The Happiness Track

About the book: The Happiness Track outlines the simple steps you can take to become happier and more successful. Referencing the latest scientific research, these blinks debunk common myths about how to be successful and set out a concrete plan for you to reduce stress in your life.
About the author: Emma Seppälä is the science director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University. At the forefront of happiness research, she regularly publishes in the Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today. The Happiness Track is her first book.

My highlights:
What's in it for me? Be happier!
Most of us spend our time pursuing other things such as careers, money or love – even though these things are just shades of what might make us happy.
We focus too much on the future, but we can train ourselves to remain in the present moment.
Focusing on the future reduces your attention in the present moment, making you more likely to miss significant things that are happening now.
Staying fully present in the moment will help you perform better at work and may even make your job more enjoyable. And forget about the belief that multitasking is efficient. It isn't. In fact, performing multiple tasks makes you complete each task much less efficiently.
The first step is to remove unnecessary distractions.
The next step is to focus on tasks in small time increments.
Practicing meditation is another way to stay in the moment.
Many of us live in a world fueled by constant stress, which is said to help us thrive. But it doesn't!
There are two kinds of stress: the good, short-term kind and the bad, long-term kind.Short-term stress sends adrenaline coursing through the body and often inspires better mental and physical performance.
Too much stress, however, can harm the body and eventually turn into chronic stress, which can lead to illness – and even cause stress in people around you.
Many people today have a weakened resilience to stressful situations
Breathing techniques and slow-paced activities can help build resilience against stress.
Start by closing your eyes and taking slow, deep breaths for a few minutes every day. Pay close attention to your breath, noticing whether it is deep or shallow. Make sure to exercise deep, conscious breathing especially if you are angry or stressed.
Another effective technique is called alternate nostril breathing.
If you ever needed an excuse to hug someone you love, here it is! Research has shown that physical contact with a loved one reduces stress, too.
Burnout happens when we worry too much, exhausting our minds and our nerves.
There are three main ways in which you can exhaust your mind.The first is experiencing extreme emotional highs or lows.
The second is trying to exercise self-control all the time.
And finally, if you constantly worry (or worry about upcoming events that you feel will make you more worried)
The solution to preserving your energy is to find something positive in each and every situation.Doing things that make you feel good is simply good for you.
Staying positive and calm will also help you perform better in stressful situations.
Learn these three easy steps to becoming more creative by learning to make time for idleness.
Idleness might be just the medicine your body and soul needs.Contrary to the popular belief that you have to be focused to come up with innovative ideas, not concentrating might be what you need to do.
Many people are so used to being overstimulated that it's an uncomfortable feeling to let the mind just wander.
First, in between tasks that demand your full attention, perform mindless tasks that only require partial attention
Second, make time for play.
And finally, allow for moments of silence. Instead of filling all your time watching, listening or reading, find a space in which your mind is allowed to be totally quiet – for instance, through meditation.
It's time to conquer the negativity bias. Less self-criticism, more self-compassion and self-love.
Being too self-critical is counterproductive.Rather than boosting motivation, constant self-criticism can lead to depression. Being tough on yourself makes you focus disproportionately on your negative attributes instead of on your positive ones.
Have more compassion for yourself. Self-love and understanding will give you a healthier, more balanced view of your skills and the world around you. If you adopt a less critical perspective of yourself, you'll be affected less by internal and external criticisms, and consequently become more resilient to daily stress.
Expressing gratitude helps you focus on what you have instead of what you think you lack.
The benefits of showing gratitude are so overwhelming, it's surprising we don't express thanks more often. In fact, expressing gratitude is possibly the greatest act of self-compassion there is.
Writing is another way to become more self-compassionate. Start a journal and let your feelings flow onto the page.
Reap the many rewards that come from being kind to others instead of focusing on yourself.
Focusing too much on yourself can have negative effects. It makes you a poorer judge of people, generally less liked by others
The antidote to being self-absorbed is to look outward with a compassionate, open heart. Compassion means being sensitive to those around you and acknowledging the distress of others.

Final summary
The key to happiness is being present in the moment, eliminating stress and letting your creative juices flow freely. Self-care is important, but so is showing compassion for others. Only by being kind to ourselves and each other can we thrive both as individuals and as a society.