Happiness Blog

With the nice summer air, cloudless skies, and the sun’s beaming light coming down, it is important to get outside and enjoy these beautiful  summer months. One activity that is simple and can get your mind engaged as well as get you outside on a nice summer day is reading outside! For one, the sun’s natural light is less straining for your eyes, giving you a less uncomfortable and more relaxed experience when reading the pages of your book of choice. Reading outside also heightens your senses, allowing you to be more in tune with your surroundings and more in tune with the nice ambience of the outdoors. Furthermore, studies have shown that reading outside in the sun lowers your stress levels by minimizing the stress hormone cortisol. So, with implications of reading outside keeping you more concentrated, more in tune with the book and your surroundings, as well as more relaxed, try to get out in the nice summer weather and enjoy an exciting book to take a break and find some happiness!

Cutting or coloring your hair can make you feel like a new person! If you feel like you’re in a slump or want to change up your style, changing your hair can be a great way to gain confidence. You can try a new color, or even light highlights if you don’t want to change your hairdo too much. Try some new layers, lengths, or bang styles. There is so much to explore! The internet has made looking up hairstyle inspiration so simple. And, if you want an at-home project, you can dye your hair yourself (though I recommend doing a lot of research before doing this!). Though this is the harder way, many times it’s cheaper and makes you feel even more accomplished since you did it yourself!
Lastly, even if you don’t want to switch up your hairdo, getting a fresh haircut or styling your hair a different way can still make you feel good!

“The opposite of play is not work; the opposite of play is depression.” – Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play

While adults are typically the ones teaching children, there is so much we can learn from them and their attitude toward the world. The carefree nature that comes with childhood is one of the most beautiful things in the world. While “playing” is seen as a childlike activity, it can increase creativity in adults and generally make you happier, according to Dr. Chris Bogart, a licensed clinical psychologist from Connecticut. He defines play as “time spent without purpose.” As adults, we often think of a lack of purpose as a waste of time and energy. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Just because you aren’t getting a task done, having fun is essential for maintaining your mental health. 

So, dance around your room to Beyonce or the Beatles! Play tug of war with your dog! Let your imagination run wild, and allow yourself to truly let go and play.

If you find yourself attached to your phone and technology, as many of us do, it may take a lot of work to keep a physical paper journal or mindfulness tracker. I’ve bought a few wellness journals in my life and attempted to write in them daily, only to forget they exist a month later. So, instead of separating technology from my wellness, I started using various wellness apps! Apps make it super easy to integrate mindfulness and good skills into your everyday life if you are a natural techie! Here are some examples:

• Headspace – This app holds a lot of things, ranging from meditation to stress management! They have meditation guides, breathing exercises, bedtime stories (for both kids and adults!), life advice, and self-care tips! Unfortunately, you have to pay for this app, with it being $12.99 per month (or $5.83 per month if you bill annually).
• Smiling Mind – This app, on the other hand, is free! They have daily meditation exercises, with programs both for youth and adults. Their app addresses sleep, stress, relationships, well-being, and much more. You can even attach your Google Home to it!

Next time you feel like you want to mindlessly be on your phone, try to turn that urge into a short 10-minute meditation session!

Sometimes it can be challenging for people who are auditory learners to sit down and read a book. I find myself mindlessly staring at the pages, sometimes reading a page multiple times just to retain the information. This is where podcasts can be a great resource! Plus, there are a TON dedicated to learning about psychology! Dr. Chris Bogart, a licensed clinical psychologist from Connecticut, recommended these podcasts in a recent talk, “The Upsides of Stress”:

• Tiny Buddha
• The Positive Psychology Podcast
• The Anxiety Podcast

For far more options that aren’t necessarily about wellness, Audible is an excellent audiobook resource, and Apple Podcasts has so many shows to choose from!

A lot of the time we may feel rushed out the door in the morning to get on with our days, not being able to enjoy a nice healthy breakfast. We may feel tired easily and lose steam as the day progresses without this first initial boost of energy. According to a study of medical students, eating breakfast was significantly correlated to increases in measurements of happiness. This can have many implications. For one, being able to slow down and take time for yourself to eat a meal in the morning may give us some time to gather our thoughts and make sure that we feel mentally prepared to take on our day. In having this time to be mindful of how we are feeling before our busy schedules, it may clear our heads to take on whatever we need to. There is also the energy aspect of breakfast. Eating a hardy meal to start the day can give us the necessary energy to have that initial umph in the morning. So, try waking up a little bit earlier to make some breakfast for yourself. Try to be present while you eat and focus on your own mind in preparation for the day. It may give you a nice morning burst of energy and happiness!

We have all been told to make sure to drink plenty of water each day to maintain our physical health. And this makes sense when you consider that drinking water aids with digestion and joint movements, helps maintain internal circulation, and also allows your body to absorb much needed nutrients from food easier. What some may not know is that there are implications that drinking water can impact our mental health as well. In a study of 120 women, researchers had found that lower water intake was correlated to greater tension, depression and confusion. When replicated using men, they found similar results. These implications allude that increasing your water intake may be beneficial for your overall mental health, and that by staying clear from dehydration, drinking enough water every day can have positive influences on our moods. If you find that you are not drinking enough water, try keeping a water bottle close to you throughout the day or set alarms to remind yourself to intake water. Not only will this help physically, but it may assist in mental health and well-being as well!

Trying new things can be challenging, and most of the time the idea of doing something completely new can be intimidating. Yet, getting out of our comfort zone and exploring new and exciting topics we are interested in or activities we have not done before can improve our happiness in a variety of ways. For starters, engaging in something different can add some fun and excitement to our life as we channel our curiosity to find a new interest or hobby. As we continue to engage in this new activity, it can also boost our confidence in our abilities to achieve something, can give a sense of accomplishment and hope, as well as open up the possibility to meet people that share similar interests, further giving us social satisfaction and pleasure. In  other words, trying something new enhances our happiness! Just like anything new, however, some things may take some time to get better at, and it is important that we are patient as we continue the process of trying new things. Instead of getting frustrated, try remembering that some activities will just take time to master, and it is this process that we acquire confidence in ourselves and a sense of accomplishment. So, go out and try something new, be patient, and stick with it! It may just be a nice boost of happiness you deserve!