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Thursday 11 February 2016





Some Easy Ways to Feel Happier in the Moment

Many people choose hypnotherapy to change the way they experience themselves – their thoughts, feelings, habits and actions. Often the causes of their discomfort are triggered by a past event which is associating the feelings of the past with a current situation.  These triggers can cause anything from severe anxiety, insomnia, depression, addictions to weight gain.

Many people would agree, myself included, that even when one is those heavy feelings, it isn’t always prolonged because we can’t sustain a feeling forever.  So we experience “manageable moments”.  Our feelings are transitory; they flow from one to the next in layers.

People look for all kinds of ways to feel better but unfortunately, these may be really unhealthy.  Some people turn to self medicating with drugs and alcohol or unhealthy activities such as eating their emotions, smoking, gambling, or even becoming anti-social.  Hypnotherapy can help those who want to change from the inside out so as to shift in their outlook, feelings and behaviour.

And we all as humans have ability to, in the moment, use our imagination and senses to direct and generate predictable and positive responses. So here are a few science-backed ways to shift to a happier state in moments:

Eat a Clementine. The scent of this fruit is one of the most positive and arousing things you can smell, according to a study conducted in the journal Chemical Senses.  I think they’re in grocery stores now (http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/suppl_1/i248.full)

Light a vanilla-scented candle. In the same Chemical Senses study, participants ranked the smell of vanilla bean right up there with Clementine as a super-uplifting scent that's even more relaxing.  (http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/suppl_1/i248.full)

Go out and do a “happy walk”.  We don’t always realize that our posture reflects how we feel.  When you are down, feeling overwhelmed, you likely round your shoulders inward and stoop. So stand up straight, roll your shoulders back, and add a spring to your step. Fake it till you make it because "happy walk" can actually make you happier, according to a recent study (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005791614000809)

Make your desktop or phone background green. The calming color or green is associated with happiness, comfort, peace, and hope.   So bring some green inside.  (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743993/)

De-clutter your desk! Clutter elevates stress levels, which it does for me.  So organizing your workspace can be the perfect anecdote when you’re feeling crappy. It “clears” the way for better vibes.  Or...clean your house! (http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/trouble-in-paradise-new-ucla-book)

Cut out the sappy music and go for upbeat. People who listen to positive music with the INTENTION of improving their mood were happier and more successful than people who listen to any kind of music, according to a research conducted at University of Missouri. However, if you have a hard time having a good cry, go for sappy.  It will help you release the sadness and offer some relief
(http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2013/0514-trying-to-be-happier-works-when-listening-to-upbeat-music-according-to-mu-research/)


If you have a beloved pet, have a lovin’ sit-in.  Pets just make you feel good, whether it’s a dog, cat, bird or exotic snake, depending on your taste. Go and google puppies and if you’re human, it will bring a smile to your face as well as some needed ‘warm and fuzzies’


Find the Light. When I wake up and see blue skies, I’m instantly happier.  And if I’m walking outside in fresh air, I feel peaceful..calmer.  You can find those days, even in the world's worst mood in Vancouver in the Winter. When you can't get outside, open the blinds or turn on some lights: In a study where older adults suffering from depression were exposed to either one hour of pale blue light or one hour of dim red light (the placebo) every morning for three weeks, the blue light improved people's moods and reduced their stress more than the dim red light, with results that lasted into the evening. White light will do the trick too — the brighter, the better. (http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=211002)


Think in the now. Letting your mind wander makes you substantially less happy than focusing on the task at hand.  You can get trapped in the ‘monkey mind’.  This is shown in a study by Matt Killingsworth in which over 650,000 real-time reports from over 15,000 people were collected by the Track Your Happiness iPhone app, which monitors people's happiness in real time.

Mr. Killingsworth stated, “As it turns out, there is a strong relationship between mind-wandering now and being unhappy a short time later, consistent with the idea that mind-wandering is causing people to be unhappy. In contrast, there’s no relationship between being unhappy now and mind-wandering a short time later. Mind-wandering precedes unhappiness but unhappiness does not precede mind-wandering. In other words, mind-wandering seems likely to be a cause, and not merely a consequence, of unhappiness”. 

(http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/does_mind_wandering_make_you_unhappy)


Think quick. Research shows that quick, varied thinking can lead to feeling happy. In six experiments, researchers at Princeton and Harvard universities made research participants think quickly by either problem solving, reading or watching a clip of I Love Lucy on fast forward.YIKES! The research showed that thinking fast led to the participants feeling more ‘elated’ and “creative”


Learn Mindfulness Meditation.  This involves quieting your mind and focusing it on one thought in the moment, like your breathe or the beating of your heart.  Observe without participating.  Lots of benefits here.  http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-meditation-changes-your-brain-and-makes-you-feel-b-470030863

Try these out!  And if you need to go deeper to feel like your best-self, give me a call.