral issues. Extreme idealism might push individuals to pursue their goals without considering practical consequences, potentially leading to conflict and alienation.
Balancing the Mindsets
Ultimately, both the hero and trader mindsets offer valuable insights into different motivations behind our behaviors and life choices. While the heroic mindset emphasizes sacrifice, duty, and the greater good, the trader mindset focuses on personal gain, freedom, and material success.
A healthy and sustainable society needs both traders and heroes. A society run solely by traders may prioritize profit over moral values, leading to widespread corruption and a lack of social responsibility. On the other hand, a society with only a heroic mindset might struggle with practicality and flexibility, leading to social conflicts and unrest.
Striking a balance between these mindsets can help us achieve a harmonious approach to personal fulfillment and social responsibility, creating a society that values both individual rights and communal well-being.
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