On Wednesday night I went to a talk by Tal Ben-Shahar, Harvard lecturer and author of several powerful books including Happier and the Pursuit of Perfect.  Tal began his journey as a computer science major at Harvard.  He was a successful person living a well-rounded life, but he wasn't happy.  Tal set out to find out why.

Having studied psychology, philosophy and organizational behavior, Tal designed a course on the science of happiness at Harvard.  The first class began with only six students, but in two years the student roster grew to 900.  It is now the most popular course at Harvard and in the hundreds of universities that offer similar classes.

Why are we so unhappy?  According to Tal, we are in a stress pandemic.

Stress on its own is not a bad thing; in small doses it builds our strength and resilience.  Constant stress, however, is a problem.

Some of the costs of stress:

• Depression and reduced ability to function
• Decreased creativity
  
• 80% of physical ailments result from stress
• Stress is the #1 reason for missing work
  

Some practical solutions to manage stress:

• Stop multitasking.  The quantity of what you do affects the quality of what you do.
• Spend more time with friends and family, the #1 generator of happiness.
• Build in regular resting periods into your life:
  
• Take regular breaks in your work schedule.
  
• Get enough sleep every night, and take off at least one day per week.
  
• Take vacations every 6 months or so.
• Take three deep breaths into your belly as a way to relax your body.
  
• Exercise at least three times per week for half an hour.
  
• Focus on the positive, be grateful for the good things in your life.

There is much more to say about each of these areas, but Friday is a day I set aside to relax each week.  I'll be blogging more on each of these areas throughout the upcoming week.  Check back for a worksheet on reducing stress at work. 

And remember to take the time to recharge this weekend.  You'll be grateful you did.