Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
I visited a statue of myself and 120 other STEM Ambassadors in Texas! Thank you to the If/Then Initiative for this amazing opportunity.
Subscribe to BrainCraft 👉 ow.ly/rt5IE
My Patreon 👉 patreon.com/BrainCraft
My Twitter twitter.com/nessyhill | Instagram instagram.com/nessyhill
In addition to creating videos on BrainCraft, Vanessa is researching behaviour change and sleep. Vanessa is available for hosting projects and to travel to give public talks, please reach out via email: hello(at)braincraft.tv
This video was made possible with the support of Lyda Hill Philanthropies as part of the AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors Program.
I visited a statue of myself and 120 other STEM Ambassadors in Texas! Thank you to the If/Then Initiative for this amazing opportunity.
Subscribe to BrainCraft 👉 ow.ly/rt5IE
My Patreon 👉 patreon.com/BrainCraft
My Twitter twitter.com/nessyhill | Instagram instagram.com/nessyhill
In addition to creating videos on BrainCraft, Vanessa is researching behaviour change and sleep. Vanessa is available for hosting projects and to travel to give public talks, please reach out via email: hello(at)braincraft.tv
This video was made possible with the support of Lyda Hill Philanthropies as part of the AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors Program.



![Stop Trying to be Happy (do THIS instead)
MY PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/BrainCraft
And please consider SUBSCRIBING to BrainCraft http://ow.ly/rt5IE (and ring that bell 🧠)
Visit http://www.brilliant.org/braincraft to keep learning (and the first 200 people will also get 20% off their annual premium membership!)
The pursuit of happiness is futile. And psychology suggests that identifying ways you are content is a better way to achieve well-being.
MINDFULNESS RESOURCES:
Body scan meditation https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/body_scan_meditation
Mindful breathing https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mindful_breathing
Loving kindness meditation:
https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/loving_kindness_meditation
More BrainCraft: The Myth of Type A Personality
https://youtu.be/8Lxq_Tsi6XE
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Can I Ever be Happy?
1:05 Definition of Happiness
1:32 The Happiness Pie
2:05 The Happiness Pie has Flaws
3:52 The Key to Long Term Well-Being
4:20 How to be Content
5:39 Can You Shift Your Expectations?
Music by Epidemic Sound: http://epidemicsound.com/creator
My Twitter https://twitter.com/nessyhill | Instagram https://instagram.com/nessyhill
REFERENCES 📚
Lucas, R. E., Clark, A. E., Georgellis, Y., & Diener, E. (2003). Reexamining adaptation
and the set point model of happiness: reactions to changes in marital status. Journal of
personality and social psychology, 84(3), 527–539. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-
3514.84.3.527
Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2019). Revisiting the sustainable happiness model
and pie chart: Can happiness be successfully pursued? The Journal of Positive
Psychology. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2019.1689421
Cordaro, D. T., Brackett, M., Glass, L., & Anderson, C. L. (2016). Contentment:
Perceived completeness across cultures and traditions. Review of General Psychology,
20(3), 221–235. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000082
Cordaro, D., 2020. What If You Pursued Contentment Rather Than Happiness?.
[online] Greater Good. Available at:
<https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_if_you_pursued_contentment_r
ather_than_happiness> [Accessed 16 July 2020].
Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The
architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2),
111–131. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.111
Mauss, I. B., Tamir, M., Anderson, C. L., & Savino, N. S. (2011). Can seeking happiness
make people unhappy? Paradoxical effects of valuing happiness. Emotion, 11(4),
807–815. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022010
Klug, H.J.P., Maier, G.W. Linking Goal Progress and Subjective Well-Being: A Meta-
analysis. J Happiness Stud 16, 37–65 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-
9493-0
McKenzie, J. (2016) Happiness Vs Contentment? A Case for a Sociology of the Good
Life. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 46: 252– 267. doi: 10.1111/jtsb.12098.
Jebb, A.T., Tay, L., Diener, E. et al. Happiness, income satiation and turning points
around the world. Nat Hum Behav 2, 33–38 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-
017-0277-0
IMAGE SOURCES 🖼
https://pixabay.com/vectors/passenger-car-automotive-car-150155/
https://pixabay.com/vectors/bulb-edison-incandescent-lamp-160854/
https://pixabay.com/vectors/trophy-achievement-award-cup-merit-153395/
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/career-success-path-stair-3386334/
https://pixabay.com/vectors/car-red-driver-gentleman-affluence-160343/
https://pixabay.com/vectors/boy-cartoon-comic-characters-comics-1296198/
https://pixabay.com/vectors/wedding-rings-marriage-wedding-152336/
https://giphy.com/gifs/loop-happiness-loading-MTKsRM3QzNeOI59SbO
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_Declaration_of_Independence.jpg Stop Trying to be Happy (do THIS instead)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IGHKaI6_WSk/mqdefault.jpg)






