I have observed lately that many of my patients are investing in and achieving regular, well-rounded exercise routines, great nutrition through balanced, wholesome foods, and good sleep hygiene. 

However, despite all of this, they are not happy, nor would they describe themselves as happy.

As an Osteopath, I consider the whole patient, both physical and mental wellbeing, and one thing is true: if you are not happy, you will not be healthy. Read that again. It is a harsh, blatant and raw truth.

Before I go on, I know that being happy 100% of the time is not achievable. 

I also know, as an NLP Coach Practitioner, that happiness is a state we can tap into at any time. 

Let’s test that now. Recall a moment in time when you were truly happy. Close your eyes and settle into your body in that moment. See what you saw. Hear what you heard. Open your eyes. 

You can feel that happiness rising inside, can’t you?

This proves that we already have the raw ingredients within us to feel happiness. 

However, adult life can make happiness feel momentary and sometimes even elusive, and, as we briefly considered above, this will absolutely have a negative impact on our health and wellbeing.

There are many books and incredible resources aimed at helping us boost our happiness baseline, and we will be sticking with this theme over the next few months with a deeper dive into two books. 

The first is The Happiness Advantage. I decided to begin here because working adults spend most of their day at work, and if work is not a positive space and place, this will inevitably affect their personal lives, too.

In his incredibly well-researched book, Shawn Achor explores and explains his seven principles for fuelling success at work. 

One simple example is writing down three good things that happened at the end of each day, or three things you are grateful for. 

Doing this quite literally rewires the brain to notice and seize more opportunities, while also boosting your baseline happiness levels.

There are also many practical tips on time management and efficiency, helping the reader achieve a healthier work-life balance. 

Shawn also discusses the importance of scheduling time for fun and highlights the huge value of social connection and investment in relationships.

Whether, like me, you run your own business as a solopreneur, manage a small team, or are the CEO of a sizeable company, I would encourage you to listen to what Shawn Achor has to say about fuelling success at work. 

He proves beyond a doubt that success does not create happiness. In fact, it is happiness that fuels success.

Wishing you a happy, healthy day,
Emily

You may also be interested in:

• Atomic Habits 
• The Slight Edge  
• High on Life  
• Outlive  
• Why We Sleep