Complete Well-being Begins With Building Positive Emotions
Sadly, even in the happiest of homes some people are not feeling as well as they could be. If you're finding that you can't shake off the feeling of "I don't feel good" no matter what you do, check out these ten simple steps to start building positive emotions.
Physical health starts with emotional wellbeing. If your mental health is suffering, it'll only make your physical health worse too! But fortunately there are ways to instantly boost feelings of positivity and happiness in your day-to-day life — simply by changing a few small habits.
1. Eat Your Fruits And Veggies!
The more fruit and vegetables we eat, the more positive psychological effects we feel. A recent study at Knox College found one of the most direct links between healthy eating and happiness – when eating fruit and vegetables, people reported feeling significantly happier than when eating meat or junk food. So if you always feel down, try eating a piece of fruit or a vegetable first thing in the morning to get a little pick-me-up to start your day — it might just help lift those blues!
2. Try Napping!
We all know how tired we feel when we don't get enough sleep, but a recent study has shown that even sleep deprivation can be used to reduce positive emotions and increase negative ones. Researchers found that people who were deprived of sleep struggled to experience positive emotions — and even experienced more negative emotions! The study suggests that as long as you get enough rest, you can use your lack of sleep to feel less positive. If you're feeling low or looking forward to a little nap (and a comfy blanket), this could make all the difference.
3. Exercise In The Morning!
When you exercise in the morning, you'll feel happier and more energetic for the rest of the day. One study in 41 people showed that exercising in the morning led to greater feelings of happiness, concentration and well-being later on. Another study had similar results – participants who exercised first thing in the morning were happier at their workplace than their colleagues who exercised four hours later.
4. Treat Yourself To A Nice Candle Or Flower!
If you feel like smiling, why not give yourself a smile? Try buying something small to pick you up — perhaps a flower or a scented candle — to take home with you. Research has shown that these make you feel better about life — one common example would be buying yourself a flower to write happy thoughts on as your day goes by.
5. Send A Smile!
In a recent study, over 1200 participants were given an email with either a positive or a negative message encouraging them to think happy thoughts, and they found that the "positive" message led to happiness in the recipient significantly more than the other email. The researchers concluded that positive words do indeed have a meaningful impact — even if you don't always feel positive inside (though it doesn't necessarily make you feel bad either!). If you have someone close to you who needs cheering up, why not send them this?
6. Watch Your Language!
Try not to use words such as "always", "never", or "always" when you're feeling down – it's always something that could make you feel more negative. Instead, try saying "sometimes" or "rarely". This study found that people who used positive language experienced less negativity in the first place and were happier. So try to keep this in mind when you're having a bad day: words have a power to change your mood.
7. Treat Yourself To The Luxury Of A Massage!
Studies have shown that people who regularly receive massage therapy report higher levels of well-being. One study in particular states that positive emotions and depression are reduced after massage therapy. This makes sense – we all know how good it feels to get a massage, especially when you're feeling under the weather!
8. Play Music That You Love!
Researchers in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University found that playing music that you love fires up your brain's reward system — and just like any drug, this leads to happiness. The study showed that just listening to your favorite piece of music can actually make you feel happy. So while you're working away on your computer, why not put on some tunes?
9. Learn Something New!
One of the most effective ways to change your mood is to learn something new. Whether it's as simple as learning how to cook a new dish, or something slightly more intricate like a new language — learning stimulates the brain and makes you feel good. If you're looking for ways to feel positive emotions in your day, why not try learning something new?
10. Watch A Comedy!
Watching your favorite comedy is one of the best ways to instantly boost your happiness levels. Researchers at New York University found that watching comedies temporarily reduces stress and increases positive feelings – so if you need a quick pick-me-up, look no further than a comedy show (or even YouTube!).
Conclusion
Positive emotions are much better for us than negative emotions. Taking action to feel more positive is one of the best ways to live a healthier, happier life. It's important to remember that people don't have to be happy all the time, but they do need to be able to deal with the negative and not let it affect them. Remind yourself that it's okay not to feel great today – change can be difficult, so despair isn't going to solve your problems, but it will allow them to get much worse. Getting used to being happy again is one of the best things you can do for your self-esteem and mental wellbeing.