![]() Stephen Post wrote about this and other studies in his book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People, in which he cited a study that found that teens who are giving, hopeful, and socially effective are also happier, more active, involved, excited, challenged, and engaged than their counterparts. Research bears this out: Neal Krause of the University of Michigan followed nearly a thousand adults over a period of three years, and found that offering social support to others reduced their anxiety when they were under economic stress. Giving has been shown, time and time again, to benefit the giver even more than the recipient. Rather than assume that the friend who hasn’t returned your call doesn’t care about you, give him the benefit of the doubt and assume it has nothing to do with you (which nine out of 10 times is true). See how differently that predisposes you to connection than, say, if you assume they’ll be boring. How: When you meet someone new, make the choice to see them as the potential to be a friend, someone whom you could learn from or whose company you might enjoy. A practiced optimist gives others the benefit of the doubt, and expects to like people, until they give them a reason not to. Optimism encourages openness to new experiences and people. One of the greatest perks of being an optimist? Rich, rewarding relationships. Studies show that if you can stay in the zone for just 17 seconds, your brain will create new positive pathways, making seeing the good easier and more automatic over time. Relish the good thoughts and feelings that you’ve tuned into. ![]() Studies show that a regular practice of gratitude directly impacts your emotional wellbeing. Take a moment to feel grateful for that person, act, or accomplishment. Notice how that good thought positively impacts your body, mind, thinking or mood. Pay attention to the thoughts running through your mind and identify a positive one. How: Try practicing the STAR, a technique we developed at meQuilibrium: We do this by training our brain to recognize good feelings and develop a positive radar to scan the world for uplifting moments. The key is to catch those positive experiences and give them some staying power. The good stuff-a kind word, a nice meal, a compliment-often just passes through our consciousness like soup through a sieve. You can use that positivity muscle to push back on it and shift your mindset. Most of the time, you’ll find that your negativity took over and that things aren’t so bad. In addition, whenever a situation arises that would normally cause a cascade of negativity, apply the "Trap It Map It Zap It" technique: Trap the negative feeling as soon as it arises, map it to the triggering thought, and then zap it by questioning the accuracy (“What evidence do I have to support this?”). How: For every negative thought that pops up, practice coming up with one or two positive outcomes from it. Reframe adversity-both big and small-as an opportunity to strengthen your positivity. It means facing negative events with an open mind and being able to pivot when things don’t go your way. Being an optimist doesn’t mean never having another negative thought. Like building muscle, cultivating a positive outlook takes time and practice. Here are four happiness hacks that can help you tap your inner optimist and feel the effects of positivity in your life as early as today: 1. It means choosing to see the world as a series of doors, not dead ends. It helps us stay open to possibility, which means we’ll be able to see solutions and opportunities that a closed-off, negative perspective might easily miss.Ĭhoose to see the world as a series of doors-not dead ends.ĭoes this mean we have to commit to rose-colored glasses or deny that anything bad could ever happen? Nope. Positive thinking builds the resilience that keeps us strong during difficult times. And positivity is something we can practice-a skill we can learn.ĭeciding to cultivate an optimistic outlook has benefits beyond just having a good time. Here’s the truth: There’s no secret or charmed life. Do you ever look at happy people and think that they’re the lucky ones, that they have a charmed life? Or that they figured out some secret that somehow continues to elude you?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |