“Do good, feel good”is one of the great truths of happiness — but you may be thinking, “Sure, good deeds would make me happy, but I barely have time to get through the essentials of my day.I don’t have time to doany good deeds!"

1. Do something nice:
Six tips for good deeds that take
less than five minutes.

2. “Do good, feel good”
is one of the great truths of
happiness — but you may
be thinking, “Sure, good
deeds would make me
happy, but I barely have
time to get through the
essentials of my day.
I don’t have time to do
any good deeds!”

3. WRONG.
Here are some ways that you can help other people—
and make yourself feel great, at the same time—
in under five minutes.

4. 1. Be friendly. I’ve decided that
there are five degrees of social
interactions with strangers:
hostile, rude, neutral, polite, and
friendly. I find it very difficult to
be downright friendly to
strangers, but I always find
myself energized and cheered by
a friendly interaction. It only
takes an extra minute to
exchange a few pleasant words,
but it makes a real difference.

6. My sister, who is a TV-writer in Hollywood, once told me, “’Yes’
comes right away; ‘No’ never comes.” I’ve found this precept to
be widely true. In many circumstances, we find it hard to say
“no” — partly because it will hurt someone’s feelings, partly
because it closes a possibility that could otherwise remain open.
But waiting to hear “no” saps people’s energy by keeping them
hoping for an answer they aren’t going to get. If someone is
waiting for your “No,” put them out of their misery.

7. 4. Sign up on the national organ-donor registry. This takes
no time at all, and the consequences could be HUGE! Tell
your family that you signed up, too. Remember, the one
minute that someone takes, right now, to sign up on the
registry might save YOUR life six months from now.
And vice versa.

8. It can feel generous,
friendly, and fun-loving
to urge people to take
another piece of cake,
to drink another glass of
wine, or to make an
extra purchase, or to
urge them to give
themselves a break by
skipping the gym,
skipping class, or
quitting smoking next
week instead of today.
But when you see
people truly trying to
resist temptation,
encourage them to stick
to their resolutions.
5. Lead them not into temptation.

9. 6. Do
someone
else’s
chore.
Don’t you sometimes wish that someone would do one of your little jobs?
If nothing else, to show an awareness of the fact that you faithfully do it,
day after day? Emptying the diaper pail or starting the office coffee-pot,
even though it’s not “your” job, helps people feel appreciated and cared for.

10. 10
Learn more tips for a happier life at
GretchenRubin.com