Sonja Lyubomirsky\’s new book, THE HOW OF HAPPINESS, is largely an outgrowth of her research into the area of happiness. Despite the author citing a great many studies, the book is extraordinarily friendly for people who need or want practical suggestions on how to be happier in their lives. No cookie cutter recommendations. Rather, you are asked to take an assessment that Lyubomirsky has created in order to determine the kinds of activities that would gratify you on the road to greater happiness.
After completing the person-activity fit diagnostic, which takes only a few minutes and is easily scorable, you identify the four categories of activities that represent your top interests. There are sections in part 2 that are devoted to activities that fall into each of the 12 categories of activity covered by the diagnostic assessment where you can pick the specific activities in which you want to engage.
The assessment with individualized sections in six chapters of part 2 is a wonderful feature of the book. When I did the diagnostic I was happily surprised to see how closely the results represent the kinds of things I already like to do but on which I had not had my energy sufficiently focused. I was easily able to be more involved in what I was doing as well as pick new activities in which to engage.
Another great feature of the book is the author\’s emphasis on NOT overwhelming us with too many happiness activities. The recommendation is to pick no more than three of the four areas identified by the diagnostic. And, it can be only one activity. Lyubomirsky makes doing happiness activities very manageable as well as fun.
Despite the fact that Sonja Lyubomirsky believes that THE HOW OF HAPPINESS is a book for everyone, she does address the special needs of people who are depressed. Though she highly recommends doing the activities in the book, she does as well emphasize the need to seek professional help.
THE HOW OF HAPPINESS is not exclusively a how-to book. It will satisfy you if you\’re hungry to know how Lyubomirsky\’s and others\’ research led to the pragmatic suggestions presented. Mostly, this book is not just another book on how to be happy. Despite the amount of research presented and the necessary focus on depression, this book is easily readable and practical for the person who is in search of more happiness in their lives. I highly recommend it.
Betsy Landau is a licensed psychologist, a Mentor Coach certified life and writing coach, adjunct professor of psychology, author, and publisher. Her book Mirabelle\’s Memoirs: a feline tale is available on amazon.com. Her passion is helping people change their lives. To find out more about coaching with Betsy Landau, and to sign up for her free newsletter, go to http://www.betsylandau.com