{"id":72283,"date":"2022-07-11T10:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T14:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=72283"},"modified":"2022-07-19T10:28:06","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T14:28:06","slug":"habits-of-happy-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/habits-of-happy-people\/","title":{"rendered":"The Habits of Happy People: Acceptance and Self-Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What habits can make you happier? What everyday choices can you make to find greater satisfaction in life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naval Ravikant believes that happiness is a choice<\/a>. The right habits will make that choice stick. Ravikant outlines several habits relating to acceptance and self-care that he argues are essential to finding contentment in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s unpack these habits of happy people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Habits of Happy People<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first thing you have to do is simply decide<\/em> to be happy. You can\u2019t wait for external circumstances to become what you want or seek to change them\u2014you need to be OK with them as they are. This isn\u2019t easy to do, but Ravikant believes that by cultivating the right habits you can make it easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: While experts in the study of happiness (a field called positive psychology<\/a>) agree that happiness is partly a choice, they add nuance to that idea by emphasizing that it\u2019s not enough to only<\/em> choose\u2014you have to also act<\/em> in intentional ways<\/a>. For example, choosing to be happy, according to experts, involves practicing kindness toward others, focusing on activities you enjoy, and expressing gratitude regularly<\/a>. The intention<\/em> to be happy should be followed by these kinds of actions<\/em> to have the best result.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Ravikant, we\u2019ve all developed habits we haven\u2019t thought about\u2014these habits tend to make us dependent on external circumstances. Maybe we always have coffee in the morning, or we listen to talk radio on our commute, for example. Over time, we end up needing<\/em> that cup of coffee to feel well, or we end up craving the feeling of agitation we get from talk radio. Ravikant suggests that we need to replace these thoughtless habits with better ones. He outlines several habits of happy people that relate to acceptance and self-care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Ravikant isn\u2019t alone in thinking that your habits affect your well-being. Happiness expert Gretchen Rubin<\/a> dedicated an entire book to the idea that your habits can be used to influence your happiness<\/a>. She suggests that you can build habits that work for you if you first understand your basic tendencies<\/a>. For example, if you\u2019re motivated by meeting deadlines, you might find that setting deadlines for your fitness goals helps you build sustainable routines. If you try to form habits in a way that doesn\u2019t fit with your inclinations, you may get frustrated when it proves too difficult to establish them.)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acceptance Habits <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One habit Ravikant advocates is acceptance<\/em>. Acceptance is simply being content with a circumstance no matter what\u2014it\u2019s a kind of freedom<\/em>. As he sees it, it\u2019s freedom from<\/em> things like frustration, expectation, desire, and so on. Practicing acceptance will help you find contentment. In particular, practice the habit of acceptance in two areas of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Ravikant, the best way to accept yourself as you are<\/a> is to simply accept your mortality<\/a>: Life is short. Even the greatest cultures of the ancient world passed away, their accomplishments all but forgotten. When you recognize the brevity and insignificance of all things, you\u2019ll be less inclined to obsess over who you are<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One other way to accept yourself is to stop obsessing over what others think of you\u2014what they expect you to do or achieve, for instance. Do what you<\/em> want to do. The sooner you start pursuing your genuine interests, the sooner you\u2019ll experience happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second area of life in which you need to practice acceptance relates to the circumstances you face. When you face circumstances that aren\u2019t what you want, Ravikant says you have three options: change<\/em> them, leave<\/em> them, or accept <\/em>them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-Care Habits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The second type of habit Ravikant suggests is self-care<\/em>. This type of habit encompasses several practices that can help keep your body and mind conditioned to support your happiness. You should care for your body<\/a> by eating well, exercising, conditioning your immune system, and exercising self-control when it comes to sugar, alcohol, drugs, etc. You should care for your mind<\/a> by meditating, learning, maintaining social contact, and living in the present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise: Prepare to Build Happiness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Happiness, to Ravikant, involves caring for both your mind and your body. In this exercise, you\u2019ll consider how you can take steps on both fronts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n