Tan: 12 Ways to Maximize Your Joy

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

 

I got this from an e-newsletter I get, and thought it would be good to share.

 

Karen

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12 Ways to Maximize Your Joy

 

Whether your joy comes in the rush of a roller

coaster, the glow of professional accomplishment,

or deep spiritual fulfillment, whether it

trickles in small pleasures or flows in a deluge

of delight, most would agree that we want more of

it

 

Here's what experts believe you can do to

increase the joy, both large and small, in your

life.

 

1. Notice what's right. Experts agree that

optimistic people are happier people. Those who

look on the bright side experience more happiness

than those who try to " see things as they really

are, " according to happiness researcher Sonja

Lyubomirsky, PhD, of the University of

California, Riverside. It's a process scientists

call reframing: If you try to cast negative

events in a positive light, and you see the

silver lining, you can turn a bad situation into

a joyful one.

 

So if your housework-handicapped husband does the

laundry and washes whites and colors together,

remember that he's just trying to help. Learn to

overlook his mistakes, and enjoy your extra

chore-free time together.

 

2. Be grateful. We all know we're supposed to

count our blessings, but we may not realize that

in this platitude lies one of the most

significant ways of increasing joy. " It sounds

cliché, but research actually supports this, "

says Dr. Lyubomirsky. One study found that those

who regularly recorded what they were thankful

for in " gratitude journals " showed higher levels

of optimism, enthusiasm, attentiveness, and

energy, and they felt better about their life as

a whole.

 

3. Remember the kid you were. Smiles, giggles,

belly laughs. " Joy is one of those exuberant

feelings we see in children, " says Pamela Gail

Johnson, founder of a group called Secret Society

of Happy People, a Web site she started to

provide a forum for those who want to encourage

the expression of happiness. " As adults, when do

we lose that? That experience of being in that

natural high? "

 

If you're willing to set aside your sense of

embarrassment and play, then you can rediscover

the childlike qualities that are strongly

associated with joy.

 

4. Be kind to others. Random acts of kindness

increase happiness, according to Dr.

Lyubomirsky's research. " There are lots of

consequences that come from showing kindness that

help you stay happy and make you happier, " she

says. A study conducted at the University of

Virginia found that merely witnessing acts of

kindness, loyalty, and heroism created a

significant elevation in mood and increased the

desire to perform good deeds. (Witness the long

lines of blood donors after 9/11.)

 

5. Be kind to yourself. Find a quiet place to

close your eyes. Tune out the rest of the world

and rest your mind, says Pamela Peeke, MD,

assistant clinical professor of medicine at the

University of Maryland School of Medicine in

Baltimore. Take this time to focus on yourself..

All you have to do is set it in motion by

treating yourself to some " you " time each

day-whether it's an hour to read a book, 15

minutes to take a soothing bath, or just 5

minutes to massage your feet with a scented

moisturizer.

 

6. Make connections. Although a rich social and

romantic life does not in itself guarantee joy,

it has a huge effect on happiness. A recent study

of college students showed that the happiest

among them were more social, spent less time

alone, and reported strong, supportive

relationships with friends, family, and romantic

partners.

 

7. Move. If you've experienced " runner's high " or

maybe just the afterglow when you're done, you

know how joyful exercise can be. Several studies

have shown that exercise is a powerful mood

elevator. (Of course, check with your doctor

before beginning any exercise program.)

 

8. Rest. Peace, quiet, and solitude can also

create joy, and some research suggests that we

may have an inborn need to " zone out " once in a

while. In an exploratory study, researchers

observed three babies who turned away or blocked

their eyes in response to overstimulation.

Mothers who recognized this behavior and gave

their children needed downtime had happier,

easier babies.

 

9. Put on a happy face. " There's good evidence

that just smiling and looking like you're happy

will make you happier, " says Dr. Lyubomirsky.

Studies show that even muscular changes in your

face can elevate your happiness, as can good

posture.

 

10. Pursue your goals. Having a set of high goals

that are important to you, that are compatible

with your values, and that are mostly pleasant to

work for helps augment your happiness level,

explains happiness researcher Ed Diener, PhD, of

the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Research shows that the pursuit of your goals,

not even necessarily attaining them, can increase

joy.

 

11. Get into the flow. A very profound joy can

emerge when you are in a state called " flow, " a

term coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD,

director of the Quality of Life Institute at

Claremont Graduate University in California and

author of several books on the subject. Flow is

the form of joy, ecstasy, and happiness that can

emerge when people are so absorbed in a

challenging activity they love that they lose

themselves. Time stops, and they become at one

with what they're doing. What creates flow is

highly individual, but people experience it in

everything from running and rock climbing to

writing, painting, and playing music.

 

12. Find your calling. Some find meaning in

religion or spirituality. Others find a sense of

purpose in their work. Finding your calling may

be more of a lifelong mission than a simple

strategy for increasing joy, but having a sense

of purpose-of feeling like you are here for a

reason-can perhaps bring the greatest joy of all.

--

 

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