It feels really good to be getting ready for Spring Break, especially after the absence of the occasional long weekends and no time off since the start of second semester. In that spirit, I thought I would review several new books which encourage actions to promote happiness.
RESILIENT by Rick Hanson, a psychologist,
senior fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New
York Times bestselling author, will be published next Tuesday through Random
House’s Crown Publishing (as an aside, they also recently produced Gretchen
Rubin’s The Four Tendencies which we are finding to be very popular). The
subtitle of RESILIENT is “How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm,
Strength, and Happiness” and Hanson does a wonderful job of outlining steps to make
a difference in your life and outlook. He begins by defining resiliency as the
ability to “cope with adversity and push through challenges in the pursuit of
opportunities,” explaining further that “determination, self-worth and kindness
are what makes us resilient.” The first chapter is primarily about being compassionate
and kind to yourself, offering readings, exercises and a summary of key points.
Subsequent chapters have a similar
format and each focuses on one of four ways that we can develop to meet three
basic needs, for a total of twelve primary inner strengths. For example, these
topics include Mindfulness, Gratitude, Confidence and Courage. As Hanson says, “you
could explore a new chapter each month for a year of personal growth.” I agree and definitely recommend this book, as
do numerous psychologists and researchers who study the brain and human
emotions. Hanson has written extensively
on the subject and his web site suggests many simple practices to help reduce stress and improve
well-being. 
I saw many parallels to Hanson’s writing in another new book titled
BE HAPPY! by clinical psychologist Rebecca Ray,
published in early March by Quatro. Using
a self-help type format, Ray describes “35 Powerful Methods for Personal Growth
& Well-Being.” She advocates
devoting a relatively small amount of time (perhaps 15 minutes per day) to
nurture new habits, saying “these small actions will build up over time, and
before you know it, a positive habit will have taken root.”
Ray emphasizes developing positive emotions, using
activities to become engaged, and promoting healthy relationships as well as a
sense of meaning/purpose and accomplishment. She loosely groups her suggestions
under the categories: Choosing, Cultivating, Practicing and Making Space (for …).
The introduction to each section is cheerful
and colorful and they could easily provide inspirational posters (a few images on amazon). The “Choosing”
section, for example, notes joy, gratitude, kindness, patience, laughter, the
bright side, courage, self-love and flow. There is a brief quote from a well-
known person about each method, a page or so of explanation and, again,
suggested activities. This book’s relatively short format would coincide with
the school year (basically one method per week) and our homeroom advisors or
resource teachers might find value in discussing and reinforcing a new habit
(cultivating rest and sleep, making space for imperfection, etc.) on a weekly
basis.
Finally, I also previewed WHEN LIKES AREN'T ENOUGH written
by Tim Bono and published by Grand Central in mid-March. He, too, emphasizes
that “whether it’s listening to your favorite song, taking the long way to
class, or giving your attention to positive things happening around you, a
small behavior can make the difference between a mediocre and a happier day.” As a psychologist and professor at Washington
University in St. Louis, Bono seems to focus primarily on young adults and uses
many examples to which they would relate. In ten chapters he reviews over one
hundred studies. He writes in several sections about the mind body connection,
noting the benefits, for example, of smiling or striking a power pose. Bono
also reinforces the importance of sleep, offers suggestions for attention
training, and the need for social connection. He ultimately suggests that his
readers find the strategies that work best for them and be proactive in
implementing them, creating habits by going to run or going to sleep at the
same time each day. WHEN LIKES
AREN'T ENOUGH is subtitled “A Crash Course in the Science of Happiness”
and Bono hopes that it provides “a toolkit of strategies and interventions that
can bolster your psychological health and happiness.”
Bono teaches courses on the Psychology of Young Adulthood
and the Science of Happiness. Noting that record numbers of college students are seeking treatment for depression and anxiety, the media (New York Times, Slate,
and others) has recently profiled similar courses. If interested, you can
enroll for free in Professor Laurie Santos’ popular Yale course through Coursera.
