Best possible self exercise. Think about your life in the future, perhaps 5 to 10 years from now. Imagine everything has gone as well as it possibly could. You have worked hard, succeeded at accomplishing your goals and have realized your dreams. For three days in a row, write about what you imagined for 20 minutes. The exercise helps you become primed to notice things in the environment to help you get closer to your best self.
Write a letter to someone you’ve never thanked and deliver it in person.
Commit conscious acts of kindness. A long line of research, including one study of over 2,000 people, has shown that acts of kindness towards friends and strangers alike, decreases stress and increases happiness and well-being. Visit www.randomactsofkindness.org for ideas.
Exercise. It releases endorphins, increases your self-esteem and more. In the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey, the author talks about how to beat stress, sharpen your thinking, lift your mood, sharpen your memory, and much more through exercise.
Identify your signature strengths. The Values in Action (VIA) Character Institute has a free survey called VIA Signature Strengths that assess your strengths www.viacharacter.org. Marcus Buckingham, a pioneer in strengths research, is clear – you will be your happiest, most creative, most resilient, and most productive for your family, community, and company when you play to your strengths most of the time.
When we appreciate the good in our lives, the good increases. If you don’t appreciate the good in your life, you will notice that the good decreases. Use a gratitude journal listing three things you’re grateful for each night. Or use the practice with your children and your spouse of a weekly, “What I appreciate about you” habit.
If you love assessments, www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu has a variety of assessments on general happiness, gratitude, optimism, close relationships, depression, and strengths.
The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) is a research center at the University of California, Berkeley. They offer resources to promote kindness, compassion and happiness including quizzes, articles, videos, an online magazine called Greater Good, and a podcast titled The Science of Happiness. www.greatergood.berkeley.edu
Take a two-minute assessment to check your positivity ratio, the ratio of positive emotions to negative emotions you experience. Based on Positive Psychologist Barbara Frederickson’s research, a ratio of 3:1 (three positive emotions for every one negative emotion) is the tipping point for flourishing. www.positivityratio.com.
