Happiness? Maybe all we need is an Attitude Adjustment
BY CHERYL HARBOUR
The holidays are traditionally a time to be merry and jolly. But now, they are over — and if your jolly merriness has been depleted, maybe it’s time for an attitude adjustment. Do we have control over our attitude and our moods? We went looking for good practical advice on how to avoid some of the most common attitude challenges and help ourselves to a happier, healthier state.
If these people would simply get out of my way!
Have you noticed that all the bad drivers use the same streets you do? And all the people in line in front of you can’t make up their mind? And if your spouse tells that same joke one more time…Many people think of irritability as a toned-down version of anger. But if little things make us irritable all the time, we’re seldom going to have a good day. This article on a conscious rethink.com offers 12 Strategies to make you less irritable.
- Take A Nap
- Have A Bite To Eat
- Spend Some Time On Your Own
- Disconnect From Your Phone
- Get It Off Your Chest
- Ban Complaining
Our attitudes about getting older affect our health
In test after test, researchers are finding that if we think about getting older in terms of decline or disability, our health likely will suffer. If, on the other hand, we see aging in terms of opportunity and growth, our bodies respond in kind.” Easier said than done? An article in the Wall Street Journal suggests four ways to change your perception of aging, beginning with understanding the difference between myths and facts.
How to avoid getting grumpy
When people bring up the stereotype about people getting grumpier as they get older, they aren’t talking about you or me, right? It could be an empty stereotype. But an article in Psychology Today offers advice from Ph.D. Morton Shaevitz and Ken Blanchard, best known as the author of The One-Minute Manager, on ways to make sure you don’t become one of THEM.
Their advice includes eliminating some behaviors that are common to older people, such as complaining and doing the same old thing.
What makes people feel loved?
We all have our own ideas about what makes us feel loved, but a study done by Pennsylvania State University and the University of California, Irvine concluded that these four things did the trick for their study participants: someone showing them compassion during a difficult time, a small child cuddling up to them (hurray for grandchildren!), their pet is happy to see them; and someone saying “I love you.” Read more here.
The serious health benefits of laughing
According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter offers both short term and long term health benefits. A short-term effect, for example – Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain. Long-term: You can improve your immune system. Check it out here!
If you decide you want to laugh more, here are suggestions on how to weave more laughter into your life.
Ted Talk on Why We Should Take Laughter More Seriously
Since our bodies don’t know the difference between real laughter and going through the motions, some people have taken up “laughter yoga.” Anyone can do it.
How about that sometimes elusive quality of happiness?
According to positivepsychology.com, here are 15 of the best books on happiness. The Happiness Hypothesis draws from inspiration coming from both science and philosophy. Psychologist, Haidt, exposes the messages that have arrived as being ‘common sense’ because our grandparents and THEIR grandparents have handed them down…
Here is a sampling of other books on achieving happiness that you might want to check out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cheryl Harbour is the special editor of our “My GRANDbaby” section and author of Good to Be Grand: Making the Most of your Grandchild’s First Year, a combination of up-to-date information and grandparently inspiration.
