How to Build a Life
A column about pointing yourself toward happiness
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Eugenio Marongiu / Getty / The Atlantic How to Find the Secret to Meaningful Work
Arthur Brooks and Jenn Lim, the CEO of Delivering Happiness, analyze the barriers to feeling that your work serves a higher purpose.
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Jan Buchczik The Disguises We Wear Every Day
Hiding your feelings can be freeing. But eventually you have to take off the mask.
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Mark Peterson / Corbis / Getty / The … How to Know That You Know Nothing
Arthur Brooks and the Harvard psychology professor Ellen Langer discuss the importance of curiosity and living in the moment—and how an illusion of stability may be holding you back from exactly that.
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Jan Buchczik The Meaning of Life Is Surprisingly Simple
You can make your quest for meaning manageable by breaking it down into three bite-size dimensions.
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Getty / Delmaine Donson / The Atlantic How Not to Be Your Own Worst Enemy
Arthur Brooks and Dr. Shefali, a clinical psychologist and mindfulness expert, discuss the definition and dangers of self-objectification—and what it really means to be yourself.
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Jan Buchczik To Be Happy, Hide From the Spotlight
Even if you have no interest in being a pop star or the president, beware the siren song of prestige.
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Bettman / Getty How to Know You’re Lonely
Vivek Murthy and Arthur Brooks discuss loneliness—what it feels like, how difficult it is to identify, and the remedies to alleviate its impact on our daily lives.
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Jan Buchczik How to Break a Phone Addiction
You can forge a happier relationship with your devices by using them more mindfully.
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Getty / Lucy Jones / The Atlantic How to Be Self-Aware
Manage your feelings so they don’t manage you.
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Introducing: How to Build a Happy Life
The Atlantic’s new show on all things happiness, featuring Arthur Brooks
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Jan Buchczik A Profession Is Not a Personality
Reducing yourself to any single characteristic, whether it be your title or your job performance, is a deeply damaging act.
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Jan Buchczik The Difference Between Hope and Optimism
For starters, hope is better.
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Jan Buchczik Go for a Walk
What I learned about transcendence from a very boring 100-mile trek
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Jan Buchczik Stop Waiting for Your Soul Mate
Love isn’t destiny. That’s what makes it so sweet.
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Jan Buchczik The Secret to Happiness at Work
Your job doesn’t have to represent the most prestigious use of your potential. It just needs to be rewarding.
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Jan Buchczik The Real Reason Kids Don’t Like School
Loneliness is a far bigger problem than a distaste for hard work.
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Jan Buchczik Fake Forgiveness Is Toxic for Relationships
Accepting an apology or brushing off a slight can benefit the offender and the offended alike—but only if you really commit to it.
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Jan Buchczik The Link Between Happiness and a Sense of Humor
A little laugh goes a long way.
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Jan Buchczik Which Pet Will Make You Happiest?
A pandemic puppy can increase your well-being—if you choose one for the right reasons.
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Jan Buchczik What Immigrants Know About Happiness
The act of migration involves taking risks in pursuit of a meaningful reward and having faith in the future. Everyone should try to live more like that.
