Creating Happiness
by Angélica Ribeiro
About Angelica
I am someone who not only loves to learn but also to put into practice new knowledge. This love for learning ended up taking me to a happier life. After putting into practice what I learned about the science of happiness, I had such amazing results that I decided to write two books: Running into Happiness, from the perspective of a graduate student, and How to Create Happiness at Work, from the perspective of a full-time employee.
As a researcher, writer, and teacher, I can’t keep all this knowledge to myself. I need to share it. Currently, I work as a professor in higher education and help others benefit from my happiness research.
My happiness journey helped me
• develop more self-knowledge;
• identify what makes me happier;
• take responsibility for my happiness;
• better control my stress;
• feel more courageous, especially when facing
challenging situations;
• live a more purposeful and mindful life; and
• create long-lasting happiness.
I want you to benefit from my happiness research by sharing what I have learned from the science of happiness.
Benefits of Happiness
Happiness is more than feeling good. Research has shown that happy people
• are more creative;
• are more resilient;
• are more interested in others;
• are more likable;
• are more altruistic;
• are more productive;
• are more helpful;
• are friendlier;
• are healthier;
• are better prepared to handle difficult moments;
• boost the happiness of those around them;
• make better friends, colleagues, and citizens; and
• have a positive mind, which increases intelligence,
energy, and creativity.
The good news is that we can control some of our happiness. As Sonja Lyubomirsky alerted us in her book The How of Happiness, the difference among people’s happiness can be explained by their genetic makeup (about 50 percent), life circumstances (about 10 percent), and behavior (about 40 percent). It means that we may not be 100 percent in control of our happiness, but we can still control a great portion. It is up to us to spend the 40 percent that is in our control on choices that will lead us to a happier life.
I am here to help you create more happiness in your everyday life.
Books & Journal
If you are like most people, you have a busy life juggling work, school, family, friends, and other commitments. Such a life may lead you to feel more stressed and less happy, especially because you may not even have time to find out how to cultivate happiness amid a busy life. Don’t worry. I did the work for you, with amazing results. Running into Happiness and How to Create Happiness at Work show how you can consciously create happiness in your busy everyday schedule-at work and outside of work.
Based on the teachings of eminent positive psychologists, Running into Happiness and How to Create Happiness at Work share my journey toward happiness while offering the tools I used to improve my mood, my energy level, and my life. You can find most of those tools in My Happiness Habit Journal. Following My Happiness Habit Journal helps you identify what makes you happy while developing self-knowledge and personal responsibility for your own emotions.
No one is happy all the time, but consciously working toward happiness increases how often you feel joy and contentment.
Shawn Achor
NYTimes bestselling author of Big Potential and The Happiness Advantage
Tal Ben-Shahar
Bestselling author of Happier, The Pursuit of Perfect, and Choose the Life You Want
Celestino Fernández
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Arizona,
International speaker on Happiness
Patricia Goodson
Professor at Texas A&M University and author of Becoming an Academic Writer
“Angelica Ribeiro’s book reminds us how changing our habits can powerfully change our response to the world. In the midst of all the anxiety and pressure we are seeing in education, we need more people like Angelica who help take positive research and bring it to life.”
“Angelica Ribeiro beautifully merges between the personal and the general, between storytelling and scientific evidence. This book is an accessible guide, a practical blueprint, to a happier life.”
“Angelica Ribeiro’s book is a clear and powerful testament to how working to become happier can change our lives for the better, as well as the lives of those around us.
The book and accompanying journal offer a straight-forward approach to becoming happier that others can easily follow.
Be happy and thrive!”
“Written by a brilliant graduate student, Angelica Ribeiro, for her peers (and for anyone else struggling to find happiness in routines and challenges), this book is a gem. It provides both a rare glimpse into academic training and a concrete toolbox for establishing healthy mental and emotional habits."
A Tip to Help You Create Happiness
Do you include moments of downtime in your routine? If you don’t, you should consider time for unplugging. Read on to know why.
To avoid burnout, I make sure to include downtime in my schedule. Besides helping us avoid feelings of burnout, downtime can increase our productivity, improve our work performance, and make us more creative.
Arianna Huffington and Marina Khidekel encourage us to have some downtime. In their book Your Time to Thrive, they write, “People perform better—and can stay in the game longer—when the work process includes time for unplugging and recharging.”
Taking the time to unplug and recharge can not only recharge our energy but also strengthen our relationships. Some of my favorite moments of downtime are my weekly calls to my friend Vanessa and my cousin Stephanie.
What about you?
What's one thing you can do to include moments of downtime in your routine?
Get in Touch & Sign up
Do you want to
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sign up for tips and resources to help you create happiness in your everyday life?
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get information about a workshop on how to use happiness strategies to manage stress, create a positive mindset, and build good habits?
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share comments, suggestions, or ask questions?
I'd love to hear from you!
Don’t wait for something good to happen in your life to feel happy.
Create your own happiness!
