True Rule

If you smell smoke or hear water running when you shouldn’t, investigate. You might prevent a lot of damage.

See more progress on: create my own Happiness Project

Sleep

Gretchen Rubin suggest that doing things that gives one more energy will bring one more happiness. Lately she has been stressing sleep as a source of happiness.

I totally agree with her. Since I stopped drinking coffee I stared getting to bed earlier, and with deliberately going to bed ridiculously early I find that my happiness has increased.

See more progress on: create my own Happiness Project

Area of Refuge

Today I re-read an old post of Gretchen Rubin, and I realized the value of an “area of refuge.” Exercise and relaxation is good for eliminating residual stress, but for the present stressor distraction is probably a better option.

I’ll need to think a bit about what I can use as an “area of refuge.” I don’t think I’ve used one accidentally before.

See more progress on: create my own Happiness Project

Unexpected benefits.

I am unexpectedly happier without coffee. Despite being such a pleasure to drink coffee, or at least caffeine, has been a barrier between me and happiness.

I think the most powerful effect has been on the improvement in the quality of my sleep. I need much less sleep to be satisfied, and I don’t have to drag myself out of bed.

A second effect is that I no longer have to fear headaches. I get the most dreadful headaches from caffeine withdrawal. Not drinking coffee frees me from the worry having to keep my caffeine topped up.

See more progress on: create my own Happiness Project

"Lighting up"

I am re-reading a book: Lighting Up: How I Stopped Smoking, Drinking, and Everything Else I Loved in Life Except Sex by Susan Shapiro.

This book has brought me happiness. I can’t remember where I first heard of it, but I was intrigued by it’s descriptions, and I bought it with loyalty points.

Apart from being a good read, it is also a kind of Happiness Project, because it tells the story of the author kicking her smoking habit, with the help of her therapist, dr Winters. She discovers the multiple addictions she has, and what it means.

The book also brought me happiness, because I could lend it to a friend, who lent it to a horde of other people.

I am also trying to increase my happiness by following the book’s implicit advice. I am also trying to kick my addictions, the two of them being starch and coffee, often in combination.

Over the last few weeks I have been tapering down my coffee use, and yesterday I had my first day with none at all. It is not a particularly happy experience, but I know I will be healthier and better once I’m totally off it.

See more progress on: create my own Happiness Project

Other side of the coin

According to Gretchen Rubin “what we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while.”

Until today I’ve read this as meaning that we should work on our happiness by doing happiness-producing things every day. This is true, but there is another truth in there: If we do a thing once in while that is not conducive to happiness, it does not matter much and there is little to worry about.

See more progress on: create my own Happiness Project

Other side of the coin

According to Gretchen Rubin “what we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while.”

Until today I’ve read this as meaning that we should work on our happiness by doing happiness-producing things every day. This is true, but there is another truth in there: If we do a thing once in while that is not conducive to happiness, it does not matter much and there is little to worry about.

See more progress on: create my own Happiness Project