Happiness Exercises
by Nancy Fagan, Relationship Resolution Center
If your mood is unhappy, that could transfer over to how you feel in your relationship. The remedy is simple; try out a scientifically-proven happiness-inducing activity from the list below. All it takes is 5 minutes. These exercises will not make you happy permanently, but sometimes a lift is all you need.
Adrenaline Pump
You can pick up your mood by creating an adrenaline rush by “taking short rapid breathes and contracting muscles. This jolt can be healthy in small doses, especially when you need a pick me up.” (Christopher Bergland author of The Athlete's Way: Sweat and the Biology of Bliss.”
Smile
Force yourself to smile the biggest smile you can for two minutes. The “full-faced smiling alters cerebral blood flow and lowers cerebral vascular temperature.” This is what causes the feeling of well-being that smiling creates. (Peter, and S.W. Emerick in Cognition and Emotion)
Think of a Good Memory
Be nostalgic for a couple of minutes. Remember the details about a happy moment from your past. Your brain will re-live the experience and produce serotonin, making you happy. Go ahead, reminiscence about a special person, place or event that made you happy.
Laugh
Make yourself laugh for 1 minute. Find a humorous video, joke or image. Chuckling, releases endorphins—the “feel good” chemicals that make you happy. If you want an even more released, all you have to do is anticipate laughing (i.e. waiting for the punch line).
Nancy Fagan, Founder of Relationship Resolution Center
Nancy Fagan is the founder of the Relationship Resolution Center, an online counseling, mediation, and coaching business. She holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and is the former owner of the largest divorce mediation firm in San Diego. She is a 3-time published author and has appeared on countless television, radio shows, and quoted in national magazines since 1997.
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