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Despondency, stress, mood at zero? Here are five science-backed (and very simple) ways to fix it quickly.
Numerous “happiness experts” give advice generously, but it is of little practical use. Well, you see, how many of us have time for a long meditation when there are a million important things on the agenda?
Fortunately, you can cheer yourself up faster – in just 5 minutes.
1. Take on the toughest challenge
Loretta Graziano Breuning, author of The Habits of a Happy Brain, believes that we can “rewire” our brains. How? By realizing that we have “happiness chemicals” inherited from our mammalian ancestors, and by developing habits that promote the production of these chemicals.
One of them is dopamine, which gives us a pleasant feeling of satisfaction when we achieve something. You can stimulate its production by taking on the most difficult task right in the morning and completing it. For a long time you could not bring yourself to read an unpleasant letter? Couldn’t take apart and throw dirty clothes into the laundry? Endlessly postponing a difficult conversation? This is where you start your day.
If it is simply impossible to complete this difficult and unpleasant task in 5 minutes, break it into pieces and start from the first. Your goal is to focus on a particular step and be happy when you do it. It may seem counterintuitive to take on something difficult and unpleasant when you are already having a hard time. But let the dopamine do its thing and you won’t regret it!
2. Take 10 deep breaths in and out
In December 2020, experts conducted an interesting experiment: they proposed to maintain and develop the four “pillars” that support mental health – awareness, connection with others, sudden insights, and having a goal – with the help of small daily habits that are easy to practice. So, the first step to awareness was proper breathing.
Scientists advise closing your eyes and focusing on 10 sets of inhales and exhales (or you can inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for 7 counts, and exhale for 8 – as long as it suits you!). Surprisingly, this simple practice actually reduces feelings of anxiety and stress both in the moment and in the long run.
3. Listen to a fun song (bonus if you also dance to it)
Listening to a cheerful tune has been proven to have an effect comparable to that of mindfulness meditation. For example, in a 2016 study, subjects – older people with Alzheimer’s disease – listening to music noted that they began to feel better, their mood increased, and their stress level decreased.
Another study shows that when parents sing to their babies in intensive care units and neonatal intensive care units, their own stress levels are significantly reduced. And, of course, active movements to the music will help you literally relieve stress.
4. Take a moment to think about your supporters.
According to Breuning, another “happy substance” is oxytocin. We used to call it the hormone of love, but in fact it is rather closely associated with a sense of trust. To provide yourself with a surge of oxytocin, think of those you trust, those who will immediately be there for you if you need help.
You can go ahead and call or text such a person (or hug him or her if you live under the same ceiling). You will see, a surge of happiness and a sense of security is provided to you.
5. Do something nice for someone else
It doesn’t have to be something grandiose, just some kind of grand gesture: support a colleague with a kind word, praise a neighbor’s dog, hold the elevator for someone who follows you.
Experts also note that just sitting and cultivating a sense of kindness towards someone is just as effective as doing something specific. And it doesn’t matter if the “addressee” knows about your feelings or not.
Think about what you like about this or that person, how certain qualities of his were manifested, how impressed you were. By “sending” such thoughts to another person, near or far, you will actually “attract” joy into your own life.