- Gratitude practice : Leo highlights the importance of practicing gratitude for sustainable happiness. He suggests keeping a gratitude journal and spending five minutes each morning noting down things one is thankful for. This can include both major life events and simple daily occurrences. Regular recognition of the good in life counters hedonic adaptation, the human tendency to return to a baseline level of happiness despite positive or negative life changes.
- Cultivating optimism : Leo advises on cultivating optimism through journaling future activities or long-term goals that elicit excitement. By setting positive expectations for the future, individuals can increase happiness. This exercise enhances engagement and mood by focusing on upcoming positive experiences, from daily events to life goals.
- Stopping overthinking : Excessive thinking, especially negative rumination, is detrimental to happiness. Leo recommends methods such as journaling, therapy, meditation, and visualization to reduce overthinking. By staying in the present and minimizing negative thoughts, happiness can be increased.
- Recognizing and eliminating addictions : Addictions, defined broadly by Leo, not only include typical substances but also behaviors like compulsive shopping, excessive internet use, and negative thinking. These addictions provide temporary pleasure but ultimately lead to emptiness and guilt. Personal reasons, such as the desire for a powerful life without dependence, and replacing addictions with positive habits, are key to overcoming them.
- Deepening relationships : Leo emphasizes the significance of nurturing deep, high-quality relationships over accumulating many shallow ones. Investing in meaningful connections is crucial for happiness, as humans are inherently social beings, even if some are more introverted than others.
- Savoring life's joys : Taking the time to consciously appreciate and revel in the simple pleasures of life, from meals to interactions with loved ones or nature, can boost daily happiness. Leo advises against rushing through these moments, but instead savoring them to increase overall well-being.
- Benefits of meditation : Leo suggests meditating for at least 20 minutes each day to quiet negative thoughts and achieve peacefulness. Meditation helps focus on the present moment, reducing stress and worry about the past or future, and contributes to a more contented life.
- State of flow and mastering skills : Flow is achieved through intense focus on a challenging activity and leads to heightened creativity and happiness. Leo advises against multitasking and recommends developing technical skills in areas of interest to more readily attain the flow state.
- Goal-setting and life purpose alignment : Setting and continually revising ambitious goals keeps the human mind engaged and satisfied because it is inherently goal-oriented. Furthermore, aligning one's career and activities with a deeply meaningful life purpose can significantly enhance happiness and fulfillment.