Choose Happiness
Well, it is August – traditionally thought of as summer vacation month, but it also plays host to Happiness Happens Day. Milton Berle says that laughter is like a mini vacation, so in an effort to squeeze out a little more vacation time, take a stress-free moment to laugh today. Find something that tickles your funny bone. Look on-line. Chat with a funny friend. Recall a funny family moment.
Happiness does not just happen. It has to be worked at. It is far easier to focus on the difficult, the stressful, the negative and the disappointing. There are so many examples of them happening all around us and the media, our colleagues and our friends are more than eager to point them out to us. These things make up most of normal, everyday conversations.
Happiness Happens Day
Happiness Happens Day aims to spread the joy of being happy and to persuade people to look on the brighter side of life. One website, lists 31 different types or feelings around happiness (http://sohp.com/about/types-of-happiness/) including contentment, relief, anticipation, hope, blessed, confident, motivated and amused. I like that, because happiness, doesn’t have to be this big belly laugh, but it can be. It can also be an inner smiling.
So, raise your glass of pink lemonade to Happiness Happens Day. Why pink lemonade? Not-so-secretly happy people naturally turn lemons into lemonade. Also pink is pretty.
Beverly’s Hot 10 Tips For Building Resiliency on Happiness Happens Day:
- Visualize a peaceful place or the place where you experienced the most fun. Research shows that our brain’s down time network that is stimulated during this time not only brings these memories to the forefront of our thinking, it also helps sharpen our thinking and problem solving skills, helps our brain make sense of world and protects our mental health
- Plan something fun to look forward to after work.
- Get outside. Sunlight can boost our mood as it impacts our neurotransmitters and hormones. It can also help us to get a better night’s sleep which many of us can use.
- Use different scents to boost your mood. Aromatherapy oils can be used to invoke calmness or boost energy.
- Put a smile on your face. According to research, the facial changes involved in smiling have direct effects on certain brain activities associated with happiness.
- Play with your pet. Pets have been shown to reduce stress, increase exercise and promote co-operation.
More Ways To Make Happiness Happen
- Get married. Researchers have found that individuals who are married tend to be happier throughout life than unmarried people. Or if this is not in the cards, spend time with family or friends who boost you up rather than knock you down.
- Phone your mum. A US study found that hearing a mother’s voice is as good as a hug for stress release.
- Do something creative or artistic. Research has found that creating helps make people happier, less anxious, more resilient and better equipped to problem-solve.
- Get away. According to one study, vacations lead to increased happiness (93%), less stress (86%), being recharged (89%), more energy (81%) and improved health (78%).
And finally, researchers found that people who count their blessings sleep better, have a higher self-worth and are more satisfied and happy with their life. So, let happiness happen. Be open to it. Be aware of what makes you happy and when you are happy.
Contact Beverly about hosting a mental health workshop for your teams on how to build resilience. Learn relaxation strategies, and discover coping tips to deal with stress, change and crisis!
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
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