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Mentorship October 11, 2016
You flubbed the important work presentation for your boss, forgot your lunch at home and now your boyfriend is ditching date night for a boy’s trip. How can a woman turn her frown upside down – with limited time, inspiration and money? Here are 22 instant happiness fixes that will make you feel like you can run the world, Beyoncé style.
Blast some Taylor Swift or Katy Perry and dance away those worries – but if you’re in the office, you might want to close your door and blinds first.
Not only does petting a dog or cat lower blood pressure and stress hormones like cortisol, but Psychology Today also reports that it raises oxytocin (AKA, the happiness hormone).
Before you reach for that glass of wine, consider if you’ve enjoyed at least eight glasses (or half of your body weight in ounces) of water that day. According to the Journal of Nutrition, dehydration can make women pessimistic. It doesn’t hurt that your body will feel better for it too!
Whether you’re moping at home or hiding in a cubicle, sometimes a little vitamin D can offer a dose of happiness to brighten your day. Not to mention that a change in scenery can also help change your negative thoughts.
According to a study by the University of California, people who think of five things that make they happy each day boosted their overall happiness and even improved their health. Psychology Today suggests blowing a kiss to the universe … but if lists are more your thang, try that!
Even if you don’t get an immediately reply, sometimes venting to someone about your no good, horrible, rotten day (kudos to anyone who know’s the reference) is all you need.
You’ve heard about comfort food … why not indulge in your favorite snack or meal for a dose of (edible) happiness? If you’re watching your weight, try stashing sweet but relatively healthy food (like granola bars, fruit, yogurt with granola or a throwback to Mom’s classic PB&J) nearby. And dark chocolate of course.
While that co-worker whose always peppy at seven in the morning might seem annoying at times, she might be just the person you need to cheer up. According to Greatist, happy, calm people make their positivity contagious.
An organized house means an organized head … or, at the very least, you keep yourself busy and focus on something besides your bad day.
You might have noticed that lavender and vanilla are common scents for soaps, perfumes and body oils. It’s not just a love for flowers and baking; in fact, Psychology Today reports that lavender has been shown to boost a woman’s mood, lower anxiety and reduce physical pain. As for vanilla, besides reminding you of your favorite cupcake flavor, it is often used in aromatherapy to increase happiness.
Yoga is often praised for its physical – stretching and strengthening – benefits, as well as its mental ones. Not only could taking a few minutes to meditate clear your mind, but yoga could also help release any physical tension.
Remember babysitting kids who wouldn’t stop crying until after their nap? Sorry, but you’re not that much different. Redbook reports that 10 to 30 minute naps boost people’s short-term mood, alertness and productivity. It’s hard to frown when you’re kicking butt at office assignments or chores around the house!
We dare you to watch (with sound) this seven-second video and not crack a grin at the end. Watch the video and then conquer the world with the wimpy goat’s determination!
According to Psychology Today, a dark room might literally contribute to a dark mindset. So why not see if you can make your room – and your day – a little brighter? (Though Princeton Theological Seminary’s advice to buy “happy light bulbs” – 60 or 100 watt daylight bulbs – may not be necessary.)
Maybe not from your boss … but friends, roommates and cute guys should be fair game.
According to Greatist, the color green symbolizes happiness (maybe Gatsby really was onto something?) and can trigger happy feelings. Rock a green jacket, add a new Leprechaun-inspired computer screensaver or even put a green apple on your desk. Soon, others might be green with envy over your good mood.
Your memory box might be a beat-up cardboard box filled with old letters, high school essays, post-it-notes – anything that makes you grin. If you’re not a big clutter person, try creating a “happy” folder on your computer to store old emails from friends, pictures of special moments or bookmarks of your favorite uplifting articles. Then, when you’re feeling down, you can just click your frown away!
If you think karma is about as real as the tooth fairy, you may want to check out the study from The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (and maybe apologize for calling your parents cheap). According to Redbook, when people do three acts of kindness, depressive symptoms decrease by 94 percent. Tipping that cute barista never felt so good.
When you’re having a “Carrie”-worthy bad day, you might feel tempted to skip your three o’clock date at the gym. Strap on your sneakers instead! A Penn State study found that people tend to feel excited and enthusiastic when they exercise. If you exercise regularly, increasing the intensity of your workout may provide an extra mood boost.
Life feeling overwhelming? Then take a tip from “The Happiness Project” and, if you can finish a project in one minute or less, do it! You’ll be relieved to check something of your to-do list and, even if you don’t finish any other chores, you accomplished something!
Or, to be simpler, climb under a soft blanket (though a blanket fort may be worth the effort to set it up). As Greatist explains, research has shown that snuggling under the covers can make people more relaxed and flexible. Apparently, humans are wired to feel better when touching soft surfaces … and you thought “security blankets” were just a phase.
Now, of course we all want a quick fix to turn our bad days into the best days ever! But sometimes, bad things happen – family members pass away, relationships break up and you really can’t believe you just wrecked your new car. Experience those unhappy emotions, cry if needed and move on. With these tips in hand, a happier tomorrow is almost guaranteed.