“What’s the secret to being happy?”
-Everyone at some point in their life
“7 Layer Bars and a good book.”
-Me
Okay, fine...
If you insist on pressing me for a “deeper” response I’d list things like:
Family and friends.
Helping others.
Looking for the positive.
Learning new things.
A good book.
A good movie.
Finding humor.
Traveling.
Being curious.
Being in nature.
Being grateful.
Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Recently I was sipping my almond milk latte when I stumbled across this new study about happiness.
“Well, well, well, look at what we have here!” I said out loud.
Sadly no one was in my vicinity so for a moment, the secret to being happy was for my knowledge alone. You’re in luck though, because I’ve decided to share it with you!
So what is the secret to being happy?
Survey says…
“New and diverse experiences”
Or as the saying goes:
“Variety is the very spice of life”
-Idiom coined by William Cowper in 1785
According to the researchers conducting the study:
“Our results suggest that people feel happier when they have more variety in their daily routines–when they go to novel places and have a wider array of experiences,” explains Catherine Hartley, an assistant professor in New York University’s Department of Psychology and one of the paper’s co-authors. “The opposite is also likely true: positive feelings may drive people to seek out these rewarding experiences more frequently.”
Not only does this “new and diverse experiences” revelation have to apply to just our personal lives, but our professional lives as well.
A quick search on Google indicates that people list things like new challenges, interacting with different clients, and learning new skills when asked what it is they like about their jobs.
Said another way, “new and diverse experiences”. They are challenged. There is variety.
The takeaway message here is to add a bit of “Snap, Crackle, & Pop” to your life! They don’t need to be big things but rather little things that wake up your brain and keep you out of autopilot.
Some of the new and diverse experiences I’ve tried this past pandemic year include:
- Weekly dessert bake-off with my family (Please note that I got second place and I’m protesting it because of a controversial one point discrepancy)
- Thursday night Happy Hours with my family this summer (aka mocktails, cocktails, and snacks)
- Masterclass (I’ve learned everything from making a cocktail to improving my sleep)
- Listening to new podcasts
- Learning how to create an online course
- Incorporating more color into my wardrobe (because black, grey, and white comprise 80% of my clothes)
- Meditation
- Using my Apple Watch Walkie Talkie function with my dad
Now it’s time for YOU to get started on curating your own “variety list”! Try new things and mix it up a bit.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Eating at a new restaurant or food truck. Make it like a Bingo card game.
- Eating in a different room. Or office. Or business location.
- Having a theme day/celebration (the next easy one is “everyone wears green on St. Pat’s”)
- Buying a new food to try. Or a new candle scent. Or a product.
- Taking a walk in a new part of town.
- Taking a work break in a new location.
- Reading or watching a movie that is outside of your norm.
- Learning a new skill (I’m loving my Masterclass membership!)
- Learning a new word or “fun fact” every day/week.
- Learning about body language and people skills (did you catch the subliminal message?)
Covid has been a real wet blanket on trying new things, but there is still a lot that can be done and tried. Small things add up and the little things really do matter! Keep trying a variety of new things and see how it impacts your happiness quotient.
And PLEASE share the things you try! I’d love to create a huge list of items we can all access.
Your co-pilot, (who doesn’t plan to change her 20+ year bob haircut and “statement bangs” despite the “new and diverse experiences” research),
