This article first appeared on Happify.  As far as traditions go, our lives before COVID-19 were pretty much handed to us like the Olympic torch. We did things the way they’d always been done, albeit propelled by marketing engines that made sure everything became bigger and “better” over...

This article first appeared on Happify.  Family gatherings are supposed to be joyful, especially during the holiday season. They don't always turn out that way because, when it comes to our beliefs and opinions, we have a tendency to become judgmental. This year, the differences in people's ...

This article first appeared on Positivepsychologynews.com It's been a while since I've felt the pressure to rethink my life and re-craft my old and set ways. This month though, I am consciously setting new goals. I use the word consciously rather cautiously. If reason is “slave to passions” a...

Sometimes the smallest remarks or inconveniences cause us to blow our top. Before we know it, we go from being the adult in charge to the child having an emotional meltdown. Some of us justify our reactions and maintain a false sense of righteousness. Philosopher David Hume was right when he said...

It’s almost the end of the hour and for the third session in a row, my life coaching client is still complaining about her partner. I’ve tried to help her have some perspective and find a level of empathy for her partner. I’ve even made a couple of guarded attempts at building gratitude, but m...

This article first appeared on Happify Success has a flavor most of us long for. We follow people who are successful. We try to figure out what they're doing right. We read books that promise to have cracked the secret code. It’s family, culture, and friendship, says Malcolm Gladwell in Outlier...

This article first appeared on Happify If you’ve raised kids, you're likely well acquainted with that burst of energy that they seem to have first thing in the morning. I would often wake up to the sound of my babies cooing and gurgling in their cots, or my toddlers waiting to be let loose from...

We all know them. The people who relish in the silent treatment. It needn’t be anything fight-worthy at all. They can go into the classic sulk state and drive you insane until you give in and beg them to tell you what they’re upset about. And it’s not like they’ll tell you the minute you ...

When I think back to my life, there were so many times when I talked myself out of my deeply desired dreams. The kind of dreams that kindled something deep within me – and made me feel alive. The kind of dreams that flushed my face with excitement and my eyes sparkle with energy. But they also ...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This article first appeared on Happify Thirty years ago, I moved to Toronto from the Middle East. It was a big move—from a large family to a unit of two, from afternoon siestas to a world that never stops, from the February warmth to the frigid cold of subzero...

This article first appeared on Positivepsychologynews.com It was a cold desert night in Muscat. My house helper had just come back into the house after putting out the garbage. She was evidently shaken. “I saw a maid outside who has run away from her employer. She tried to go to the Embassy,...

Have there be times when you’ve been hard on yourself and received this well-intentioned nugget of wisdom: “You should accept yourself”? Or when you’ve disliked and criticized parts of yourself, and been told the very same thing again: “Why don’t you accept yourself”! It’s perhaps...

  For many of us, changing a bad habit can be one of the most frustrating experiences. This is made worse by the countless promises we see and hear every day of quick and easy solutions for everything from weight loss to finding your dream job, date, or soulmate. It's no surprise that many o...

This article first appeared on Happify You didn’t get the promotion you wanted, despite having worked so hard for it. To make matters worse, the guy who did doesn’t even have your qualifications. Or maybe your presentation didn’t meet the expectations of your team, or meet the standards you...

This article first appeared on Positivepsychologynews.com It’s that time of the year. The New Year’s Resolutions we set with such passion (and some frustration), and pursued with such determination, at least for the first couple of weeks, are now losing their momentum. Willpower seems harder ...