Raising Happiness

Science for Joyful Kids and Happier Parents

Tuesday Tip: Slow Down

March 29, 2011 | Tuesday Tips | 0 comments

One thing you can do today to be happier.

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Stop rushing around. For one day, try not to hurry yourself OR your children.

Slowing down in our fast-paced world—even just for a day—can bring deep feelings of relaxation and joy. Take each moment just as it is today, being mindful of your thoughts and your emotions. Feel the urge to rush? Worry that you’re going to be late? Simply notice the anxiety that has washed over you, and bring your attention to your breath, focusing on a deep exhalation.

Often, greater attention to the present moment can help us stay focused on the task at hand, decreasing our need to rush from one thing to the next.

Welcome to our first edition of Tuesday Tips! I hope you enjoy this new feature of the Raising Happiness Blog. (Seen this tip before? It is being cross-posted on Red Tricycle, an online newsletter for parents that you might like.)

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About this Blog

I’m Christine Carter, Ph.D, a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. This blog is mostly science-based parenting advice: since I’m reading all the research related to raising happy children anyway, I thought we might as well make it useable to parents. My intention is to bring a scientific framing (what does the research actually say?) to our opinion-based parenting debates and advice. Sorting fact from fiction can be confusing when it comes to parenting.

This blog is also about me and my children. It represents the intersection of my brain and my heart: my intellectual training in the social sciences and my very real, sometimes raw, experiences as a mother.

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