Ta-da! Here’s the one-minute video for my new book, Happier at Home, on “Ten ways to be happier at home.” Some of the “ways” are serious; some are a bit goofy.

Thanks so much to Chris Gelles who created it.

What do you think? What strategies would you add?

If seeing this book trailer made you think, “Goodness, Gretchen, I want to pre-order Happier at Home right this minute,” then here are the links you need! Pre-orders are a big help to me, so thanks for pre-ordering.

If you want to know more about the book, you can…

read about it;

listen to an excerpt from the audio-book;

sample an excerpt from the chapter on “Time.”

Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent raised by a reader. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we’re also plagued by those small but pesky Pigeons of Discontent.

This week’s Pigeon of Discontent, suggested by a reader, is:  “I catch other people’s bad moods.”

 

Do you notice my Bluebird of Happiness mug? My sister gave that to me for Christmas. I wanted to give it a cameo!

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…

Are you annoyed by excessively cheery people? Or extremely gloomy people?

A new study shows that happiness is contagious.

7 strategies for coping with an irritable sweetheart or spouse.

Have you found any helpful ways to insulate yourself against other people’s bad moods? I find it really tough to do.

Each week this year, I’m posting a video about some Pigeon of Discontent that a reader has raised in the comments. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we’re also plagued by the Pigeons of Discontent.

These aren’t the major happiness challenges that we face, but rather, those little nagging problems that settle into roost.

I’m constantly surprised by what a big happiness boost I can get from small changes. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible.” Tackling small nuisances has a big influence on my day.

What Pigeon of Discontent is messing with you lately? Please post your suggestions below, as fodder for possible future videos. If you’d like to see previous Pigeon videos, you can find them here.

Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent raised by a reader. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we’re also plagued by those small but pesky Pigeons of Discontent.

This week’s Pigeon of Discontent, suggested by a reader, is: “I’m a severe under-buyer.“

 

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…

Quiz: Are you an over-buyer or an under-buyer?

9 tips to avoid over-spending.

Beware the snare of the linen cocktail napkin.

How about you? Would you describe yourself as an under-buyer or an over-buyer? Most people are somewhere in between, but if you’re clearly in one camp, you probably realize that very well about yourself.  Have you found any good strategies to deal with it? I know a married couple where one is an under-buyer and the other is an over-buyer. It’s quite funny to watch them in action.

You can post your own Pigeon of Discontent at any time; also, from time to time, I’ll make a special call for suggestions.

You can check out the archives of videos here. Crazy fact: I just realized that my YouTube channel has had more than a million views. Zoikes.

A few months ago, I gave a talk at the TEDxNewHaven on “Five Half-Truths About Happiness.”

To give you a preview, the half-truths are…

Hell is other people.

Happiness is all in your head.

A messy kitchen is too insignificant to matter to my happiness.

Happiness should make you feel happy.

One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. 

The truths are true, but they’re only half true, and in this talk, I try to shine a spotlight on both halves of these truths. Do two half-truths make a whole truth? It’s like that old joke, “Two wrongs don’t make a right, but two Wrights make an airplane.”

Each week, I post a video about some Pigeon of Discontent raised by a reader. Because, as much as we try to find the Bluebird of Happiness, we’re also plagued by those small but pesky Pigeons of Discontent.

This week’s Pigeon of Discontent, suggested by a reader, is: “How should I organize my notes?“

 

But, as I reveal in the video, I don’t have a good solution for organizing notes. I have the most basic of systems. (Though I should have noted that in addition to my catch-all “Notes” document, I do have enormous, dedicated “notes” documents for each of my book subject–happiness, Churchill, JFK, etc.)  I would love to hear from readers who have a system that’s more refined!

If you want to read more about this resolution, check out…

In which I acknowledge that a key to happiness, for me, is taking notes.

Be Gretchen. Make strange lists, for fun.

7 tips I use to spark my creativity.

So, how about you? Do you love to take notes? Handwritten or on the computer? If you’ve found a good system, please share.

You can post your own Pigeon of Discontent at any time; also, from time to time, I’ll make a special call for suggestions.

You can check out the archives of videos here.