Below, Matt Bloom shares five key insights from his new book, Lasting Wellbeing: Science-Based Practices for Tranquility, Authenticity, Meaning, and Joy
Matt is a social psychologist and emeritus professor of business at the University of Notre Dame where, for almost 30 years, he studied the well-being of people who work in the helping and healing professions. He is cofounder of Ritual, a mobile app that offers a living library of evidence-based well-being practices
What’s the Big Idea?
Lasting well-being isn’t about finding the perfect advice or transforming your life overnight. It’s about practicing small evidence-based habits that fit your unique life
Listen to the audio version of this Book Bite—read by Matt himself—in the Next Big Idea App, or buy the book
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1. The best way to start is to stop
Many people feel stuck, not knowing how to even begin figuring out what to do. A great way to begin is to stop. Take a moment to reflect on how your life is unfolding. Consider what’s going well and where you are finding meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Also consider where you are facing challenges. Ask people who know you well to share what they think is going well for you and where they think you might be struggling. Stepping back like this allows for a shift from autopilot to awareness
Time passes quickly, and we rarely remember the details of our days. We might say, “I’m stressed at work,” but if asked to be specific about what is causing that stress, our answer is often incomplete. Even when we think we know what is stressing us, we are often only partly right
Let me illustrate: Can you remember what you had for your last meal yesterday? How about a week ago? A month ago? Unless you have a set menu, you probably answered yes to the first question and no to the others
