Savannah Watson

I was assigned to read this book for my university freshman honors seminar (which was basically a class dedicated to teaching honors students time management and habit-forming skills). Starting in middle school through the end of university (and even a little after that), I struggled with my mental health, so being assigned to read a book about happiness felt appropriate – I needed all the advice I could get on the subject. The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor introduced me to positive psychology at 17. At 24, I pulled it off the shelf and decided to read it again because of my deep interest in the field.

Historically, the field of psychology has focused on the abnormal – psychoses, disorders, and all of the things that make humans not “normal”. Positive psychology emerged much more recently and looks at how to improve life and maximize potential by rewiring our brains for positive thinking.

In The Happiness Advantage, Achor explains that repeated studies have proven that humans perform better when they are positive, not negative, or even neutral. He talks about how positivity can improve both your work and personal life and give you a competitive edge in the workplace, as science proves that people who are positive are more productive, can work longer without burnout, and feel more fulfilled. He discusses ways to improve positivity, such as meditation, exercise, conscious acts of kindness, and more. He also breaks down his book into seven principles of actionable patterns that help with success and achievement that he discovered through his research.

The Happiness Advantage is a well-researched, practicable, and enjoyable read. Achor talks about his and other related research and how to apply positive psychology in a practical way – and his commentary throughout is highly amusing, in my opinion. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in psychology or anyone just looking for practical, happiness-based self-improvement.

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