10 Ways to Well-Being

http://m.fastcompany.com/3015486/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/10-simple-science-backed-ways-to-be-happier-today 1.Exercise more--7 minutes might be enough Exercise has such a profound effect on our happiness and well-being that it’s actually been proven to be an effective strategy for overcoming depression 2. Sleep more--you’ll be less sensitive to negative emotions We know that sleep helps our bodies to recover from the day and repair themselves, and that it helps us focus and be more productive. It turns out, it’s also important for our happiness. 3. Move closer to work--a short commute is worth more than a big house -Our commute to the office can have a surprisingly powerful impact on our happiness. The fact that we tend to do this twice a day, five days a week, makes it unsurprising that its effect would build up over time and make us less and less happy. 4. Spend time with friends and family -I love the way Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert explains it: We are happy when we have family, we are happy when we have friends and almost all the other things we think make us happy are actually just ways of getting more family and friends. Beyond social network size, the clearest benefit of social relationships came from helping others. Those who helped their friends and neighbors, advising and caring for others, tended to live to old age. 5. Go outside--happiness is maximized at 13.9°C Making time to go outside on a nice day also delivers a huge advantage; one study found that spending 20 minutes outside in good weather not only boosted positive mood, but broadened thinking and improved working memory… 6. Help others--100 hours a year is the magical numberIn his book Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, University of Pennsylvania professor Martin Seligman explains that helping others can improve our own lives: …we scientists have found that doing a kindness produces the single most reliable momentary increase in well-being of any exercise we have tested. 7. Practice smiling--it can alleviate pain Smiling makes us feel good which also increases our attentional flexibility and our ability to think holistically. When this idea was tested by Johnson et al. (2010), the results showed that participants who smiled performed better on attentional tasks which required seeing the whole forest rather than just the trees. 8. Plan a trip--but don’t take one One study found that people who just thought about watching their favorite movie actually raised their endorphin levels by 27 percent. If you can’t take the time for a vacation right now, or even a night out with friends, put something on the calendar--even if it’s a month or a year down the road. Then whenever you need a boost of happiness, remind yourself about it. 9. Meditate--rewire your brain for happinessStudies show that in the minutes right after meditating, we experience feelings of calm and contentment, as well as heightened awareness and empathy. And, research even shows that regular meditation can permanently rewire the brain to raise levels of happiness. 10. Practice gratitude--increase both happiness and life satisfaction This is a seemingly simple strategy, but I’ve personally found it to make a huge difference to my outlook. There are lots of ways to practice gratitude, from keeping a journal of things you’re grateful for, sharing three good things that happen each day with a friend or your partner, and going out of your way to show gratitude when others help you.