MACMILLAN The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living

This is a brilliant book. It explains an innovative method of managing the problems of everyday life in such a way that helps you remove the obstacles that have been stopping you be the person you always wanted to be. It is written in “ordinary” language, and uses excellent examples to explain complex psychological concepts with evidence-based scientific results. It joins mindfulness with modern psychological techniques and helps you better manage your life in a realistic and totally workable way. It essentially “pulled” me out of my brain, and back into my life. The author uses examples where you can stand back and say “that’s me!” He is humorous and practical, and comes from a place of much personal experience. The book is filled with very useful exercises which help you better look at “yourself”. I still use some of them in my everyday life to help me stay focused – and they work. It is based on Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is explained in detail in “Get out of your Mind and into your Life” by Stephen Hayes (one of the originators of the therapy). Whilst the Hayes book goes into much detail about the methodology (also with many useful exercises), Russ Harris’ book brings a sometimes complex psychological concept into real life. It’s a great read with many light-bulb moments. ACT is innovative in that it challenges traditional ineffective methods of managing your emotions and thoughts. Like many people in the Western World, I have read self-help books for over 20 years. They work well for a few days, but then life intrudes and our minds forget the teachings in the book, and we go back to our poor examples of “normal”. What this book does is significantly helps you manage “life”, so that when it inconveniently intrudes into your everyday, you take it on the chin and carry-on with working your way towards your goals. This whole concept is a GIGANTIC leap forward. Read it!!! It WILL change your life.

great read!

The content is very helpful.

I read it and found the book very interesting. It give insight into why we feel and think the way we do, and how best to accept our thoughts. I also bought the app to help me with my mindfulness practices, which I find very helpful.

This is one of the rare books that combine wisdom with concrete practices. I have studied contemplative tradtions, practiced mindfulness meditation for 12 years, studied psychology, theology and philosophy but have found just a few sources that synthesize what’s really important and what truly works. This is one of those few gems.

The Happiness Trap; an interesting read,I actually got more out of the exercises that teach how to manage thoughts and feelings than anything else. Not surprising, in my opinion, it is not much more than we already know, we just need help managing how to go about things.

As a coach (scientist-practioner), I highly recommend reading this book. ACT is a great (and evidence-based) method, the book is well written and is both useful for helping yourself as well as others.

I had tried mindfulness generally but felt something was lacking that stopped me going forward. I could stay in the moment, or bring myself back to the moment but wasn't sure what to do next - this book gave me the something - the commitment to doing things for myself that matter to me , along with acceptance of what is , not what should be could be etc. The pushing through to doing things that benefit my soul purpose can be confronting but I realise that so many times when I am overwhelmed I stop doing the things that matter to me and this starts a downward spiral.It takes practice but for me it is working

Exploring a wide range of #SelfHelpBooks, I've found "The Happiness Trap" by Dr. Russ Harris to be a standout. This book addresses the misconception surrounding #Happiness in today's culture and its impact on our lives.Dr. Harris emphasizes the importance of embracing a full spectrum of emotions, including happiness, sadness, and anxiety. #TheHappinessTrap is a practical guide that provides strategies for navigating complex thoughts and feelings, ultimately leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.If you're seeking actionable insights in self-help, this book is a must-read. #EmbraceEmotions #MentalWellness #PersonalGrowth

I am interested in stoicism. It’s a very valuable philosophy which remains valid as far as ethics is concerned. This book allow to understand the way to escape our bias and work out a meaningful life

Eins der praktischsten Bücher, die ich je gelesen habe. Man muss natürlich auch die Übungen machen, die er vorschlägt, sonst wird das nix

For me this book serves as a very practical guide to, as the name suggests, living a happy life.I spent 5 years in the military and at the age of 25 left and realised that I didn't really know how to live a happy life. I'd had the job and money but still felt 'unfulfilled', what next.I travelled for 3 years and spent 2 of those years learning about and incorporating Buddhism into my life.Buddhism provided a lot of clarity in life for me as well as extremely useful 'habits' that have improved my quality of life greatly.However, once I returned to the UK I found myself feeling unhappy and unfulfilled once again. Reading Russ's book has helped me understand a lot of the why's to this and be able to do something about it.I think most if not all of the answers and teachings I needed are within Buddhism, but sometimes navigating your way through something like Buddhism can be a slow and arduous task (especially without a teacher).I found the Happiness trap plugged that gap very effectively for me. If I'm honest I felt like I was reading Buddhist literature for most of the book, but in a much easier way to understand for a western brain.It's helped me be aware of thing I wasn't aware of before from Buddhism such as trying to avoid certain feelings and emotions and the challenges that was creating for me in my life.I also thoroughly enjoyed the third part of the book about creating a meaningful life, especially the values part of the book.All in all this is an excellent book that I would highly recommend to anyone who is quite analytical and wants to understand more about the mind, happiness and living a meaningful life.In a quick summary, I'd explain the book as a combination of mindful awareness and practical living training.I think books that are similar to or complement this book are:- The Way of The Peaceful Warrior (more of a story format for someone who is struggling but doesn't want such practical step by step guidance yet)- The Art Of Happiness- Psycho Cybernetics

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