Tag Archives: happy

Let’s call this “Grumpy Cat Therapy”

06 Friday Mar 2020

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According to Indiana University Media School, watching cute or funny cat videos can give us a medically-significant dose of positivity. The study looked at 7,000 people, and after watching even a couple minutes of cute cats, they were a lot less stressed, happier, and more content.

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Do you love being scared out of your mind?

02 Monday Mar 2020

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From rollercoasters to horror movies, there’s a biological reason being scared feels so good!

We get a type of high from being scared – called a high-arousal response. According to Margee Kerr, a sociologist who studies fear, it’s similar to the stress response that makes us want to fight or flee – but because we KNOW we’re not in real danger, our brain perceives it as pleasurable. And it is! We feel energized and free from thoughts that usually worry us. And it’s the same feeling we get when we’re really happy.

And that’s why, on a rollercoaster, you can be screaming one minute and laughing the next.

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Make someone else’s day!

27 Friday Dec 2019

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If you post a happy picture or an uplifting quote on Facebook, you could improve someone else’s day. According to a study from UC San Diego, the emotions expressed online are contagious – whether they’re positive or negative. Researchers analyzed the emotional content of 1 billion Facebook posts – and found that the language we use impacts the words our friends use in their posts… which creates what experts call a “social multiplier.” The good news is: Positive emotions spread faster and farther than negative ones.

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Knitting is a great way to lift your mood.

24 Tuesday Dec 2019

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In fact, anything that engages both hands in rhythmic, repetitive motion can have the same effect – like embroidery or sewing. That’s according to the journal Neuro-psycho-pharmacology. The repetitive movements trigger your brain to release the mood-lifting chemical serotonin… and when your mind is focused on an absorbing task, it blocks out negative thoughts.

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If it’s working for you, don’t change it!

18 Wednesday Dec 2019

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Before you consider overhauling your life to become happier, healthier or more satisfied, do this: Think about what’s going right. Executive coach Marshall Goldsmith says once you figure out what’s working, don’t change it! So if you exercise just twice a week but it’s a nice vigorous workout, don’t try to do more… it’s working. Or if you love spending Sundays watching movies, don’t stop because you think you should get a jump on work, to get ahead. If it’s making you happy, it’s working. Again, before you consider overhauling your life to become happier, healthier or more satisfied, do this: Think about what’s going right.

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What’s the key to happiness?

28 Monday Oct 2019

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Lower your expectations. That’s according to neuroscientist, Dr. Robb Rutledge. In experiments, he found that our happiness doesn’t depend on how well things are going – just that they are going better than expected. So if you expect a meal to be the greatest thing you’ve ever tasted, you’ll probably be disappointed. But if you don’t have any expectations, you’ll be delighted by how delicious it is. And that goes for just about everything. So like the old saying goes, “Expect nothing and you won’t be disappointed.” Instead, you’ll be pleasantly surprised – and happier.

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How to live a long and happy life.

24 Thursday Oct 2019

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You know having close friends is one of the keys to longevity and wellbeing. But even being on good terms with your neighbors has benefits. Research from Rutgers University found that having regular, positive contact with neighbors was linked to a greater sense of personal growth, self-worth, and purpose. And all you have to do to get the benefits is wave hello – or let your neighbor borrow your hedge clippers. It’s all down to the fact that our daily lives can be enriched by seemingly minor encounters, which make us feel like we’re part of a community, and that we add value to a larger social network.

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Want to have an awesome day, where everything seems to go right?

22 Tuesday Oct 2019

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Take a brisk morning walk! Researchers at George Mason University say exercise releases feel-good hormones, triggering a mood boost that can last up to 48 hours. Plus, starting the day on a high note creates a so-called “cascade of positivity” – where one good thing leads to another. It increases the likelihood you’ll get more done, have positive interactions with others, and have less impact from negative events. And the longer you work out, and the more social you make it – like walking with a friend – the happier you’ll feel.

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Want a mood boost?

23 Monday Sep 2019

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Plant some cinnamon or chocolate-scented geraniums! They bloom like crazy in the fall and winter, and just pinching a leaf releases the powerful feel-good aroma of cinnamon or chocolate. Research at Wheeling Jesuit University found the scent of cinnamon instantly boosts alertness. And other research shows the smell of chocolate stimulates the happiness center of our brain.

Geraniums grow the best on a super-sunny windowsill. But they’ll do just fine if you shine a desk lamp with a fluorescent bulb on them for at least 4 hours a day.

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Don’t worry about getting old.

11 Wednesday Sep 2019

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You’ll be happier! That’s from a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry of over 15-hundred people, ages 12 to 99. It found the older the person, the happier they were. And that’s despite having more aches, pains, and illness. Meanwhile, 20 and 30-year-olds had the highest levels of anxiety and stress, and the lowest levels of happiness and wellbeing. So forget about stereotypical “grumpy old men” and women. This study found that happiness peaks in old age. The reason? Because the older you get, the more you know you can handle whatever life throws your way.

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