With New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Hanson's four steps, you can counterbalance your brain's negativity bias and learn to hardwire happiness in only a few minutes each day. 

Why is it easier to ruminate over hurt feelings than it is to bask in the warmth of being appreciated? Because your brain evolved to learn quickly from bad experiences and slowly from good ones, but you can change this.
 
Life isn’t easy, and having a brain wired to take in the bad and ignore the good makes us worried, irritated, and stressed, instead of confident, secure, and happy. But each day is filled with opportunities to build inner strengths and Dr. Rick Hanson, an acclaimed clinical psychologist, shows what you can do to override the brain’s default pessimism.
 
Hardwiring Happiness lays out a simple method that uses the hidden power of everyday experiences to build new neural structures full of happiness, love, confidence, and peace. You’ll learn to see through the lies your brain tells you. Dr. Hanson’s four steps build strengths into your brain to make contentment and a powerful sense of resilience the new normal. In just minutes a day, you can transform your brain into a refuge and power center of calm and happiness.

Contents

Acknowledgments xxi
Introduction xxv

Part One: Why
CHAPTER 1: Growing Good 3
CHAPTER 2: Velcro for the Bad 17
CHAPTER 3: Green Brain, Red Brain 32

Part Two: How
CHAPTER 4: HEAL Yourself 59
CHAPTER 5: Take Notice 76
CHAPTER 6: Creating Positive Experiences 91
CHAPTER 7: Brain Building 111 Hans_
CHAPTER 8: Flowers Pulling Weeds 125
CHAPTER 9: Good Uses 147
CHAPTER 10: 21 Jewels 172

Afterword 221
Reference Notes 225
Bibliography 247
Index 263