Bouncing Back

The Art (and Science) of Resilience.

by Karen Salmansohn

How To Recover From A Prince Harming

After a break up, you may become convinced that the best way to protect your breaking heart is to put the brakes on your heart - refusing to let love in. But it's important not to allow yourself to stay stuck in negative emotions too long. Here are some tips to forgive (both your partner/yourself) and forget (the pain but not the insights!). Read More

Living With Zest - A Secret to Happiness

Find out what zest is - and how living with zest can increase your happiness! Read More

Do Nice Guys Finish Happiest?

According to both ancient philosophers like Aristotle and modern day positive psychology professors like Martin Seligman, some of our biggest feelings of happiness come from using personal strengths to be of kindly, altruistic service. Read More

The No. 1 Contributor to Happiness

Is an out-of-control life challenge making you feel "out of control" over your entire life? Studies show one of the top contributors to happiness is "autonomy" - defined as "the feeling that your life - its activities and habits - are self-chosen and self-endorsed." Here's how/why to increase your autonomy to increase your joy! Read More

Think Like A Lion Tamer About The Hurt In Your Life

Have you recently been through a challenge, disappointment, break up or disloyalty with somebody? If so, it’s important after you’ve been hurt, to take some time to think like a lion tamer about your pain, so you can tame the possibility of more negativity coming back to bite you again! Read More

Should Schools Teach Relationship Ed?

Here's an idea for how to lower the divorce rate for the next generation! Read More

Should You Break Up Or Make Up?

Remember: You are the common denominator in all your relationship problems. Wherever you go, your pesky repeated issues go - until you shed a blazing light of insight upon them. Here are 8 empowering insights to help you decide if you should break up or make up! Read More

Don't Get Even, Get Even Better

Ten tips to make make sure you turn breakups into needed breakthroughs, endings into better beginnings - and stop focusing on getting even - and instead focus on getting even better! Read More

Worried? Stressed? View Your Life With A "Bifocal Lens"

Sometimes becoming happier is simply a matter of switching your lens from short-term to long-term - or vice versa. Once you learn how to view your life with a bifocal lens, you'll feel less stressed and more confident. Read More

Want to Lose Weight? Go on a Word Diet!

Are you happy with your weight right now? If not, I recommend you go on a WORD DIET - tapping into a combination of Neural Linguistic Programming mixed with positive psychology. It works. Read More

What babies can teach you about happiness!

Want to be happier, more connected to others, and a better problem-solver? Think like a baby! Read More

Broken-Hearted? Throw a Divorce Party!

We view weddings and birthdays as the best times to celebrate. Yet many cultures believe with destruction comes new life. Here are a few popular ideas around the world for turing that divorce or heartbreak into a brand new beginning—starting with throwing a party! Read More

The World Taking It Outta You? A Seligman Study Shows How You Can Cheer up by Giving Back!

In an experiment called “Philanthropy versus Fun,” Seligman divided up his psychology students so that one group engaged in pleasurable activities (going to the movies, eating yummy ice cream) and the other group did philanthropic activities (volunteering at a soup kitchen, reading to the blind).

Guess what Seligman discovered? Read More

8 Techniques For Recovering Your Happiness When Life Knocks You Sideways

Feeling challenged, stressed, depressed, anxious, miffed, pissed off, pissed on — and as if you and you alone are being singled out by the fates to suffer? These 8 techniques will encourage you to stop thinking about what’s wrong in your life, and starting thinking about how to create more right! You can do it! Read More

Are You a Female Chauvinist?

If you think men are "emotional bimbos," incapable of growing, listening or sharing feelings, then you might just be a Female Chauvinist! Learn the tell-tale signs - and how Female Chauvinistic thinking might be ruining your relationships with men! Read More

A Love Tip From Aristotle

According to Aristotle, there are three kinds of relationships, only one of which will bring you true happiness. Find out how your relationship measures up! Read More

Seeking a happy relationship? Seek this trait!

Seeking love? There are 5 essential traits to prioritize finding in your partner - and none of them are sexiness, intelligence, funniness, successfulness, or charisma! Read More

Do You Suffer From Prince Harming Syndrome?

Does your "love life" feel more like a "angst life" or an "I wanna strangle 'em life"? If so, listen to same old old advice - from the 300's BC. Aristotle offers some timeless love tips for how to improve your love life -- and be better able to suss out the difference between a Prince Charming and a Prince Harming! Read More

A Happiness Tip From Aristotle

According to Aristotle the highest form of knowledge is insight - because it's the only knowledge which leads to growth! Read More

If Your Man Trouble or Trouble-D?

Do you keep telling yourself it's not 3 strikes and your paramour is out -- it's 3,452,103 strikes? Are you more afraid of the pain of temporary solitude than the pain of emotional discomfort? If so you might be suspect for having Prince Harming Syndrome - the attraction to men who are either Trouble or Trouble-D! Read More

10 Tips For Not Being A Jerk During Conflict

Fighting with your sweetie? PRINCE HARMING SYNDROME gives many tips on how to trouble shoot problems with your partner - without wanting to shoot your partner. Learn the basics now! Read More

Is It Worth It To Suck Up To God?

Studies show that people who are involved in religion report greater levels of happiness than those who are not religious. In one study, 101 undergraduate students between ages 18 and 49 were given surveys to complete. Those scoring high in religious beliefs -- who went to church regularly, had a strong religious faith, and prayed often -- were the ones who scored the highest in happiness. Personally, I think there are a lot of reasons why religious people scored higher on the happiness meter -- and not all those reasons have to do with religion per se. Religious people are simply following major core practices of happy people. For example, one benefits from the guaranteed social support that can be found in a church, synagogue, or mosque. And this community is especially helpful for those struggling through a trauma or crisis. Read More

Soulmate or Egomate?

Should you love 'em - or leave 'em? Read More

When Life Throws You Curveballs Hit Them Out Of The Park

Nobody's exempt from pain. Not even self-help book authors! Read More

Karen Salmansohn is an author and contributor to Huffingtonpost.com. She also writes a popular business column for amNY newspaper called "The 1 Minute Career Therapist."

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About Bouncing Back

A bad breakup. A serious illness. The loss of a job. Life has a habit of throwing curveballs. To which Salmansohn says: "When life throws you curveballs, hit them out of the park," and tells readers how in this blog and The Bounce Back Book - which has a symbolic red rubber cover, and inside tips on how to thrive in the face of adversity, divorce, bankruptcy, assaults, illness, miscarriage, death, layoffs, slander, etc. Her book's been praised by Tony Robbins, Gretchen Rubin, Peter Guber, Tim Ferriss etc - and is about to go into a 7th printing.