The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living
Also known as The Happiness Trap, The Happiness Trap (2nd Edition), The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living
Russ Harris's self-help guide to acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
At a glance
What it argues
Happiness is a trap, Live with feelings, don't eliminate them, A different meaning of happiness
See all 3Key ideas
The struggle switch, Dropping anchor, Unhooking …
See all 5Examples from the book
The values square, Three-part summary, Troubleshooting sections
See all 3Read next
Embracing Your Demons, Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life, The Reality Slap …
See all 4Connections
Russ Harris, Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and 4 others
See all 6
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Chasing constant good feelings is a trap: the human mind is wired to produce painful thoughts and feelings.
- Fighting those thoughts and feelings tends to make suffering worse.
- Instead, the book teaches you to unhook from them and let them come and go.
- You then spend the freed-up energy on what you value.
- Each chapter teaches one technique, with client stories and troubleshooting.
Why it matters
- The easiest way into ACT: written for anyone, not clinicians, and the world's best-selling ACT book.
- Therapists often use it alongside sessions.
Key facts
- Author
- Russ Harris1
- Published
- 1 March 2007 (Australia and New Zealand); US edition 3 June 2008 (Shambhala); 2nd edition 20211
- Publisher
- Exisle Publishing1
- Pages
- 280 (1st ed.); 320 (2nd ed. paperback)1
- ISBN
- 978-0-908-98890-7 (1st ed.)1
- ISBN (2nd ed.)
- 97819225391992
- Audience
- Self-help for anyone who wants to reduce psychological suffering and increase health and wellbeing3
- Second edition
- Over 50% new material: perfectionism, people-pleasing, procrastination, loss, trauma, self-compassion2
- Influence
- Over a million copies sold, translated into more than 30 languages1
What it argues
-
Happiness is a trap1
The brain is wired for suffering, and chasing constant peak happiness adds to suffering rather than reducing it.
-
Live with feelings, don't eliminate them1
Rather than removing negative thoughts and feelings, learn to live with them and view them with mindful detachment.
-
A different meaning of happiness2
Happiness here means a rich, full and meaningful life with the whole range of human emotions, not feeling good all the time.
Key ideas
-
The struggle switch1
Turning off the struggle against unpleasant feelings, so they rise and fall without extra anger or anxiety about them.
-
Dropping anchor1
A technique for handling difficult thoughts and feelings in the moment.
-
Unhooking1
The point is not to improve your thoughts or stamp out negative ones, but to unhook from them (Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian).
-
Emotions have jobs2
Emotions serve three purposes: communication, illumination and motivation (2nd edition).
-
Values as a guide1
Find your values and use them as a guide, not a fixed rule, then set short-, medium- and long-term goals.
Examples from the book
-
The values square1
An exercise that maps four domains of life, work, love, health and play, to make improving your life less overwhelming.
-
Three-part summary1
The book sums up its approach as: "be present, open up and do what matters."
-
Troubleshooting sections1
Chapters end with answers to frequent questions and client stories showing each technique in use.
Read next
-
Harris's free 2006 article: the same ideas for therapists, with one client's sessions step by step.
-
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life
Steven Hayes's own ACT workbook, from the founder of the therapy.
-
Harris's follow-up for grief, loss and crisis.
-
If you want to use ACT with clients, Harris's textbook for therapists.
Connections
Written by
Related
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)TopicA self-help guide to ACT's core skills
- Psychological flexibilityTopicThe skill set the book trains: open up, be present, do what matters
- Cognitive defusionTopicIts unhooking techniques for difficult thoughts
- MindfulnessTopicUses mindfulness to step back from thoughts and feelings
- Self-compassionTopicThe second edition adds much new material on self-compassion
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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