The Psychogenyx News Feed

Many successful professionals struggle to enjoy their accomplishments. Our brains’ reward system, especially the neurotransmitter dopamine, drives us to achieve goals and rewards us with a great sense of pleasure when we do. But that pleasure is short lived, as our brains are hardwired to also seek balance from extreme emotional states. That leaves us with an empty longing to repeat whatever experience brought us that pleasure in the first place. This ostensibly addictive cycle throws our “enoughness” barometers completely out of whack, preventing us from being able to objectively gauge if what we’ve achieved is, in fact, satisfying. That’s why, although most of us intuitively know that happiness isn’t realized from the pursuit of money, status, or fame, we can’t stop ourselves from trying. If you really want lasting satisfaction in life, you’ll need to relearn your approach to finding it. The author presents several strategies.

In this excerpt from The Gap and the Gain, authors Benjamin P. Hardy and Dan Sullivan say if you think that “happiness” and “success” are something you “pursue” and will have in your future, then you’re in trouble. You’re making yourself and others around you miserable.

Serena Williams feels ‘no happiness’ retiring — just like many people who leave careers they love

Former Google scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz joins the Next Big Idea podcast to share data on happiness and more from his book, Don't Trust Your Gut

It may seem simple, but it bears repeating: sleep, gratitude and helping other people.

In one of the happiest countries in the world, the compulsory teaching of empathy within the school system contributes to the happiness of the country. In schools there is an hour of “Klassens tid”, where students, aged 6 to 16, talk about their problems and the whole class tries to find a solution