(Photo credit: jackmac34 on Pixabay) Did you ever gulp down a meal and not notice how it tasted? We all get busy sometimes, and often I eat without enjoying my food, or even tasting it. If you want to try meditation and develop a new appreciate for food, take three minutes for this Taste Meditation. … Read more
Why are you smiling so wide in the future? It’s 5-10 years from now, and your happy grin comes from achieving your dreams. You accomplished this by creating achievable goals and then marking them off one after the other. Research shows that writing about, or visualizing, positive thoughts and dreams can bring about your Best Possible Future. This optimistic thinking … Read more
(Photo credit kaboompics) Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions. –Dalai Lama XIV Our world needs more happiness, especially during this coronavirus pandemic. Gratitude journals are scientifically proven to increase happiness (Lyubomirsky, Dickerhoof, Boehm, and Sheldon 2011; Seligman and Anselmo-Matthews, 2012). Writing down three positive things per day can help depressed … Read more
Photo credit JESHOOTS.com Watching happy movies can build positive emotions and lift your mood. In one study, people watching a happy movie recovered from negative emotions, including rumination and worry. So, watch a happy movie to feel good. Also, emotions from happy movies can improve mood due to emotional contagion. A study with more than … Read more
(Photo credit Kristopher Roller) Some days feel difficult and that’s ok. It’s not healthy to strive for happiness all of the time. Trying to force happiness at inappropriate times can signal mental health issues, such as mania. If your dog dies or a relationship ends negative emotions are appropriate. We need to process our emotions … Read more
Photo credit JESHOOTS.com Why watch a funny movie? Funny movies can boost our happiness and health. In one study, laughter increased positive emotions for people watching a funny clip. In another study, laughter improved mood and lessened pain for hospital patients as they selected items from a “laugh-mobile”. Need more evidence of laughter as medicine? … Read more
Photo credit Andre Furtado Want to feel happier? Scientists have proven that music can impact mood and change how we view the world. Our brain builds up expectations based on experience and mood, so listening to sad music can make us feel sad, and playing happy music increases happiness. As we experience happy emotions, they broaden and build, … Read more
(Photo credit Kristopher Roller) We all feel angry, mad, or sad sometimes and that’s ok. It’s not healthy to strive for constant happiness. Trying to force happiness at inappropriate times can signal mental health issues, such as mania. So, if your pet dies or a relationship ends, negative emotions are appropriate. We need to take … Read more
What’s that “zzzzzzzzz” sound coming from your local high school? It’s teenagers sleeping through first period. As the mom of three teen morning-haters, I support the American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement recommending that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later. The statement says, “Research studies of sleep patterns in adolescents … Read more
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. –Lewis B. Smedes I grew up in the snowy mountains of Park City, Utah a perfect metaphor for my unforgiving heart. My easy childhood had minor forgiveness incidents, but I had little guidance from my parents and none from religion, and … Read more
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