Procrastination is derived from a Latin word “procrastinare” which means until the next day. Procrastination is the tendency of delaying a task until the last possible minute. We all know how badly human beings are affected by this phenomenon. Psychological studies suggest that people procrastinate when they have a flawed sense of time or use procrastination as a coping mechanism by averting tasks that they think are distasteful and boring.

As we progress through life, happiness seems to become increasingly distant. We desperately look for ways to feel good and be happier, and fail to realize that we don’t need to look any further than within ourselves to be at peace. As clichéd as that sounds, we develop some unhealthy thinking habits that get in the way of that realization. How can we change that? Here are some habits through which we can change our perceptions and arrive at the simple truth: we don’t need to achieve happiness, we just need to discover it within ourselves.

Positive thinking can be an integral part of your stress management toolkit and it can improve your health. Studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. [1] [2] [3]

In the article “Whistle while you work: the link between happiness and success” I mentioned that one of my top 5 ways to stay positive was to focus on breathing. A great practice to incorporate breathing work into your daily schedule is through meditation.

Persuade and influence: Persuasion is a key element of everyday dealings with customers and clients. For a good primer on how to influence others and the importance of finding common ground, check out the animated video below. It outlines the Universal Principles of Persuasion, as based on the research of Dr. Robert Cialdini.

Dr. Cialdini & Steve Martin are co-authors (together with Dr. Noah Goldstein) of the New York Times Bestseller — Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Persuasive.

Dr. Cialdini’s six shortcuts: reciprocity, scarcity, authority, consistency, liking, and consensus are a means of implementing what he calls…

The short answer: Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. This state is comprised of short-term emotions and long-term patterns.

“Psychological well-being is usually conceptualised as some combination of positive affective states (the hedonic perspective) and functioning with optimal effectiveness in individual and social life (the eudaimonic perspective) (Deci & Ryan 2008).[1]”

Understanding the two perspectives: the hedonic & the eudaimonic

The Hedonic Perspective
The name derives from the Greek word for pleasure, “hēdonē”.

“Equating well-being with hedonic pleasure or happiness has a long history. Hedonism…

Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen an increasing trend of linking happiness and success. And it seems rational that successful people would be happy, but research shows that it is really a two way street — that happy people are more successful. In fact, happiness often precedes success. Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California, Riverside, has released some of the most relevant findings on this correlation.

“Positive job characteristics can also enhance positive affect concurrently, which suggests that a bidirectional relationship of mutually reinforcing variables may exist. …