Everything I've learnt about happiness and productivity in the last ten years
Eudaemonology, the science of happiness, sounds like a contradiction in terms, for how can fleeting happiness ever be systematised?
Since 2008, I've been the Eudaemonology Editor of the New Escapologist, offering insights into how to be happy whilst living with the irony that I am, like everyone, subject to depression and akrasia.
Am I happier for having studied happiness? It seems that way to me, but who knows? We have one life and every choice we make cuts off other possibilities. What I do know is that a gentle reminder can help enormously. And so, as the New Escapologist escapes one last time, I thought it would be worth putting together a comprehensive list of eudaemonological tips.
There's no explanations or links to the evidence (if there is any), just simple imperatives (sometimes platitudinous, sometimes contradictory) to jolt you into being.
Breathe.
Let go of the past.
Have good posture.
Reduce the amount of noise in your life.
Stop reading news.
Stop reading social media.
Block websites you procrastinate on.
Check inboxes twice a day and not in the morning.
Get offline.
Watch less TV.
Be mindful.
Focus.
Single-task, don't multi-task.
Just get started on what you're putting off.
Don't wait to be in the right frame of mind.
Trick yourself into starting by doing the smallest thing possible.
Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Drink water.
Identify the inessential.
Eliminate the inessential.
Note thoughts as they occur.
Process your inbox of thoughts once a day.
Avoid stress.
Don't overwork.
Do less in order to finish more.
Ask questions.
Lose the ego, be humble.
Exercise.
Avoid sugar.
Stop beating yourself up.
Declutter your surroundings.
Laugh.
Play.
Play music.
Dance.
Sing.
Learn.
Read books.
Travel.
Walk.
Write.
Talk.
Experiment.
Be open to new experiences.
Choose friends wisely.
Work to your own agenda. Don't get disrupted by others demands.
Work on your most important task first thing in the morning.
If a task takes two minutes or less, just do it.
Take regular breaks.
Create daily rituals to get in the mood.
Change your mindset: make work fun.
Batch similar tasks.
Don't overthink things.
Learn from mistakes.
Feel the aliveness of the body.
Manage energy, not time.
Get comfortable with failure, define it as a crucial part of the learning process.
Do challenging things. Don't get too comfortable.
We only have about four hours of concentration a day. Protect it.
You need time to do a really good job.
Take deep, lingering breaths when nervous. Imagine your nostrils are below your navel and the breaths are beginning from there.
To avoid overthinking, try counting backward by threes.
To start a new habit, pick a specific cue and a clear reward.
Respond to voicemail via email to save time.
Start copying. Copy your favourite writer, musician, painter. You’ll get a better sense of how they think and create.
Before a challenging situation, like an important test, write down your worries about it. Externalise.
Use overwhelming force: put all your energy into a task, rather than try to tackle the task with little spurts of energy.
Clearly and consciously define a problem and let your unconscious work on it.
Say no to what you don't want to do (be honest, be nice, but be firm).
The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now. Plant a tree.
Live a life true to yourself, not the life others expected of you.
Stay in touch with friends.
Describe in a single sentence the intended successful outcome for the problem or situation.
Write down the very next physical action required to move the situation forward.
Help others.
If it's important, schedule it.
Don't make guilt piles.
Be honest with yourself about procrastination. Listen to self-talk.
What is interesting and novel to you? Pursue it.
Keep a time diary to see where your time goes.
Remember that the perfect is the enemy of good.
Accept the present, forgive the past.
Be a flaneur not a tourist.
Set yourself a problem then go for a walk and think about it.
Trust your instincts.
It is often enough to unlearn bad habits than impose new ones.
Meditate.
Life gets out of balance. That's okay.
Be a craftsman. Take pleasure in the details of what you do. Don't treat tasks as a means to an end.
Switch off once your work day is finished.
Embrace practice not theory.
Commit to things, avoid get out clauses.
Live according to your principles.
Embrace the random.
Don't (over)plan.
Create the new, don't just replicate.
Do independent research rather than take everything on trust.
There is no such thing as ownership. We are on the planet for a short time then we have to give everything back. Don't become attached to possessions.
Thoughts are only thoughts, they are not actions and determine nothing.
People and relationships matter more than things.
Work on tasks that are important, but not urgent.
Eat a variety of things and listen to the body to know if you're missing something.
Limit your exposure to blue light before bed.
Get plenty of sleep.
Energy, time, willpower, and attention are finite so spend them wisely.
Distraction comes from internal dissatisfaction, not external sources.
Face up to pain, live with it, accept it, allow it to be, then act to deal with it.
Clean up after yourself.
Choose goals that help you get into a state of flow - things that aren't boring or anxiety-provoking.
Train yourself to concentrate. Do deep work.
Avoid idea debt. Saying you are going to do something is a lot easier than doing it and creates a lot of guilt.
Follow what interests you, but be aware of the market value.
Slow down.
Get outside every day, in the day time.
Whatever you do, do it joyfully.
Everything will pass.
This article originally appeared in Issue 13 of New Escapologist magazine.
