Bliss Tip #29: Be Mindful of Labels

I recently heard Harvard Professor Ellen Langer present a keynote address on mindfulness, a topic she has studied for over thirty years. Her new book, Counterclockwise, summarizes decades of research on both mindfulness and the mindless use of labels. She discusses several fascinating studies that highlight how powerfully our thoughts impact our bodies.
One study, aptly [...]

Bliss Tip #28: Seek a Peak

A small Irish man in tight leather pants with a larger than life persona recently reminded me of the power of “peak experiences.” Those who have had the opportunity to see U2 live would likely agree that Bono has a gift for making performances transcendental. He links songs to current events, humanitarian efforts, and activist [...]

Bliss Tip #26: Set a Stretch Goal

The best athletes and performers intuitively know that high standards and challenging goals motivate them to succeed greater and greater accomplishments. Olympian Michael Phelps keeps a list of his swimming goals on his night stand and speaks readily about the importance of stretch goals.
Several years ago, I decided to stretch myself by conquering my fear [...]

Bliss Tip #25: Design Your Own Sacred Day

If you live in Bergen County, New Jersey, don’t try to go to IKEA on Sunday. It is, in fact, the only IKEA store in the United States closed on Sunday. This is due to an ordinance that, despite multiple attempts at repealing, still requires all retail stores in a highly [...]

Bliss Tip #24: Learn to Surf the Sea of Emotions

by Allison Aboud Holzer
In my work at Yale, I think and talk about emotions every single day! Recently, I got certified to administer and interpret the only ability-based assessment in Emotional Intelligence called the MSCEIT (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test), designed by the original creators of Emotional Intelligence! According to this model, there are four sub-categories [...]

Bliss Tip #23: Join the Worry-Free Gym

by Allison Aboud Holzer
My high school Latin teacher, Mr. Aylor, used to pride himself on telling puns and witty jokes to make learning Latin fun. I remember his favorite: “I once had a pupil named Iris. Day after day in class she kept winking at me! Finally, I said to her, Iris, put a lid [...]

Bliss Tips #20 & #21: Write Lost & Best Possible Selves

by Allison Aboud Holzer
Two important things help us achieve our goals: letting go of past mistakes and envisioning future success. Psychology research supports that expressive writing about one’s goals has numerous benefits for health, emotional adjustment, resiliency, motivation, and well-being (Smyth, 1998), while also increasing the likelihood that the goals will be achieved. How does [...]

Bliss Tip #19: Seek Neighborly Advice

by Allison Aboud Holzer
It seems obvious. A Freshman in college is trying to decide between majoring in Econ or Biology and asks current seniors in both majors for their perspectives, right? A couple is deciding between purchasing a home in two different neighborhoods and asks current neighbors in both about how they like the area, [...]

Bliss Tip #18: Personalize Your Home

by Allison Aboud Holzer
Some people are natural nesters. When we first moved to New Haven, I couldn’t even sleep at night knowing that boxes were left unpacked. My home space is a haven to me and I need to be surrounded by images of people I love and souvenirs from memories I cherish in order [...]

Bliss Tip #16: Reduce Refined Sugar in Three New Ways

by Allison Aboud Holzer
What’s sugar got to do with living a purposeful, meaningful, and blissful life? Both the presence and absence of it impacts how we feel. Scientific research shows that refined sugars and simple carbohydrates temporarily elevate mood (Prasad, 1998; Horton, 1987). The key word here being “temporary.” As many of us know, refined [...]