Archive for: Our Happiness Blog

Covid-19 has made many things more stressful than usual. And we are stuck at home with little to no social interaction. It’s extremely important to practice self care in order to decrease your stress levels and emotional health (you can also improve your physical health too!). Try running yourself a nice bath (get some bath bombs, bath salts, and candles). Practice some yoga or stretching (there are many YouTube channels dedicated to yoga from home!). Watch your favorite movie with your pet, some popcorn, and a fluffy blanket. Make sure that you are taking care of your mental health during this time. It’s extremely important!

“Dance is the joy of movement and the heart of life.” – Anonymous

Studies show that dancing is an extremely powerful way to boost your overall happiness. Dancing has been shown to improve both your physical and mental health (and it’s one of the most fun ways to work out!). Dancing has also been shown to increase people’s quality of life. Moving your body to music releases dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins inside your brain! So, next time you’re feeling a bit down, put on your favorite nostalgic music and just dance around the house!

“If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?!” –  RuPaul 

There are numerous psychological benefits to complimenting yourself. Many people struggle with self image and self esteem. It could sound a bit strange, but try looking in the mirror every day and saying three good things about yourself (out loud!). Many times, we can depend on other people to make us feel good about ourselves. However, we should be doing that for ourselves too! Love yourself! Don’t wait for someone to do it for you. Know your worth. Know how special you are. Give yourself credit for the accomplishments you’ve made in your life. Embrace who you truly are. And the more you compliment yourself, the more you start to believe it. 

Having to work or go to school from home can make it especially hard to find the motivation to be productive. With a few adjustments, you may find yourself happier with how you are spending all this time at home. Try learning a new skill, making daily lists of things to do and goals you have, or developing a routine structure for yourself to help your mind acclimate to this new way of life. These changes can have profound effects on your day-to-day productivity and, ultimately, your happiness.

Many studies have found a distinct relationship between quality of friendships and happiness. This is likely because friendships satisfy our most basic needs; allowing us to comfortably be our authentic selves and express our thoughts genuinely. So maintain and value the relationships you have as they can be a vital source of support and happiness throughout your life.

Throughout our day, especially during this tumultuous time, it is essential that we make time to simply do things that we enjoy. Self-care, defined as taking an active role in improving your well-being, is the perfect way to do that. Setting aside time to practice self-care reminds us of how important our needs are. In addition, self-care can look different from person to person, from journaling your thoughts and feelings, meditation, or simply taking a break from day-to-day activities to give yourself time to recharge. Take the time to learn what you need and take care of yourself so that you can enjoy more out of life.

Studies show that watching cute animal videos can improve your mood and relieve stress. They can also increase productivity, resilience, and relationship satisfaction. Social media is filled with stress-inducing and pessimistic news. It makes the world seem much worse than it is in reality. Being bombarded with negativity can cause us to become down, anxious, confused, and defeated. Looking at cute animals may counterbalance these effects on your mood. Try spending a few minutes a day appreciating the existence of puppies, baby seals, chinchillas, otters, and fennec foxes. Youtube is filled with animals making funny mistakes, playing, and being generally cute. I recommend this video of baby goats in pajamas. And here’s another favorite: cute owl sneezing.

Think of a really happy experience in your childhood when you had few responsibilities and could go on a vacation with your mind solely on eagerly anticipating how great it would be. Now, imagine if you didn’t know that great thing was coming up, your parent just sprung it on you last minute. How would that experience have been different? According to Sonja Lyubomirsky in The How of Happiness, there are three time periods in which we can experience happiness about an event: before, during, and after. Beforehand happiness includes eagerly anticipating and positively fantasizing. People who put time and effort into this period of being happy tend to be optimistic and positive. Those who savor the present, who mindfully appreciate and sustain pleasurable moments, are less likely to experience depression, guilt, stress, and shame. And people who rekindle enjoyment about a past event and enjoy happily reminiscing are proficient at buffering stress. Think about what time period of happiness you usually engage in, and try to strengthen another one.

When was the last time you had recess? Middle school? Recess is one of the few things about middle school most of us wish we still had (unless you miss the acne and awkward haircuts). So the question is: why don’t we have it? It doesn’t have to mean going out on a playground (although it certainly can!). Recess can mean curling up with a good book, cooking a special dinner, going out for a drive on some back roads with the radio turned up, or whatever gives you a break from your busy day.