I found an article Friday called Find Happiness in Unexpected Places (Click to Read). It's a great article, and definitely worth the read. I do have to admit that I only noticed it because of the really cute baby pig on the intro page. That little pig led to some really great insight on happiness. The article starts out with the journalist's story about her emotional blahs a few winters ago. During some especially rainy winter weather, she discovered an adorable pot bellied pig frolicking about in the mud and rainy weather - happy as can be in the middle of a gloomy day. I laughed at her recount of the little pig, because that description alone taught me so much about how I should really be responding to my own life's gloomy situations. In all honesty, we all could use more happy in our lives. The more I read about happiness, the more I realize that my happiest moments have been when I can experience my joys freely with all of my senses. The book Captivating really explained to me that as women when we strive and remain stressed we are withholding our unique beauty and giftings from our loved ones and the world. We are most ourselves and most able to be a blessing when we are at peace and happy. Here is a summary of the "Find Happiness.." article:
(aka the Facts from the Article)
- Just like building your biceps by the repetition of doing curls, you can boost your capacity for hopefulness and happiness by consciously seeking out and concentrating on happy moments.
- You need to experience 3 joyful moment for every bummer to maintain your "happy."
-By consciously increasing your positivity ratio you can create a surplus of cheerfulness. Do this by seeking out more upbeat encounters and savoring them to the max.
-People who remain upbeat even in adversity are better at regulating stress signals and produce lower levels of cortisol (the bad for your heart stuff).
Smile - Just like smiling before you answer the phone can improve the other person's reaction to what you are saying, the physical act of smiling can actually lift your own mood as well.
Sing - Even if you feel that you can't sing well; there's evidence that a sensory organ within your inner ear reacts to music and triggers your sense of pleasure. Just another reason that 88.5 WJIE is good for you. Go ahead and sing with the radio, I won't tell.
Exercise - Working up a sweat by doing cardiovascular activities buffers the brain from stressful situations. We also know that exercise produces endorphins, the "the feel good" hormone; but there's also evidence that it also promotes the growth of new neurons that are less reactive to stress.
Soothe - Replay happy memories that evoke a feeling of safety. This activates neural networks in your body associated with feeling cared for. Your will feel a big boost of "happy."
Hang with Upbeat People - Emotions are contagious! The more you are around happy people, the happier you will feel. Also, we have neurons in our brains which mirror what we see others do. For instance if you see someone smile, your mirror neurons for smiling are activated even if you aren't in a good mood.
Give the Negative a Name - Naming your negative emotions can help take the sting out of them, and help you deal with them quickly. (ie "Whoa, I feel frustrated")
Focus on Good - Stop to look at the sunset. Sniff that bouquet of roses before you pass it. Laugh at that puppy playing. Focusing on pleasurable experiences activates happiness-related neurons.
Completely Experience Joy - Experience Joy with all of your senses - take a deep breath, feel the crispness or warmth of the air, really look at the beauty of the sunset, etc. The more fully you feel something by using as many senses as you can to experience it, the deeper your neural traces are left behind in the brain which will solidify your memory of that moment on a deeper level. The more you can do this, the happier you will be.
I love, nope make that adore popcorn. It turns out, popcorn is actually really good for you. Researchers from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania have discovered that popcorn contains more antioxidants than fruits and veggies, about twice as much per serving. Popcorn is also the only snack that is 100% unprocessed whole grain; one serving gives you more than 70% your daily intake of whole grain. The average person only gets about half the amount of grain they need each day. Of course all that delicious butter and salt is not good for you. The healthiest way to eat popcorn is to use an air-popper. The second best option is microwave popcorn.
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