Archive for: Our Happiness Blog

Many of us meet with our friends over coffee or drinks. Does it ever feel like you meet just to catch each other up on your lives and then go your separate ways? If this sounds like you, we challenge you to reapproach your time with friends, and actually make some memories doing activities together. It can bond you to go on an adventure, such as camping, hiking, or kayaking. Maybe you want to satisfy your inner children by doing art together or going on a picnic. Perhaps you want to explore the town by going to museums or site-seeing. Or maybe you want to see a movie that you can discuss afterwards. There are plenty of ways to shake up your time together. While simply sitting down for a conversation is a very important element of friendship, so is going out and exploring the world together, and creating beautiful memories and stories that you will cherish.

Research shows that having regular family dinners is linked to positive mental health for all family members, and linked to better behavior in children. The busyness of modern life and family members’ varying time commitments may make it difficult for everyone to come together at the same time, so we don’t want parents to feel stressed about having a family dinner every single night. But perhaps you can set a goal of having three to four family dinners per week. It may be a good idea to have a little family meeting the weekend prior to go over everyone’s schedules and note which evenings you will set aside to eat together. You can also do some menu-planning during this time. Sometimes it can be fun to have everyone contribute a different dish. This meeting itself can be good family bonding! If you don’t have a family, planning a weekly dinner with friends is a great alternative.

Modern life requires many of us to be on our phones a lot—and the addictive nature of them often causes us to stay hooked even longer than necessary! Going phoneless for a day can help us reconnect with ourselves and our sense of inner peace, and help us feel more present in the world around us. It may help your concentration and decision-making. While you won’t be able to communicate with friends or family far away, staying off your phone can help you deepen your connections to the people who are right there. If you are used to using your phone at night, going phoneless will likely improve your sleep. Even a brief break can help you get back on track with these things, and remind you of what really matters in the here-and-now. We recommend choosing one day a month to go phoneless, perhaps the first Sunday of every month. If necessary, you can warn friends and family you will be off your phone on that day. If you need to be around your phone in case of an emergency, there is an iPhone setting with which you can put your phone on silent, and if someone calls twice, it will ring. Taking a break from your phone is an act of self-care that may benefit you more than you know, and it is at least worth a try!

Music has the power to touch us deeply, to move us to tears, and to lift our spirits. It can make us nostalgic, sad, happy, motivated, relaxed, reflective, etc. Science shows music activates regions of your brain involved in movement, planning, attention and memory. It can release the brain chemical dopamine, which relieves anxiety and improves mood. Thus, music has the capacity to improve your attention span and memory, and to help in healing your mind and body. So, which songs should you listen to to get these effects? Songs with an upbeat tempo, a cheerful major key (rather than a gloomy minor key), and lyrics about fun events or love, are most successful at making us happy and having positive effects on our body and mind. Some songs scientifically shown to make people happy are “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys, “I’m a Believer” by The Monkees, “Dancing Queen” by Abba, “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and The Waves, and “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. But, as most things are, the way music affects us is highly personal, and also depends on our individual history (for example, a song that reminds you of childhood, or a happy time in your life, could evoke strong emotions of joy). A great way to learn what music makes you feel best is simply to pay attention to how you feel before and after listening to a song—and if it makes you feel great, add it to a “Happy Songs” playlist for later!

Most people know that the foods we choose to eat affect our physical health, but overlook the effect they have on our mental health. If you learn how foods affect you, you can be more strategic about what to eat when in order to keep you in a better state of mind. Carbohydrates release the “feel good” hormone serotonin. It is important to keep in mind that simple carbs, such as pasta, white bread, and sweets, will cause only a short surge in energy, followed by a crash. Complex carbs, such as whole grains and vegetables, are better for your mood. Foods high in protein, like meat, fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy products, release dopamine and norepinephrine, which can elevate your mood, energy, and concentration. They also keep you feeling satisfied for longer. Highly processed and deep-fried foods can leave you feeling down. Salmon, oysters, berries, and fermented foods are all shown to be great mood-lifters. Dark chocolate has many mood-boosting compounds, so it may be helpful to swap fried or sugary desserts for dark chocolate. All that being said, it is okay to treat yourself to sweets and fried food on occasion. Just be mindful of when you are doing so. Perhaps you avoid treating yourself in the middle of the workday, and save it for a Friday night when you don’t have much to do besides relax and watch a movie. Also, keep in mind that everyone is different, and it may be a trial-and-error process for you to figure out which foods leave you feeling your best!

You have a free evening, your pizza was just delivered, and you decide it’s the perfect night for a movie night. You suddenly forget every movie you’ve been wanting to watch, so you go on your streaming site to browse, watch about 15 different trailers, and still come up with nothing. Now your pizza is cold and you’re not so interested in a movie after all. Does this sound familiar? We’ve got a suggestion, and that is to be proactive with deciding which movies and shows you want to watch next. Every time you come across one that piques your interest, take a couple of seconds to write it down on a list. If you have a phone with a notes app, this can be a good place to do so. You may want to write a couple of notes next to the title, such as the name of the person who recommended it to you, what it is about, or why it caught your attention, so you remember what it is when you go through the list later. You can do the same thing with books or articles you’d like to read as well. This way, when it’s time to sit down and consume some media, the work is already done for you, and you can truly relax.

Many people like sipping on something throughout the day, but what we choose to sip on can have negative versus positive impacts on our health. Choosing tea can help you steer away from unnecessary sugars found in juices and sodas, while still giving you lots of flavor, and providing many health benefits! You can choose your tea based on what type of health benefits you would like. Black tea combats inflammation and supports healthy immune function. Green tea also combats inflammation, helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, boosts heart health, and may combat certain cancers. Both green and black teas provide a caffeine boost. Oolong tea is also anti-inflammatory, can help reduce anxiety and prevent cognitive diseases, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, and can increase alertness and attention. Chamomile reduces stress and improves relaxation and sleep. Peppermint can help with digestion and provide relief from headaches and migraines. Ginger tea relieves nausea, combats inflammation, and stimulates the immune system. Lemon balm tea supports cognitive health. And this is just to name a few. Whatever health issue you would like to address, there is probably a tea that can help, so start exploring!

Sometimes we need to take a step back and soothe ourselves. Maybe after work, before bed, or after a frustrating conversation. It can be helpful to have either a mental or physical list with some soothing activities on it so you can easily draw from it when needed. This list could include lighting a candle, putting on some relaxing music, making some hot tea, putting on a face mask, taking a hot bath or shower, using some essential oils, or reading a book. Whatever helps you relax! If you’re not used to engaging in soothing activities, you could run through those options and see what works. It’s helpful to get into the habit of identifying when you need some time to cool down, and then engaging in an activity that can help you get there.

Maybe you have to work from home but you wish you could spend more time outdoors. Maybe you are looking for a way to brighten up your home. Maybe you’ve always wanted a pet but can’t commit to taking care of it. We have a solution for you–become a plant parent! It may sound silly to think of a plant as a replacement for a pet, but plants really can feel like companions. People find that watering and tending to a plant can result in feelings of bonding with the plant, and research shows caring for them has a therapeutic effect. A lot of people even name their plants! Research shows that being in touch with nature improves our well-being, and while being around indoor plants is no substitute for walking in the park, it does provide similar benefits. Studies have shown that indoor plants boost mood, productivity, concentration, and creativity. They reduce stress and fatigue. They also enhance indoor spaces by adding life to them, reducing noise levels, and even helping to clean indoor air by absorbing toxins, increasing humidity, and producing oxygen. So, go adopt a plant or two!