The Future of Happiness

5 Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being in the Digital Era

By: Amy Blankson, Shawn Achor - foreword

Narrated by: Amy Blankson

Technology - at least in theory - is improving our productivity, efficiency, and communication. The one thing it's not doing is making us happier. We are experiencing historically high levels of depression and dissatisfaction. But it doesn't have to be that way. Technology can drive - not diminish - human happiness.

Our brains receive 11 million bits of information every second but can only process 40 bits at any given time. Thanks to the latest technology, you have a say in what information you consume. We now have the tools to train our brains to scan the world for the positive, trumping our genes and our environment to reach our full potential.

Knowing that technology is here to stay and will continue to evolve in form and function, we need to know how to navigate the future to achieve a better balance between technology, productivity, and well-being.

In The Future of Happiness, author Amy Blankson, cofounder of the global positive psychology consulting firm GoodThink, unveils five strategies that successful individuals can use to not just survive but to actually thrive in the Digital Age:

• Stay grounded to focus and channel your energy with intention
• Know thyself through app-driven data to strive toward your potential
• Train your brain to develop and sustain an optimistic mindset
• Create a habitat for happiness to maximize the spaces and places in which you live, work, and learn
• Be a conscious innovator to actively shape your future

By rethinking when, where, why and how you use technology, you will not only able to influence your own well-being but also help shape the future of your community. Discover how futuristic technologies can transform the idea of "I'll be happy when..." to your way of being now.

©2017 Amy Blankson (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Guidance about technology usage

In the technological age of today this book gives a guidance on how to utilize tech to help make life easier, increase happiness, and reduce stress.

Recommend for anyone looking to be a better consumer of tech. Instead of getting consumed by tech.

Intersectional work on an intersectional topic

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was educational and practical with interesting reflections on what it means to be a person in the digital era.

Eye opener, amazing read

I very much enjoyed this book! It was an amazing read with so much information. I have so many take aways from this book! I cannot wait to make some changes.

Enjoyed it. Touches Many Topics

I enjoyed the book and definitely provoked thought as to how to use technology in a healthy way. I also enjoyed some of the high level research quoted. Touching on conscious collaboration and capitalism was a plus.

A pleasant listen, but messy "how to"

I enjoyed listening to this while driving back and forth to work. Amy is a very pleasant narrator, and is super passionate about her content. There were innumerable tips on streamlining your use of tech, to improve the simplicity and happiness in your life. Unfortunately it's divided in 5 chapters with each having innumerable steps to attend to. In an audio book, you can't keep track of all of this. I wish there were three, Snappy, clear and big takeaways that I could share with others. But the content is far too nuanced and detailed. I don't really feel like I have solid takeaways.

Nevertheless, I will tell readers that she advises you set your intention of why you have your phone. Download a phone monitoring app to show you how much you're using it and where. I am really liking this. So the book was definitely worthwhile for me. But too detailed and nuanced.