Watched this video last night by the Harvard professor who teaches the most popular course ever at Harvard – Happiness 101.

It’s over an hour, so you probably won’t have time to watch it at work, but I thought I’d summarize it.

Basically it comes down to taking care of yourself.

1) Emotions – allow yourself to be human. Often we experience “bad” emotions that we want to suppress. But any feeling we try to suppress comes out in other ways. When you allow yourself to experience the feeling, you’ll get over it more quickly.

2) Exercise – our bodies need it, and it’s one of the best things you can do if you feel down.

3) Meditation – our minds need rest. Studies show that meditating for 15 minutes a day is enough to change the chemistry of your brain and make you happier.

4) Stress – it’s something we can’t avoid. The problem isn’t stress, but lack of adequate RECOVERY that can cause health problems and emotional issues. Give yourself breaks to rest. Take 5-10 minute breaks every hour or two while working. Get enough sleep at night, and take adequate vacation time. (Short, medium and long-term recovery)

5) Gratitude – take some time each day to appreciate the good things in your life, and that will actually cause those good things to increase.