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 So you've seen Dr. Happy speak - what do you do now?
If you're visiting this website because you've recently seen Dr. Happy (Dr. Timothy Sharp) speak or present a workshop, or maybe you've read or heard one of his regular appearances in the media, you might be thinking "What next?"
This simple, easy to read one-page summary will provide you with a few pointers and help you consider the range of options available.
So don't just think about being happy...make happiness an intergral part of your life. You'll never regret it!
The Greatest Resource in your organisation is your people
No matter what your position within your team or organisation, it's in your interest to find out what can be done to help everyone be as happy and functional and productive and efficient as possible.
This short document outlines our approach, here at The Happiness Institute, to organisational issues and Executive Coaching.
Read it, enjoy and feel free to contact us if you'd like to know more.
The Happiness Institute's "CHOOSE" Philosophy - 6 Powerful Positive Psychology Strategies
Everything we do here at The Happiness Institute is based on the philosophy that happiness is something you choose.
This is both a philosophy of self-responsibility and a mnemonic, representing the 6 key strategies we believe lead to real and meaningful happiness.
If you've seen Dr. Sharp speak and describe these key strategies then feel free to print this out as a reminder of his message.
Scientific Support for and benefits of Positive Psychology
Positive psychology, or the science of happiness, is not just a fad; nor is it pop-psychology or amateur self-help. It is a serious scientific discipline based on solid, empirical research. In this document are just a few of the more interesting and powerful findings including many of the potential benefits associated with happiness.
Happiness FAQs
Read Dr. Happy's responses to some of the more common questions he's frequently asked about The Happiness Institute and, more generally, happiness.
20 simple tips to be happy now
Download this free eBook with all of Dr. Happy's expertise and experience compressed in to 20 simple tips!
Choose to be happy - special report
This free special report will help you understand how damaging depression can be if you don't do anything about it. Just as, if not more importantly, it will also help you understand the 6 key strategies we believe will help you move towards living a happier life.
Happiness Increasing Techniques
Based on the fantastic work of Sonja Lyubomirsky, and loaded on to this site for International Happiness Day, these proven, effective and pratical tips are guaranteed to boost your happiness.
Read them, practice them, master them and...increase your happiness!
Daily Happiness Checklist
At The Happiness Institute we've been saying for quite a few years now that achieving happiness requires nothing more than practicing a few simple disciplines...every day.
Well, now we've developed a daily checklist to help you remember what it is you need to do!
Based on Dr. Sharp's extensive research and experience, this checklist will provide you with the framework for living a great life...every day. Read it; do it; and enjoy happiness because of it!
Weekly Happiness Action Plan
Achieving happiness requires nothing more than practicing a few simple disciplines on a daily basis.
To help you remember what to do, and to help you develop the discipline to focus on and to prioritise happiness related activities, Dr. Sharp has developed this simple but powerful tool.
Use it every week to clarify what's most important for your happiness, and experience the difference in no time at all!
What happy people do!
Achieving happiness requires nothing more than practising a few simple disciplines every day.
This practical resource lists some of the more effective happiness behaviours commonly used by real life happy people!
Use it and enjoy.
An Introduction to Coaching
Because coaching is relatively, and relatively unregulated, there are many myths and misconceptions about what it is and how it works.
This short article summarises coaching and explains the differences between life, business and executive coaching.
We hope you'll find it helpful.
The VIA Classification of Character Strengths
A vitally important component of our approach to happiness here at The Happiness Institute is helping individuals (and organisations) identify and utililse core strengths.
By doing so they find they're significantly more effective, enjoy life more and experience more "flow".
This happiness resource will help you start your journey towards finding your strengths...the next step is working out how to make the most of them!
The Happiness Institute's Guide to Utilising Your Strengths
Happiness stems, at least in part, from becoming more aware of and then fully utilising your core strengths (that is, your attributes, talents, positive characteristics and abilities).
Designed to accompany "The Happiness Institute's Signature Strength List" this "Guide to Utilising Your Strengths" provides some examples to get you thinking about how you can best make the most of our inner (or signature) strengths.
Have fun trying out some (or all) of the ideas proferred and have fun coming up with additional ideas!
The 7 Most Commonly Asked Questions About Happiness
Having seen treated and coached over 1000 individuals, presented to thousands more, worked with numerous organisations to improve morale and satisfaction, and conducted literally hundreds of media interviews, Dr. Sharp has answered his fair share of questions on happiness. In this free eBook, he responds to 7 of the most commonly asked questions with practical and succinct solutions. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful in your search for happiness. In fact, we're sure you will!
From Depression to Happiness in 7 Simple Steps
Although The Happiness Institute has been established with a positive focus very much in mind, we're well aware that many people are searching for happiness as a remedy for distress and depression. And the good news is that the best cure of unhappiness is happiness. In this short, free eBook we're happy to present 7 simple and practical tips to get you started on the path from depression to happiness. It is, we acknowledge, simply a starting point but there's no doubt it will provide a great start for those who're looking to move out of depression and into happiness.
