How to Get Happy, Fast
Content
How to Get Happy, Fast
Try A High-Octane Workout
Fifty minutes of moderately intense running or cycling crank up production of body chemicals
called endocannabinoids (yep, like the cannabinoids in marijuana), research shows. Add in
the resulting endorphin rush and your spirits should surge, to ways to get happy fast.
Vent
You don’t even need a human handy: A report in Psychological Science found that when
people scribbled down negative thoughts on a piece of paper and threw it away, they
were much less affected by them later; evidently, chucking bad vibes tells your brain they
are gone for good. So go ahead and fill the garbage with Boss says the proposal I worked on
for three weeks is a “great start”/ Neighbor says I look like my Corgi “in a good way”/Friend just
said, “I love how you’re not obsessed with your clothes.”
Change Your Walk
Time to master the Beyoncé strut. In a study in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and
Experimental Psychiatry, people were shown positive and negative words. Then they were
made to walk in a happy, confident style (arms swinging, head thrown back) or a grumpy, getaway-from-me way (shoulders rolled forward). Afterward, the hunched-over group
remembered many more negative words than positive ones—suggesting that their stroll
style doomed them to a gloomy mind-set.
Rethink Your Commute
Of all commuters, people who ride bikes to work have the sunniest moods,
according to a study from Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. Thank the
combination of exercise, mood-lifting nature and not having to deal with a stalled
car. Bus riders are far crankier. (Also, they don’t get to wear cool bike-riding gear.)
Ask Two Questions
When the day threatens to go south, psychologist Guy Winch, PhD, asks himself, “Is
this worth being in a bad mood for?” And then he considers, “Is this something I’m
going to remember in a month’s time?”
Instant perspective.
There Are Good-Mood Foods
SWEET POTATOES: Research shows that the folate and other B vitamins pump up
serotonin and
dopamine, neurotransmitters that improve mood to get happy fast.
BANANAS: They're full of tyrosine, a building block for neurotransmitters.
EGGS: Their balance of fat and protein stabilizes blood sugar levels.
QUINOA: This seed is filled with protein, B vitamins, magnesium and iron, all of which can
help regulate serotonin levels (evening out your mood) and prevent fatigue and
depression.
TOMATOES: Cooked ones, in particular, can aid in mood control because they’re rich in
lycopene, which fights inflammation that can stress your body out.
AVOCADOS: They are packed with healthy fats, including omega-3s, which have
been shown to boost disposition.
COCONUT OIL: The medium-chain triglycerides it contains can improve the brain’s
production of serotonin. (Plus, as hip-hop artist Big Sean tweeted recently, “U can
damn near use/put coconut oil on everything).
Try A High-Octane Workout
Fifty minutes of moderately intense running or cycling crank up production of body chemicals
called endocannabinoids (yep, like the cannabinoids in marijuana), research shows. Add in
the resulting endorphin rush and your spirits should surge, to ways to get happy fast.
Vent
You don’t even need a human handy: A report in Psychological Science found that when
people scribbled down negative thoughts on a piece of paper and threw it away, they
were much less affected by them later; evidently, chucking bad vibes tells your brain they
are gone for good. So go ahead and fill the garbage with Boss says the proposal I worked on
for three weeks is a “great start”/ Neighbor says I look like my Corgi “in a good way”/Friend just
said, “I love how you’re not obsessed with your clothes.”
Change Your Walk
Time to master the Beyoncé strut. In a study in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and
Experimental Psychiatry, people were shown positive and negative words. Then they were
made to walk in a happy, confident style (arms swinging, head thrown back) or a grumpy, getaway-from-me way (shoulders rolled forward). Afterward, the hunched-over group
remembered many more negative words than positive ones—suggesting that their stroll
style doomed them to a gloomy mind-set.
Rethink Your Commute
Of all commuters, people who ride bikes to work have the sunniest moods,
according to a study from Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. Thank the
combination of exercise, mood-lifting nature and not having to deal with a stalled
car. Bus riders are far crankier. (Also, they don’t get to wear cool bike-riding gear.)
Ask Two Questions
When the day threatens to go south, psychologist Guy Winch, PhD, asks himself, “Is
this worth being in a bad mood for?” And then he considers, “Is this something I’m
going to remember in a month’s time?”
Instant perspective.
There Are Good-Mood Foods
SWEET POTATOES: Research shows that the folate and other B vitamins pump up
serotonin and
dopamine, neurotransmitters that improve mood to get happy fast.
BANANAS: They're full of tyrosine, a building block for neurotransmitters.
EGGS: Their balance of fat and protein stabilizes blood sugar levels.
QUINOA: This seed is filled with protein, B vitamins, magnesium and iron, all of which can
help regulate serotonin levels (evening out your mood) and prevent fatigue and
depression.
TOMATOES: Cooked ones, in particular, can aid in mood control because they’re rich in
lycopene, which fights inflammation that can stress your body out.
AVOCADOS: They are packed with healthy fats, including omega-3s, which have
been shown to boost disposition.
COCONUT OIL: The medium-chain triglycerides it contains can improve the brain’s
production of serotonin. (Plus, as hip-hop artist Big Sean tweeted recently, “U can
damn near use/put coconut oil on everything).
