With thanks to Prof. Dan Bowling and the Careerist blog, here are 10 tips for lawyers (or anyone else) trying to maximize their happiness:

1.  Play to Your Strengths. The research is overwhelming that you are happiest when you use your strengths and personality in your work.

2. Choose Optimism. Optimism can be learned. Start by challenging your own thoughts. Pessimists develop negative thinking patterns, such as believing that a bad outcome is a career ender.  Optimists perceive every setback as temporary.

3. Keep Perspective. The universe doesn’t revolve around you and your worries.  Life goes on.

4. Keep Moving.  Your DNA comes from those early humans who could outrun prehistoric predators. The sit-around types became dinner and didn’t pass on their genes. Take frequent breaks and walk around. Get some air and sunlight.

5. Be Sociable. One psychologist defines happiness as  “Other people matter.” Pay attention to your old buddies from school, your family, the person next door. Go to reunions. Or at least happy hour every now and then.

6. Practice Gratitude. And thank those friends of yours. Studies show that people who express gratitude to others, and have a sense of thankfulness for the good things in life, experience much higher levels of well-being than those who don’t.

7. Be Resilient.   Cultivate thinking patterns to help navigate through life’s inevitable challenges.

8. Pause/Meditate. Focus on what you are doing. Block everything else out in your mind other than this present moment. Take a deep breath. And another. Relax.  There is abundant evidence that a few moments of mindfulness, or simple meditation, during the workday brings significant health and happiness benefits.

9. Keep a Sense of Humor. And work around people who do. Humans are biologically programmed for fun and play.

10. Make Work a Calling–or Get Out. There is work, and there are callings. The happiest people find both at the same place.  Don’t stay in a job you hate.

Happiness