“Happiness is morning and evening, day time and night time too. For happiness is anyone and anything at all that’s loved by you.”
~ Charlie Brown (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Lyrics by Clark Gesner)
We’re into the home stretch of January. Those shorter days can start to wear on your psyche. My favorite thought to remember is that every day gets minutes long, and brighter. Think about it. We’re already two months out of the woods and heading toward spring. Blink and we’ll be there.
In the meantime, those who research Happiness can offer you some proven tricks to keep your spirits up — no matter how dark the days. Our resident expert Dr. Christopher Peterson (the most widely cited scientist in the field of Psychology) has taught us many things, but two, in particular, are our favorites:
1) Count your Blessings. WAIT! Don’t scoff at this as potentially sappy. Well you can, but you’d be cutting your nose to spite your face (don’t-cha hate that expression? But it’s true!). Peterson’s research is robust here. Those who do this activity properly rate themselves significantly happier after even just a few weeks. I beg you: DON’T knock it ‘til you try it. And if it’s true, it’s oh so much cheaper and quicker than all other forms of treatment for depression. Here are the instructions adapted from the VIA Character institute:
Write down three things you were grateful for each day. A challenge of this exercise is to avoid repeating any of the things on your list from day to day and week to week. Without repeating, if you kept this list for 1 month, you would have counted approximately 90 things you are grateful for or that you appreciate. Practice moving from the general (e.g., I’m grateful for my family; work went really well today) to the specific (e.g., I’m grateful for the compliment my boss gave me today; I’m glad I took the time to ask the store clerk how she was doing).
2) Savor. Again, this isn’t schmaltz from the feel-good devotional of Al Franken’s Stuart Smally. This is the real deal in pick-me-ups. After all, why do you think the souvenir and photo businesses are so huge? They helps us “savor” those great moments and anchor us to our happiest memories. Peterson’s work along with his colleagues in Positive Psychology have proven that we can milk this concept far longer than we ever realized. AGAIN, don’t knock it until you revel in it! Here are the instructions from Peterson’s folks:
Reflect on your day for 2-3 minutes on two pleasurable experiences or moments and allow/make the pleasure last as long as possible. This taps into the intensification or elongation of positive emotions through focused attention on the present moment.
Besides working on your personal character…
Of course, we’ll add in our standard two tricks to boost spirits all year long:
- Take a walk with a buddy each day to keep your head clear and your heart pumping. Besides, one of Peterson’ favorite sayings about his findings over 20 years is: “other people matter.”
- Get a good night’s sleep.
Finally, we’ve heard a lot in the past two years about Vitamin D, especially in the Northern US. This micro-nutrient is turning out to be the unsung hero of much. Not enough D can be hard on your immune system and on your emotions. The Vitamin D Council (a nonprofit research organization) has a huge page dedicated to current research supporting these findings, among other benefits of D. Since the power of the sun isn’t quite strong enough to get into your skin from at least October through March, it’s a good idea to take a supplement of 400 IUs of Vitamin D a day.
Let us know how you’re staving off any winter blues this month.
For more Character Strength activities that can bolster happiness, from Dr. Peterson and his partner in the happiness revolution, Dr. Nansook Park, become a PATH participant and record your happiness progress in the PATH Community. You can also discover your signature character strengths for happiness with their widely acclaimed and researched questionnaires designed in concert with Dr. Martin Seligman, founder of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Or see them at the VIA Institute on Character.
Happiness is the journey!