The Five Hurdles to Happiness

And the Mindful Path to Overcoming Them

​

Five obstacles stand in between you and true happiness. What are they and how can you overcome them?

Buddhist traditions teach that there are five negative qualities, or hindrances, that inhibit people from living an awakened life.

Here, Mitch Abblett gives this teaching a modern, secular interpretation and helps you identify the hurdles that are blocking your contentment—desire, hostility, sluggishness, worry, and doubt—and how you can take your first steps to overcoming them.

Combining traditional wisdom with contemporary psychology and using examples from his psychotherapy practice, Abblett uses the hurdles as a frame for engaging you in a process of contemplating your own life and learning to lean into your experience rather than merely repeating bad habits.

By doing this, you can break free from the hurdles and live more mindfully, effectively, and compassionately.

Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happir

"This is a lovely, profound book. It takes the Buddha’s ancient teachings about the five primary blocks to happiness and inner peace and applies them to our modern, busy, stressful lives. Grounded in science, informed by the penetrating insights of an experienced therapist, and practical on every page, this heartfelt book will help change many lives for the better." 

Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD, author of The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems

"Full of engaging, provocative insights based on years of both psychological and spiritual practice, Dr Abblett brings to life the Buddha’s insights into how our minds create suffering and how we can transform this suffering into wisdom and compassion. Written with unusual honesty and wit, and full of practical examples and exercises, this book helps us let go of the self-protective habits that make us unhappy, and cultivate instead open awakened hearts and minds."

Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Love

"An honest and compassionate manual for relaxing the grip of our conditioned reactions. With humor and practical clarity, Mitch Abblett illuminates the painful responses we reinforce every day and offers kinder practices in return—ones that support the gradual, skillful process of opening our hearts."