Want to know the secret to enjoying next weekend?
Pretend you’re about to move out of town, and spend the weekend seeing the friends you’ll miss the most, in your favorite places.
A writer for Oprah.com recently asked me and some other happiness experts for tips for enjoying the weekend more (read my response here); my favorite suggestion was from psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The Myths of Happiness.
Lyubomirsky and her colleagues tested the pretend-you’re-moving tactic by asking research subjects to imagine that they were moving in a month, and to spend their weekend accordingly. Participants “were happier and more appreciative of the people and places around them than those who were just told to keep track of what they did each day,” according to Emma Haak, who wrote the Oprah article (the study hasn’t been published yet). “They savored their time more when it felt finite,” Lyubomirsky explained to Haak.
What is your favorite tip for a happier weekend? Share your ideas in the comments!
Want more tips for living life to its fullest? Check out my latest eCourse: The Science of Finding Your Flow.