I am in no way an expert on mental health or happiness, but then again I don’t think anyone is. We all have our daily external and internal struggles, some to a different degree than others, but that’s what makes us human.
Recently, I had a “mental breakdown” (or whatever you want to call it) regarding the future, careers, friendships, academics and/or relationships. Everything seemed to build up in this one week and I could feel myself spinning downward. I knew something needed to be done but I wasn’t sure where to start.
Life works in weird ways: that same week Western was hosting Wellness Week, where a group of services on campus teamed up to host campaigns and events for mental health awareness. One of the main events was their keynote speaker Neil Pasricha, author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. I read about the event while scrolling through my Facebook timeline and decided that it might be my first step to fix whatever was going on. I had heard good things about his first book, but I hadn’t read it.
Neil’s talk was seriously what I needed. As a Harvard MBA graduate and former Director of Leadership Development at one of the world’s largest companies, Walmart, he already had my respect. He kept it through his presentation of research-based ways to improve your happiness. He discussed the ability we have to control a large portion of our happiness. He brought seemingly obvious and logical ideas to the forefront of our minds by saying them out loud. He provided tangible and scientifically proven ways to improve your mood. I ended up buying The Happiness Equation to take home and read—I can’t do that presentation justice, but I think the closest substitute is his book. It’s an easy and fun read, and puts so many things into perspective.
I’m not saying that I’m completely fine now or that this book will magically rid you of all your problems, but it might be the first step you need to change your mindset.
You can purchase The Happiness Equation from The Western Bookstore here for $15.40.
Related articles:
- Neil Pasricha Provides Western Students with the “Equation to Happiness”
- Mental Health & Mental Wellness: Two Sides of the Same Coin
- Context Matters: Why The “Soft Approach” To Mental Illness Is A Problem
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