How to be happier: wisdom from Arthur Brooks

We sat down with Arthur Brooks, a renowned author, speaker, and happiness expert to give you the tools to build a better mindset. With 13 books to his name, including the 2023 New York Times bestseller Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, and the 2022 #1 NYT bestseller From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life, Brooks has become a trusted voice on cultivating well-being.

Learn that happiness is not a feeling

Happiness is not a feeling, but a set of skills: the skills to feel enjoyment, to feel satisfaction, and to feel meaning. Each of these skills has a different way of making you happy. You can improve your skills in these three areas:

1. Enjoyment is the immediate pleasure we take from experiences, whether it’s a good meal, a beautiful sunset, or a fun activity.
2. Satisfaction is the long-term pleasure we get from achieving our goals and feeling content with our accomplishments.
3. Meaning is a deeper and more enduring pleasure, which comes from developing a sense of purpose and significance in our lives.

Practice these daily happiness habits

Brooks shares the daily habits of the happiest people. They focus on four areas: their faith or philosophy of life, their family, their friends, and their work. By prioritizing these areas, they create a strong foundation for happiness. However, Brooks warns against the overuse of technology, particularly screen time. Since 2012, there has been an increase in depression and anxiety among young adults. Brooks advises to “demand the truth of your brain” by focusing on what you are grateful for, rather than what you are resentful of.

Gratitude is a powerful tool for fostering happiness. By intentionally focusing on the positive elements in your life, you can counteract negative thoughts and emotions. This shift in mindset can have a significant impact on your mental health, making you feel more content and happy. 

Embrace the evolution of happiness

For high achievers, or “strivers,” the path to happiness can change as they age. These individuals often experience a decrease in enjoyment and satisfaction, particularly after retirement or after reaching career milestones. This is because they have a tendency to equate happiness with career success, which can lead to a sense of loss and dissatisfaction once those goals are no longer the primary focus. Shifting from a mindset of achieving tangible results to finding meaning in other aspects of life can be difficult but ultimately rewarding.

The key to maintaining an upward trajectory in your mental health is to adopt a holistic approach to happiness. This means recognizing that enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning are all interconnected parts of a fulfilling life. By pursuing new skills and experiences, you can learn to appreciate the value of failure and the growth that comes from it. This shift in perspective will allow you to find meaning in various aspects of your life, not just in career success.

The bottom line

• Gratitude is a powerful tool for increasing happiness as it helps overcome the negativity bias of the brain.
• The road to happiness lies on a road that goes through the neighborhood called unhappiness.
• By prioritizing faith, family, friends, and work you can create a strong foundation for happiness.

Want to learn more? Listen to the conversation with Arthur Brooks and WHOOP CEO and Founder Will Ahmed or watch it all.