A version of this article originally appeared in the March 23 issue of officeinsight.

I consider myself an optimist, even though it’s not always easy. We are living through a very disruptive, fragmented period right now, surrounded by uncertainty, chaos, and unpredictability. All you have to do is watch the news — or see it in the palm of your hand on your phone.

We are constantly getting alerts and constantly being interrupted. The average person checks their phone between 96 and 150 times per day. That averages every five to seven minutes. To be clear, I am not a technology hater. I’m not a Luddite. I love the outreach, the networking, the social media. But social media has become the opposite of community. We use it to compare homes, cars, vacations, and even charcuterie boards. Mark Twain said it best: “Comparison is the death of joy.” We’re measuring who we are against a false standard, because often what you see on social media is curated. Unfortunately, what we’re doing is letting others unduly influence who we are, how we feel, and what we do.

In this frenetic, disruptive era, we would be wise to take a cue from the slow living movement. It’s an intentional lifestyle that prioritizes quality over quantity, presence over productivity, and conscious choices over mindless rushing. It focuses on fostering meaningful connections and reducing stress by doing things at the right speed. Not the fastest speed. Fast does not always win.

There was a whole movement in the ’80s to get the world to slow down and be thoughtful and intentional. All kinds of hobbies that are experiencing a resurgence today are manifestations of slow living — knitting, crocheting, the return of game night, crossword puzzles, and all things analog. Slowing down is a medicine. In fact, in Scandinavian countries, a doctor will give you a prescription to slow down. It doesn't require a co-pay. But it does require us to be mindful of our pace. To put our phones away and be intentional and deliberate.

The Nordic and Scandinavian countries dominate the happiness charts. Finland is the happiest country in the world to live in. They've been number one for nine years in a row. Last year the U.S. dropped to 24th place, this year we are 23rd, but it still marks a continued decline. The driving factors in this particular survey are trust, social connection, and community. And when people in the U.S. responded to this survey, they indicated that social trust levels, and trust levels among the organizations that they work for, have dropped to an all-time low. People are feeling isolated. There is an epidemic of loneliness.

Do you know about the daily DOSE? These are the happy hormones, our neurotransmitters. DOSE is an acronym for dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. These occur naturally. We can enhance these happy hormones in numerous ways — by holding hands with someone or making eye contact, spending time in nature, laughing, exercising. We can supplement these hormones with pharmaceuticals. But for the most part, happiness is a habit. It’s a circumstance that we create for ourselves and for others through routines and rituals. One of my rituals, which started when I was 12 years old, is “rose, rose, bud, thorn.” I do this every evening before I go to bed. I think about my day, and the first rose is something delightful that happened that day; the second rose is something that I rewarded myself with, a pat on the back. The bud is something that I’m looking forward to. And the thorn is that sticky thing that made me disappointed or upset, but it’s worth acknowledging then putting aside.

Your ritual or habit might be journaling, meditation, sitting around the table with family and reflecting on the ups and down of your day. Or finding moments of beauty. I am very fortunate to work at the IIDA Headquarters and be surrounded by tactility, materiality, and essential ephemera. Everything at our office tells a story. It makes me feel good to just walk in that space. We all know that’s what design does — it allows and encourages dignity. It encourages happiness. It gives us comfort, shelter, safety, and identity. Beauty is prominent in so many places, shapes, forms. It moves our hearts and our souls. What designers do is amazing — they alter the human brain by creating incredible environments for people to thrive in. Design, happiness, joy, and optimism are incredibly interconnected.

Joy evolved to steer us toward conditions that would encourage us to flourish. Joy is connected to survival. It is our inner guide to things that animate, stimulate, and sustain us. So, here are 14 suggestions for happiness:

1. Think of yourself less; that’s humility. Happiness begins in humility
   
   
2. Slow down. It’s okay to be busy, but not constantly rushed
   
   
3. Have at least five close relationships and be proactive in maintaining them. Check in, have inside jokes, share silly memes.
   
   
4. Move beyond small talk — have deep, thoughtful conversations. They repair our nervous systems. They're good for brain elasticity. Don’t be afraid to go deep; it’s amazing what you might hear.
   
   
5. Treat yourself. That extra cookie, that pair of shoes, that trip you always wanted to take but have been afraid to take solo. Small pleasures matter at the end of the day.
   
   
6. Plan fun and spend money on experiences. My husband and I love to travel, even though we both travel for work, and honestly, part of the fun is in the planning, building the anticipation. Spend money on experiences, not necessarily on things, because things are often expendable, but experiences live on in your heart and brain.
   
   
7. Smile. Every day, even just for five minutes. You’ll get a dose of serotonin and dopamine. Simply the act of smiling will slightly lift you up, and the great thing about a smile? It’s contagious. You are spreading joy.
   
   
8. Show appreciation. Send that card, write that note. Let people know that they matter.
   
   
9. Observe happiness in others. I have a friend who has a happiness mentor. She loves the way this woman moves through life. And she seeks to emulate her (not in a creepy way). She watches how the woman internalizes happiness and gives it back to others.
   
   
10. Pick a skill. Something that you’ve always wanted to do or you’re fascinated by. Calligraphy, watercolor, whatever it is. Something outside of your comfort zone. And get good at it. Build a personal curriculum; it is a phenomenal antidote to doomscrolling.
    
    
11. Be curious. Ask questions. Dip into a conversation. Watch people; learn things. Before you judge, be curious.
    
    
12. Exercise. Endorphins are our natural painkillers.
    
    
13. Get outside. Seeing blue and seeing green — blue sky, green grass — will immediately raise your serotonin levels. It’s why you feel a little bit happier outside.
    
    
14. Don’t let time slip away. It’s amazing how it can run through our fingers in that rush to get from point A to point B. Savor your moments. Immerse yourself in the right now. Revel in the moments that we have with one another. We can’t recapture them.

Want more happiness? Check out our Perspective issue of designing for joy