It’s hard in autumn: it gets dark earlier, the sky is low, the wind is piercing, colds – phew! There is also a longing for the flying summer. The mood is at zero. Positive emotions can correct the situation.
14 September 2016
Work, loans, caring for children and elderly parents, the current crisis – it seems that all this is sucking the strength out of us. We look forward to the weekend, and all that has enough energy is to wake up by noon, clean up a little and cook food for the week. A friend calls for a massage – you don’t want to, get out to the exhibition – your legs don’t go? It seems that you are overtaken by anhedonia, or Pierrot’s syndrome, a disease in which emotions are dulled and the ability to receive pleasure is reduced. Such people often catch colds, suffer from headaches and do not sleep well. Anhedonia suppresses the functions of the autonomic nervous system and upsets the hormonal balance. Immunity decreases, interest in the opposite sex fades, attachments and social connections are lost.
Positive units
There is an interesting theory: positive emotions can be counted like food calories, taking hedone as a unit of joy – a one-time release of the pleasure hormones endorphins (translated from the ancient Greek as “pleasure”, “pleasure”). The number of hedons you received in a day must be at least fourteen. These are the moments when you felt enthusiasm, elation, a surge of tenderness, pleasure from praise. Scientists even calculated how much joy you need to receive for physical and mental health at different periods of life. A third of the hedons must be received before the age of 14 (this is why it is so important to ensure a happy childhood for the child), the second third – from 14 to 60 years, the rest – at an older age. Give your parents travel, entertainment, hobby ideas. Old age should be happy, interesting – in this case, life expectancy and resistance to disease increase.
Stock check
Finding out if you have enough hedons is quite simple. Answer three questions for yourself. Do you believe that there is much more good ahead than behind? Do you have beautiful or ambitious dreams, projects, plans? Are you happy with yourself and your harmony with the world? If the answer to two of the three questions was “no” – alas, you have already developed Pierrot’s syndrome. In the risk zone, those who have already achieved a lot in life, have a position, property, a large family. It is especially important for such people to replenish and increase stocks of hedones.
Money can not buy happiness
The results of a survey of wealthy Americans who have earned their own capital are surprising: more than 70% of them say that the simplest things are the most enjoyable. For example, a deep sleep, not interrupted by the alarm clock. Have breakfast with pancakes according to mom’s recipe. Hold the baby on your lap and read him a fairy tale before bedtime. Take a walk with the dog in the evening park. The second place among joys is firmly occupied by hobbies, also simple: fishing, drawing, tango classes. The third position is given to meetings with old friends. This choice was made by people who do not need anything. For us, this is a very important knowledge: to start enjoying life, you do not need a lot of money, separate housing or a strong marital status. You can earn hedon right now – for example, by calling a school friend or girlfriend.
Count your daily hedones before bed and you will fall asleep with a sense of joy.