Happiness - 10 Tips for Overcoming Worry
Many things can get in the way of happiness but one of the most common is worry. For some people, worry can be pervasive and highly distressing. Chronic worry and authentic happiness are basically mutually exclusive.
But the good news is that worry can be overcome with the application of a range of proven and effective strategies, many of which are introduced in this easy to read, free eBook. This publication will provide you with the knowledge to start combating worry, and once you get on top of worry you'll be well on the way to experiencing more happiness.
So find out how to beat those pervasive, negative thoughts - because life's too short not to be happy!
Resilience - maintaining happiness through the hard times
Life is not always smooth sailing and even the luckiest and best of us face hardships at times. At The Happiness Institute we strongly believe everyone can experience more happiness but we’re also realistic enough to know that no one will be 100% happy 100% of the time.
With this in mind we recognise that as humans, even as happy humans, we’ll experience a range of emotions (both positive and negative). Accordingly, we also believe that happiness is not just about enjoying the good times (although this is an important part of happiness) but in addition, happiness is also about working through the difficulties we all face from time to time.
Happy people tend to face these challenges more effectively; they’re more resilient…and not surprisingly, resilience breeds happiness. So next time you’re experiencing difficulties or facing adversity or struggling with challenges, try the following resilience tips tested and recommended by The Happiness Institute.
Healthy lifestyle tips for happiness
It's hard to be happy if you are, literally, sick and tired all the time.
There's no doubt that health is an important component of happiness.
This short tip sheet summarises some key strategies for living a healthy (and therefore a happy) life.
Read, enjoy and most importantly (for your happiness) put the strategies into practice!
Building Positive Relationships
There's no doubt that happy people have both more and better quality relationships.
This brief summary outlines The Happiness Institute's simple but effective "SUPPORT" model which can be applied to enhancing your personal and professional relationships.
Happiness and Work Life Balance
There's no doubt that for many of us work is an important component of our lives. At the same time, however, it should not be everything.
For most people, happiness comes from achieving at least a semblance of balance and the good news is that although not always easy, it is possible.
This article summarises some key points to keep in mind while striving to achieve work life balance. We hope you'll find it helpful.
Examples of Unhelpful Thinking
Automatic Negative Thoughts are one of the most destructive forces working against happiness. Understanding them will help you take the first step towards changing them. This simple tip sheet provides examples of some of the more common (and damaging) types of unhelpful thoughts. Read and review them, then consider the "Managing Unhelpful Thoughts" Resource.
Managing Unhelpful Thinking
Unhelpful thoughts can literally destroy happiness and contribute to depression, stress and anxiety (not to mention an array of other problems such as relationship difficulties). The good news is that they can be beaten and this practical tip sheet provides a simple process for getting rid of negative thought patterns.
Effective Behaviour Change
Most people know what they “should” do to live a healthy and happy life. To be fitter and healthier, for example, everyone knows they should eat less fat/sugar/salt, eat more fruit and vegetables, and exercise more. The reality is it’s not rocket science. But why, then, do so few people do these things well?
The answer is because so few people have an effective system in place. If you want to develop healthier habits try these simple, but powerful strategies.
100 Ways to Happiness
Check out this summary of Dr. Sharp's very popular book...
The good news is that achieving happiness is not a herculean task. It doesn’t require expensive therapy or years of self-examination. Often it is about fine tuning our thoughts and putting in place some simple daily practices.
Dr Sharp draws on the latest research into the science of happiness and presents it here in 100 bite-sized chunks of inspiration and instruction. Read it from cover to cover, or dip in and out for a regular dose of happiness training. Learn how to increase your happiness levels by:
• improving your physical health
• counting our blessings
• nurturing positive relationships
• becoming a giver
• better managing your time
Accessible, informative and funny, 100 Ways to Happiness encourages us to regard happiness as something that is achievable, manageable and hugely enhancing to the lives we live now.
100 Ways to Happy Children
Check out this great summary of Dr. Sharp's very popular book...
As parents we know that nothing is more important to us than the happiness of our children. But how can we confidently teach them to find happiness when it's often such a struggle to achieve it in our own lives?
Psychologist and father of two Dr Timothy Sharp shows us how to give our children the best opportunities to live happy lives. Drawing on the latest research into positive psychology – 'the science of happiness' – he walks us through issues such as:
- being a good (happy) role model
- promoting physical health
- setting boundaries
- negotiating school and learning
- dealing with challenging behaviour
- creating family time
- celebrating individual qualities
Packed with anecdotes, 100 Ways to Happy Children is the perfect guide for busy parents wanting to rethink their way through the roller-coaster ride of raising children. Read it from cover to cover or dip in and out for a dose of inspiration as you deal with the daily trials and joys of the most important job in the world.
Men's Health Article - Live on the Bright Side
Enjoy this feature article from Men's Health magazine in which journalist, Ben Jhoty, test runs some of the core positive psychology strategies recommended by our very own, Dr. Happy and The Happiness Institute. This is a great example of someone putting the principles of positive psychology into action in a very real way...it's also enjoyable and funny to read!
