There's a science to happiness, says positive
psychologist
Newswise —December 29, 2015--Wishing family
and friends a “Happy New Year” is all well and fine, but if you’re serious
about spreading cheer in the New Year, consider passing along more specific
advice from a psychologist who studies the science of happiness at Washington
University in St. Louis.
There is no secret to happiness, but there is a
science to it, says Tim Bono, PhD, a psychology lecturer in Arts & Sciences
who teaches courses on happiness at the university.
Based on his own research and other
scientific studies, Bono offers the following tips for getting and staying
happier in the coming year.
● Get outside and move around. Research
confirms that a few minutes walking around in nature can boost both mood and
energy levels. Exercise is key to our psychological health because it releases
the brain’s “feel good” chemicals.
● Reach out and connect with
someone. Ask people about their happiest memories and most will
mention experiences shared with loved ones. People with high-quality
relationships are not only happier, they’re also healthier. They recover from
illnesses more quickly, live longer and enjoy more enriched lives.
● Limit time on social media. Sites
like Facebook often exaggerate how much better off others are compared with how
we might feel about ourselves at the moment. Bono’s research on college
students shows more time spent on social media usually is associated with less
self-esteem, optimism and motivation while leaving people feeling less socially
connected to others.
● Spend less of your time
checking email. Adults who check email only “in chunks” at
designated times during the day — instead of checking and responding
to messages continuously — are significantly less stressed and less
distracted throughout the day. And they’re still just as accomplished with
their work.
● Get more happiness for your
money. Studies show little connection between wealth and
happiness, but there are two ways to get more bang for your happiness buck —
buy experiences instead of things and spend your money on others. The enjoyment
one gets from an experience, like a nice dinner or weekend getaway, will far
outweigh and outlast the happiness from adding another possession. A different
study found adults given $20 to spend were happier when they spent the money on
someone else.
● Carve out time to be happy,
then give it away. People dream of finding an extra 30 minutes
to do something nice for themselves, but using that time to help someone else
is more rewarding and actually leaves us feeling less pressed for time. Doing a
good deed empowers us to tackle the next project, helps us feel more in control
of our lives and leads to higher levels of happiness and satisfaction.
● Delay the positive, dispatch
the negative. Anticipation itself is pleasurable and looking
forward to an enjoyable experience can make it that much sweeter. Wait a couple
of days before seeing a new movie that just came out, plan your big vacation
for later in the summer and take time to savor each bite of dessert. On the
flip side, get negative tasks out of the way as quickly as possible —
anticipation will only make them seem worse.
● Enjoy the ride. People
who focus more on process than outcome tend to remain motivated in the face of
setbacks. They’re better at sticking with big challenges and prefer them over
the easy route. This “growth mindset” helps people stay energized because it
celebrates rewards that come from the work itself. Focusing only on the end
outcome can lead to premature burnout if things don’t go well.
● Embrace failure. How
we think about failure determines whether it makes us happy or sad. People who
overcome adversity do better in life because they learn to cope with
challenges. Failure is a great teacher, helping us realize what doesn’t work so
we can make changes for the better. As IBM CEO Thomas Watson once said, “If you
want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”
● Sweet dreams. Get
a full night’s sleep on a regular basis. Our brains are doing a lot of
important work while we sleep, including strengthening neural circuits that
both consolidate memories from the previous day and that help us regulate our
moods when we are awake. Sleep deprivation can lead to cognitive impairment
similar to that of intoxication, and often is the prelude to an ill-tempered
day.
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