Now that I have free time, I finally get to read! I remember thinking when I don’t have homework I will be able to read so much more and that time is finally here! I think in just the past 2 months I have read at least seven books. As you know, I love to read books about happiness but I have been branching out to read some other kinds, including more fiction which has been really nice too.
However, I just finished an amazing book and now I wake up every day at 6:15 and haven’t missed a day to workout in a week. Usually I read and I think "oh I’ll do that" and I never do, but this one was so good that I have habits starting to form already while I was reading it. The book is called “hello, habits” and it is written by Fumio Sasaki (Link below). It is really well written and is not a tough read at all. Below are some of my favorite points and how I feel that they fit in with making a happier life. While I wanted to share more, I've narrowed it down to five points. You'll have to read the book for yourself to discover the rest! 1. “The level of happiness is said to decrease when we have more than seven free hours in a day” (according to the Japanese government) I thought this was mind blowing but also so accurate. Many people often believe that quitting their job or stopping certain activities will make them happier (which could be true in some cases). However, it's also possible that the time they do have is not actually used for what brings happiness, and having more of that time will actually have the opposite effect. I definitely noticed this in my large amounts of free time and found myself more tired and not doing things that made me happy. Similarly, on days with no commitments and numerous plans, we might find ourselves staying on the couch instead. Too much free time can unexpectedly have the opposite effect on our motivation and productivity. 2. “It is difficult to start with the mind, but it will eventually catch up when you move” (63). I found this line very motivating. I think all too often we have it in our minds that we are supposed to feel a certain way to start something. For example, I have to want to wake up early. I have to want to go for a run. But it isn’t actually like that. I heard somewhere else too that we have this assumption that athletes have it easy and always want to move, but it isn’t like that at all. They go through the action and then their mind catches up. Even if we don’t initially want to do something, knowing it will make us happy prompts us to take action, and soon enough, the brain catches up. 3. “We honestly won’t be different tomorrow. We always say we’ll do it tomorrow but what is the difference. We have to keep in mind that tomorrow we will do the same thing that we do today.” (136) I have started to keep this one in mind more. It is so true but I have never honestly thought of it like this before. Why do we always say tomorrow? There won’t actually be anything different. It goes back to that second point - we’re waiting for our mind, but we need our body to help us. If we keep waiting on future us thinking it will be better, it won’t actually be better because we didn’t do anything today. 4. Create a coping list - Create a list that you can turn to that will help change your mood even when you aren’t in the mood. It can be walking, looking at nature, or going to the movies (188) I absolutely loved this. There are so many times when I want to do something but I am not in the mood so instead I pull out my phone. The problem with that is my phone does not bring happiness - it actually usually brings an actual headache. I included a picture of my coping list below for some ideas (and also as motivation for me to write one!). It's a powerful way to not just form a habit but also boost happiness, one small step at a time. 5. Make thank you a habit. It changes your mindset and you don’t have to think twice (260). I love this one because it is a habit I already have and didn’t even realize. I wanted to include it here because it really is something that can bring more happiness. You will trick your brain into finding joy by making saying thank you a habit. In the book, he gave an example by saying it to the bus driver, but it can also be the cashier, the cook, the waitress, or someone just holding the door. The simple act can make someone else smile and, in turn, make you smile too. If you want to stop a habit, he gave great advice that it is better to just quit cold turkey. If you give an exception to your rule then it is not a good rule. For example, if someone allows themselves one cup of soda a day, that allowance could gradually increase to simply a bigger cup, technically following the rule but not making progress (89). There are so many more things that I wish I could share with you so I strongly suggest that you read the book (link below and if you want to read more about something I shared, I included the page number in the post). Overall, just remember that habits take time, but once you start one they will all start to fall in place (213). The difficulty that comes with it as suffering is not your enemy, it can actually be your partner and help you grow. Ever since reading the book I have also kept in mind to just start it today because then it will be easier to do whatever it is tomorrow. Small steps are what we need and putting them together will bring happiness. So, habits do create happiness. They lead us away from too much freedom that brings sadness and bring us closer to accomplishing the things we dream of. P.S I signed up for the affiliate marketing program with Amazon, so if you do want to buy this book, if you purchase it through this link you will be supporting Pieces of Happiness! P.S.S. Share what you might put on your coping list in the comments!
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August 2022
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