Happier, No Matter What

Pioneering positive psychologist and New York Times–bestselling author Tal Ben-Shahar shows us how in Happier, No Matter What. Ben-Shahar busts the all-too-common ideas that success brings happiness and that we can seek happiness itself. When hard times thwart our success and steal our joy, these ideas actually invite despair by leaving us with nothing to do. But we can do something: We can climb the SPIRE—Ben-Shahar’s five-step staircase to hope and purpose. Spiritual: I am experiencing meaning. Physical: My body’s needs are met. Intellectual: I am learning. Relational: My friends support me. Emotional: I am allowed to feel. By truly living these five elements of well-being, we build the resilience to carry us through anything—from a personal loss to a global pandemic. Ben-Shahar’s all-new SPIRE method shows us the way to becoming “whole again”—and when we’re whole, we invite happiness in.

When something good happens to us, we're really happy, and when something bad happens we're really unhappy. But what impact does the good or bad event have on our happiness a month later? Research shows: absolutely none. That's because happiness isn't dependent on the present moment - we all have ups and we all have downs - rather, it's the baseline hovering between the highs and lows, which is ever-changing. In Happier No Matter What, positive psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar argues that we can improve our baseline happiness, and better equip ourselves to cope with extremes. Happier No Matter What is at once a diagnostic tool, helping readers to identify the fundamental elements of happiness in their own lives, as well as a prescription, providing evidence-based methods for seeking out and making the most of those crucial components. As Ben-Shahar reveals here, our happiness is a matter of five essential components: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational, and Emotional (SPIRE) well-being. Ben-Shahar tackles the issue of modern happiness from every angle, arming us with strategies to manage our emotions, care for our bodies, nurture our relationships, stay intellectually curious, and live mindfully - even when it feels like everything has gone wrong. As it turns out, waking up every day and thinking "I want to be happy" has been shown to decrease happiness levels. Instead, what really works is setting tangible goals that are proven to lead to that elusive feeling of joy. No matter how uncertain life gets, Happier No Matter What will help us find stable ground.