I saved this one for today, Thanksgiving! There are many ways to practice gratitude, from making a list of things you are grateful for, saying them out loud to others and one of the greatest is to show gratitude when others help you. Just making the note of things you are grateful for can improve your mood. Many people seem to only do this on Thanksgiving, and it is easier on this day because we have a reminder, but we should all do this more often! Practicing gratitude not only increases (2 comments)
Day 8 is: Plan a trip – even if you can't take it!
In fact, the planning of a vacation can actually make you happier. than actually taking one!! There is a great study in the journal, Applied Research in Quality of Life that showed the highest spike in happiness came during the planning stage of a vacation and not during the vacation itself...I think it is the anticipation!! Isn't it great that even if you can't take the time for a vacation, you can still get the happiness benefits just by planning and dreaming about it! (3 comments)
happiness: 10 Days To a Happier You - Day 7
- 11/21/16 03:12 PM
Day 7 of my 10 Days to a Happier you series: Day 7 is: Let Go of Perfection Nobody is perfect so stop trying to be! Let go of perfection, in all areas of your life. You are ok like you are! You don't have to be the perfect weight or have the perfect career to be perfect. One of the biggest secrets to being happier is to let go of the notion of perfection!
Day 6 is: Meditate Meditation is an important habit for improving focus and clarity, but it is even better for helping you to be more happy and calm. Meditation is said to clear your mind and help you calm down from stressful situations. There are studies that have shown that meditation can actually rewire your brain to raise levels of happiness permanently! So, if you are stressed or upset, MEDITATE.
Smiling alone makes you feel happy, but it is even better and more effective if you back it up with positive thoughts. Smiling is also said to improve your attention and also help us perform better on cognitive tasks!
Want even more info on smiling and it's benefits? Here is a great blog on it called science of smiling. (3 comments)
Day 4 is: Sleep more getting more rest makes you less sensitive to negative emotions Sleep also helps you be more productive. Taking an afternoon nap can help block negative emotions and therefore make you more happy!! There is a really interesting study that explores sleep called: how much sleep we really need to be productive. Check it out if you get the chance.. (3 comments)
If people regret anything in their lives, it is not spending enough time with friends and family. Being social is highly valuable when it comes to improving our happiness, even for introverts. Really, that is what really matters in life, spending time with friends and family.
There is a really cool study covered in The Longevity Project that I read that found that relationships and how we help others were important factors in living long, happy lives. So, not only will spending time with friends and family (4 comments)
Day 2 is: Go outside – studies have shown that happiness is maximized at 13.9°C or around 57°F .. Isn't that interesting? Spending time outside (in any temperature) in the fresh air will improve your happiness. Every day, make time to go outside for at least 20 minutes. That is the short amount of time studies have shown to be effective to help with your happiness. Twenty minutes will boost your mood and is said to improve your working memory as well! That amount of time is so short you can achieve (3 comments)
happiness: 10 Days To a Happier You - Day 1
- 07/01/16 02:15 AM
Everyone wants to be happier, right? That's why I decided to do a blog on things you can do to become happier each day.. These are all small and simple ways to be a happier you.. are you ready for this series? Ok, here we go... DAY 1
Exercise More - It doesn't have to be hard core stuff.. You can walk/ run, ride a bike, do yoga, zumba, ANYTHING.. even play a sport. Exercise has a profound effect on our happiness and well-being and it has even been proven to be an effective strategy for overcoming depression. Exercise can also help (2 comments)
happiness: 25 Small Ways To Improve Your Life - Week 4 - Happiness
- 09/30/14 11:09 AM
In the past few weeks, we have talked about several ways to declutter your life and keep it that way.. For week 4, we are going to talk about HAPPINESS... If you missed the previous weeks, you can catch up here: Week 1- 25 Small Ways To Improve Your Life - Week 1 .. week 2 - 25 Small Ways To Improve Your Life - Week 2 .. Week 3 - 25 Small Ways To Improve Your Life - Week 3 .. In this installments, we have talked about decluttering,having a place for everything so we can stay decluttered, and 'fixing' things that are broken. By (14 comments)
There is a great deal of research that has been conducted about the trends in positive psychology and more specifically something called your happiness set point. Researchers agree your happiness is made up of 50% genetics( a set point ), 10% circumstances and 40% intentional activity. Many researchers are theorizing that the 50% (10% circumstantial and 40% intentional) can be changed as well as the 50% genetic happiness set point. A key player in this research was Dr. David Lykken who has published a study he conducted with both fraternal and identical twins. The twins of this study were separated at (8 comments)
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