Positive Psychology - 10 Ways to beat the Recession Blues
Enjoy this article from ipac's client magazine.
Building Resilience - Using Positive Psychology to Get Through Tough Times (Free Webinar Slides)
No matter who you are or what you do you will, at some stage in your life, be forced to face adversity. Resilience is that very special thing that allows some people to face adversity more effectively, to bounce back more quickly and to more easily find solutions to difficulties and problems.
The good news is that resilience can be learned; it can be developed. Once you know the strategies that make up resilience you can practice them and just like any other skills, the more you practice them the better you get; the more resilient you become the more able you are to get through those difficult times and enjoy the good times.
In this free webinar, The Happiness Institute's highly regarded founder, clinical and coaching psychologist Dr. Timothy Sharp, will present a number of simple but powerful strategies for building your resilience and for coping with challenges.
The Happiness Diet in MindFood Magazine
In the January/February 2011 Edition of MindFood Magazine (published in December 2010) The Happiness Diet was featured on the cover and in a two-page feature article. Including interviews with Prof. Sharp (aka Dr. Happy), the creator of the positive psychology coaching program, as well as Catherine Warren, one of the participants in the SBS Documentary that featured The Happiness Diet (The House of Food Obsessives), the article makes for some good reading and offers hope to the many who experience eating and weight issues. We're happy to attach the article here for your reading pleasure.
Qld Flood Resilience Webinar
On January 20, 2011, Prof. Sharp presented a free webinar outlining a range of positive psychology strategies to help build resilience and to assist those in Qld, NSW and VIC to cope with the devastation of recent floods. We're somewhat disappointed that the audio recording of this webinar failed BUT we're very happy to publish and to make freely available here, his PowerPoint slides which include all of the main points presented. We hope you find this useful and we're more than happy for you to share this with family, friends and colleagues (anyone you think might be interested).
The primacy of positivity - applications in a coaching context
Prof. Sharp recently had this article published in Coaching: an International Journal of theory, research & practice.
Coaches generally assume that their clients will be happy after they’ve achieved their goals, which is not an unreasonable assumption, and which is a belief shared by the majority of clients. It may not, however, be helpful as it will be argued in this paper that such an approach may well contribute to a phenomenon labelled as the ‘tyranny of when’ and also to a range of problems including negative, self defeating emotions such as frustration. As an alternative, the author proposes that rather than waiting until success is achieved, happiness and positivity should come first and foremost. By promoting the ‘primacy of positivity’ coaches can help their clients achieve their goalsby capitalising on the significant findings of Fredrickson, Lyubomirsky and others and by leveraging off the energy and motivation created.
Cleo Article - July 2011
Are you Happy?
It may seem like a simple question, but the answer can be trickier to work out than an advanced Sudoku puzzle.
More than just owning the latest Zara threads (although, that is nice!), happiness is an overall state of mind that isn't altered by our environment. Research has shown that happiness has less to do with circumstances and more to do with genetics and, most importantly, the way we choose to think about ourselves and the world.
Australian Cosmetic Surgery Magazine Article
Beautifully Confident
The right attitude to beauty and understanding it objectively can help you live each day confidently and positively.
Jessica Rule reports.
Body + Soul and Empower Articles. June 2011
Dr Happy speaks in several publications on how to choose to be happy, as well as providing come everyday tips for how to achieve it.
From Body + Soul - Winter 2011 and emPOWER - Winter 2011
The primacy of positivity – applications in an educational context
Teachers often assume that their students will be happy, engaged, and well-behaved in school after they’ve achieved some of their academic goals. While this is not an unreasonable assumption – shared by teachers and students alike - it may not, however, be helpful. It is argued in this paper that such an approach may well contribute to a phenomenon labelled the “tyranny of when” and also to a range of problems including negative, self-defeating emotions such as frustration, boredom and disengagement. As an alternative, the authors propose that rather than waiting until success is achieved, the skills of happiness and positivity should in fact be taught first and foremost. By promoting the “primacy of positivity” educators can help students achieve their goals by capitalising on the significant findings of Fredrickson, Lyubomirsky, Cornelius and others and by leveraging off the energy and motivation created.
MXActive Article 19/10/2011
Smile High Club - An article explaining The Happiness Diet in MXActive section of MX Sydney on Monday 19/10/2011
The Happiness Diet - 10 Tips
Whereas most diets propose that if you lose weight then you’ll be happy; The Happiness Diet proposes that if you get happy first then you’ll lose weight!
A Positive Approach - Fernwood Magazine Nov-Dec 2011
By Diana Timmins
If you are struggling to lose weight, stop right now! Instead turn your efforts to making yourself happy - the results may surprise you!
Article from Fernwood Magazine Nov-Dec 2011.
Making Australia Happy - Couples
Making Australia Happy - Couples. Casting Call
Grown Up Wisdom - Good Health Feb2012
Grown Up Wisdom - By Bonnie Cleaver
From the Good Psychology lift-out of Good Health, Feb 2012
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