Happiness is ephemeral, subject to the vagaries of everything
from the weather to the size of your bank account.
We’re not suggesting that you can reach a permanent state called
“happiness” and remain there. But there are many ways to swerve off the path of
anxiety, anger, frustration, and sadness into a state of happiness once or even
several times throughout the day. Here are 20 ideas to get you started. Choose
the ones that work for you. If tuning out the news or making lists will serve
only to stress you further, try another approach.
1.
Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead of
worrying about your checkup tomorrow while you have dinner with your family,
focus on the here and now — the food, the company, the conversation.
2.
Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy,
funny event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones
and lower production of stress hormones. Researchers at the University of
California, Irvine, tested 16 men who all agreed they thought a certain
videotape was funny. Half were told three days in advance they would watch it.
They started experiencing biological changes right away. When they actually
watched the video, their levels of stress hormones dropped significantly, while
their endorphin levels rose 27 percent and their growth hormone levels
(indicating benefit to the immune system) rose 87 percent.
3.
Go to sleep. We have become a nation of
sleep-deprived citizens. Taking a daily nap or getting into bed at 8 p.m. one
night with a good book — and turning the light out an hour later — can do more
for your mood and outlook on life than any number of bubble baths or massages.
4.
Hum along. Music soothes more than the
savage beast. Studies find music activates parts of the brain that produce
happiness — the same parts activated by food or sex. It’s also relaxing. In one
study older adults who listened to their choice of music during outpatient eye
surgery had significantly lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cardiac
workload (that is, their heart didn’t have to work as hard) as those who had
silent surgery.
5.
Declutter. It’s nearly impossible to
meditate, breathe deeply, or simply relax when every surface is covered with
papers and bills and magazines, your cabinets bulge, and you haven’t balanced
your checkbook in six months. Plus, the repetitive nature of certain cleaning
tasks — such as sweeping, wiping, and scrubbing — can be meditative in and of
itself if you focus on what you’re doing.
6.
Just say no. Eliminate activities that
aren’t necessary and that you don’t enjoy. If there are enough people already
to handle the church bazaar and you’re feeling stressed by the thought of
running the committee for yet another year, step down and let someone else
handle things.
7.
Make a list. There’s nothing like writing
down your tasks to help you organize your thoughts and calm your anxiety.
Checking off each item provides a great sense of fulfillment.
8.
Do one thing at a time. Edward Suarez, Ph.D.,
associate professor of medical psychology at Duke, found that people who
multitask are more likely to have high blood pressure. Take that finding to
heart. Instead of talking on the phone while you fold laundry or clean the
kitchen, sit down in a comfortable chair and turn your entire attention over to
the conversation. Instead of checking e-mail as you work on other projects,
turn off your e-mail function until you finish the report you’re writing. This
is similar to the concept of mindfulness.
9.
Garden. Not only will the fresh air
and exercise provide their own stress reduction and feeling of well-being, but
the sense of accomplishment that comes from clearing a weedy patch, watching
seeds turn into flowers, or pruning out dead wood will last for hours, if not
days.
10.
Tune out the news. For one week go without
reading the newspaper, watching the news, or scanning the headlines online.
Instead, take a vacation from the misery we’re exposed to every day via the
media and use that time for a walk, a meditation session, or to write in your
journal.
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