Athena members recently sat down with author, entrepreneur, and former venture capitalist Nataly Kogan for a virtual salon on how women can lead, grow, and achieve sustainable success—without sacrificing their wellbeing. Nataly developed the Happier Method, five core skills that improve emotional wellbeing, increase resilience, reduce stress, and help people thrive in every area of their lives. 

Read our key takeaways from this insightful salon below. Members can view the full recording in the Member Resource Library.

1. Happiness is a skill, not a reward for a job well done. Research shows when you are happy and invest in your emotional health, you build greater trust and make better decisions. Nataly explained that we all have a “happiness balance point”—our natural happiness baseline. But that only accounts for about half of your emotional health—the other 50% is entirely up to you and how you practice happiness in your daily life.
   
2. True emotional health and happiness aren’t about feeling positive all the time. Human beings are meant to process a variety of emotions, and research shows when we allow ourselves to feel the moment of confusion or fear, we get through these challenging feelings with less intensity and a shorter amount of time. Learn how to embrace all the emotions you experience as a human and leader with resilience and compassion.
3. The five skills to practice to be happier and more resilient in your life and work are:

• Acceptance—Learn how to look at how things are and how you feel with clarity instead of judgment. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking “This isn’t how it should be.” Should be is the opposite of acceptance.
• Gratitude—Be present for and appreciate the small moments of kindness and beauty that are already in your life. When you practice sharing your gratitude with others, you will have more resilience in difficult times.
• Intentional kindness—Doing a small act of kindness is the best way to relieve stress. Every time you do something kind, your brain releases oxytocin, which makes you feel good. And even more, you’re reminding yourself that you are connected and you belong.
• Connecting to your bigger purpose—It’s not possible to be truly happy and fulfilled unless you believe what you’re doing has purpose. Look for meaning within your daily tasks. Ask yourself “Who does this help? How does this contribute to someone other than me?” Feeling connected to your sense of purpose is a motivator to get things done and is a deep source of resilience.
• Self-care—Cultivate a kinder relationship with yourself. When you develop a kinder relationship with yourself, research shows you are more motivated and productive. When you learn to incorporate breaks and rest into your life, you have more capacity to do the work you care about. 

Cultivate your own strength and resilience as a leader through Athena’s executive development program designed to elevate women leaders to their highest positions of power in the C-suite and the boardroom.