I recently took a Yale Online Course centered around the science of mental health, and in this article, I’d like to talk about some actions we can take to help improve our levels of happiness that I learned about through the course.
1) Social Connection
In a 2021 study led by Jean M. Twenge, data was collected about loneliness from more than 1 million teens across 37 different countries. Researchers found that feelings of loneliness among teens increased in 36 out of the 37 countries and that worldwide, the percent of teens struggling with loneliness had doubled since 2012.
Clearly, it is now more important than ever to make social connections a priority in one’s life. It is best to do so in person as opposed to through a screen, as in person interactions always feel more genuine. This can simply be by putting aside small parts of your day to spend time with family members at home, or by making an effort to have a short conversation with the cashier checking out your groceries. It is also important to preserve strong relationships that you already have in your life by putting time into maintaining those friendships. Even if it may not seem like it, a simple conversation or block of time spent with another person can have huge benefits on your mental health.
2) Kindness
Two studies conducted by Elizabeth Dunn, social psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, show us the impacts of performing acts of kindness on our mental wellbeing. First, her 2008 study showed that when we spend money on others, we experience more happiness than we would have than buying something for ourselves. Additionally, her 2010 study further illustrates this idea by showing that people who donate more to others have lower cortisol levels (cortisol is a hormone related to stress).
Click here for an interesting Ted Talk by Elizabeth Dunn
The takeaway from this is that random acts of kindness do go a long way, not just for the receiver, but for you as well. Actions such as donating and volunteering are great ways to apply this to your own life, but so are things like complimenting a stranger or writing a card for a loved one.
3) Entering a Flow State
So what even is a flow state? Pretty much everyone has experienced it before. It’s when you are so immersed in activity that you are performing that you lose track of time and/or are feeling energized in the process. Flow state is best reached when you are performing an activity that is challenging but is able to be completed successfully. It is even better when it is an activity that you know you are passionate about or are good at. Examples could be art, photography, writing, baking, etc. Try to make more time for activities such as these in your life, whether it is once a week on the weekends or a daily habit.
4) Exercise
When we exercise, endorphins and dopamine are released into our system. Such an influx of dopamine triggers the brain’s reward pathway, which is between the nucleus accumbens and the ventral tegmental area, and ultimately results in one feeling more happiness and fulfillment. Besides improving your mood, daily or weekly exercise is important for helping your body stay healthy and strong. On top of this, exercise is a great method for de-stressing because it provides you with an opportunity to focus your attention away from whatever else could be going on in your life. Thus, incorporating an exercise routine into your life would have immense benefits for your physical and mental wellbeing. If you don’t know where to start, daily walks and at-home workout videos are a great start.
5) Time Affluence
So what does “time influence” even mean? It is simply when one has enough time in their day to pursue fun and relaxing activities. In other words, it is when you have the time to do activities important to you. However, as we all know, in order to have a good amount of free time, we have to be efficient and productive when approaching other important tasks in our lives. If you try to be productive, you will feel more fulfilled, and you will have more free time, making you feel more happy. It’s a win-win scenario! A good way to create more free time in your life is by taking advantage of smaller moments where you have some time to get short but necessary tasks out of the way. For example, if you have a few minutes between two important activities, you could send out an email or put away some fresh laundry.
Of course, these five things are not the only ways to boost your happiness, but being mindful of them will be greatly beneficial to your mental health and wellbeing in the future!