As The Sentimentalist and Pless Productions have grown – I’ve found myself regularly needing a second set of hands to help with photography, social media, and writing. Having graduated from Greenwich Academy and because I have stayed in touch quite closely with the school, I am well aware of the caliber of student they are educating. The girls I have met from my alma mater are curious, motivated, super-intelligent, and have beautiful people-skills. That’s why when I decided it was time to hire an intern I went right to Greenwich Academy to start my search. Last summer I had a fabulous young woman helping me and this summer I’ve found someone just as impressive. Katherine Du won’t be graduating from high school for 2 more years but she has a composure and work ethic that would put most post-grads to shame. I’m thrilled to have her on The Sentimentalist team and I look forward to sharing her wisdom with you in the months to come. Today she’s written a great piece that looks at three ways to increase your daily happiness quota. I can’t wait to take a peek at each of the sources she recommends. Welcome Katherine, thanks for sharing!
How to Get Happy: By Katherine Du, Intern at The Sentimentalist
As the dog days of summer gently unwind, I’ve latched onto three resources that make me happier every day. I was eager to share them on The Sentimentalist so that our readers can also take advantage of these great resources. This book, website, and app are ones you need to have on your radar!
1. The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
A leading pioneer of positive psychology, Shawn Achor has inspired millions with his mantra “Happiness before success”. His internationally renowned TED talk has reached over 11 million viewers, and while his Harvard-doused resume may be up there in the skies, his prose in The Happiness Advantage is candid, accessible, and surprisingly down-to-earth. At 256 pages of decently sized font, this is a pretty short read, but I prefer to whip out my earbuds and listen to the Audible version before falling asleep every night. Achor not only offers tips (that work) on creating a happier you, but also backs his advice up with fascinating psych experiments conducted over the years. If his success formula can aid thousands of Fortune 500 execs in 42 countries, it can help you too.
2. Penzu
This free online journal/diary is where I write about all that is happening in my world. I touch type, so digitally typing out my thoughts is infinitely more convenient than journaling pen-and-paper style. Penzu also lets you add photos to daily entries, and if you ever crave a lovely paper texture and ink-riddled scent, the print button is only a second away. Also wonderful are Penzu’s optional and frequency-adjustable email blasts reminding you to journal. Spontaneously reading over past entries (and follies) always brings a smile to my face.
3. SelfControl
SelfControl is a free Mac productivity app that blocks whatever websites you specify for a certain amount of time. After you edit your blacklist, set a period of blocking time, and press “Start,” those sites will be blocked even if you restart your computer or delete the app. So if you ever find procrastination creeping in, switch on SelfControl, and you’ll conquer whatever you wanted to push off. I, for one, am always happy when I settle down at the end of a fruitful day.
Leave a Comment