10 Simple Habits to Feel Happier

by in Lifestyle, Psychology 0
Want to feel happier?  A study by the University of Hertfordshire identified 10 habits proven to make people happier and examined how frequently people perform those habits.
Here are the ten habits!   Why not give them a try?
  • Giving: do things for others
  • Relating: connect with people
  • Exercising: take care of your body
  • Appreciating: notice the world around
  • Trying out: keep learning new things
  • Direction: have goals to look forward to
  • Resilience: find ways to bounce back
  • Emotion: take a positive approach
  • Acceptance: be comfortable with who you are
  • Meaning: be part of something bigger

 

The survey showed that Self Acceptance may have a strong link to happiness and life satisfaction, but that people often don’t put it into practice.  The authors of the study gave the following tips to help increase your self acceptance.
  • Be as kind to yourself as you are to others. See your mistakes as opportunities to learn. Notice things you do well, however small
  • Ask a trusted friend or colleague to tell you what your strengths are or what they value about you
  • Spend some quiet time by yourself. Tune in to how you’re feeling inside and try to be at peace with who you are.

Living in Green Spaces Improves Mental Health

by in Psychology 0

Ever wondered why you feel happier when you’re in nice surroundings?

A new study by Alcock, White, Wheeler, Fleming and Depledge (2014) examined the long term effects of living in green areas on mental health.
The study followed 1000 participants over five years.  Results showed that the participants who relocated to less green areas, showed significantly worse mental health in the year following the move!!  However, people who moved to greener areas felt an immediate improvement in mental health and those effects were sustained!!
Considering relocating?  Alcock et al, (2014) found that the positive mental health benefits of living in a greener space could be measured for up to three years!!Are you like me and live in an apartment in the inner city?  More reason than ever to get out in the sunshine for a daily walk!!
Hat – Topshop
Sunglasses – Rayban
Shorts – Somedays Lovin
Lipstick – Mac – Impassioned

Reading literary fiction can enhance your social skills

by in Psychology 0

Looking to increase your social skills?  Put down that copy of Twilight/50 Shades of Grey/whatever random Dan Brown novel immediately, and pick up some Salinger, Joyce, Austin or Carver!!  It may help you to better understand and identify the emotions of others and improve your interpersonal relationships!

A study by Kidd and Castano (2013) measured the effects of reading literary fiction on increasing social skills, or “theory of mind skills.”Theory of Mind skills include the ability to identify and understand the emotional states of others.  Such skills help us to build interpersonal relationships.

Shift Dress – Stellino Designs
Lipstick – Mac, Snob
Glasses – Burberry

The authors state “The capacity to identify and understand others’ subjective states is one of the most stunning products of human evolution. It allows successful navigation of complex social relationships and helps to support the empathic responses that maintain them. Deficits in this set of abilities, commonly referred to as Theory of Mind (ToM), are associated with psychopathologies marked by interpersonal difficulties. Even when the ability is intact, disengagement of ToM has been linked to the breakdown of positive interpersonal and intergroup relationships”

The authors conducted five experiments which compared reading a few pages of literary fiction, against non-fiction or popular fiction.  The results showed that the readers of literary fiction passages vs the other groups, displayed  the immediate ability to discern people’s emotions from pictures of their faces.

More reason than ever to burn your Twilight novels!!

What are some of your favourite literary fiction novels?

Here are a few of mine!!

Baking Therapy – Afternoon Scones

by in Food, Psychology 0
There is nothing more delightful on a Sunday afternoon then an impromptu tea party!!  This afternoon I decided to bake some scones, following this recipe.
They turned out to be delicious, especially with a very large serve of jam and cream.
Baking is far more fun when you have someone to share it with.  Today I invited a friend over for a good cup of tea, some gossip and scones!!
In a study by Diener and Seligman (2002), groups of happy people and unhappy people were compared. The group of happy people were showed to have good social relations, including socialising regularly and having strong social relationships.
Want to be more happy?  Start with a good catch up with a friend!!
Can Daleks be happy too!?