13 Ways to Trigger Your Happiness Every Day
by Valorie Burton
Valorie Burton is the author of numerous books empowering women to live better and is also the founder of the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute. She tackles the quest for happiness head-on in her book, Happy Women Live Better which identifies 13 triggers to increase your happiness.
Although Happy Women Live Better is not a new book, published in 2013, Burton’s work warrants close attention as the prescription drug industry for depression continues to grow[i] and suicide rates continue to rise[ii]. From 1999 to 2014, the percentage of persons over 12 using antidepressants climbed by 64% up from 7.7% to 12.7% of the population who used prescription antidepressants within the past month[i].
Burton states that people do not gain happiness equally from the same things, but that we each derive happiness from 13 triggers in our own ways. Like different recipes for chicken soup, most basic recipes will include real chicken, broth, and vegetables but the amounts and style may vary as well as a dash or dollop of this or that. In short, we are each unique and so the mixture of things that provide us happiness are as individual as we are.
The 13 happiness triggers discussed include numerous practical action steps to increase joy each day. Valorie Burton offers a FREE test which includes 50 questions and takes 10-15 minutes in order to discover your personal happiness triggers: www.HappyWomanTest.com.
The 13 happiness triggers Burton identifies include:
- Anticipation
- Smile
- Service
- Financial Savvy
- Gratitude
- Connection
- Flow
- Play
- Relaxation
- Winning Words
- Movement
- Savoring
- Purpose
Some of these triggers are more obvious than others. In fact, you may be tempted to breeze through this list and think yada-yada-yada. However, STOP and consider how you will implement each of these strategies. Where do you have action steps all in one resource for a more consistent, vibrant, and happy reality?
Whether your fingers fly over your keyboard to purchase this insightful book or you race to your nearest bookstore or library, reading and applying the strategies in Happy Women Live Better will increase the quality of your life as well as the lives of those around you. Burton is a treasure.
[i] American Psychological Association. “By the Numbers: antidepressant use on the rise.” November 2017, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/11/numbers.
[ii] Center for Disease Control. “Suicide Rates Rising Across the U.S.” June 7, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0607-suicide-prevention.html.