Category: HACK 201-301

Smell isn’t just a fragrance; it’s a memory—think about chocolate-chip cookies baking in your grandma’s oven or a bouquet of flowers that a special date gave you. Because olfactory responses are directly linked to the emotional centers of the brain, they cause a flood of warm and fuzzy feelings that are sure to boost your mood. Find your favorite fragrance and smell it to increase your happiness. 

Challenges are opportunities for growth and are one of the keys to happiness. Having something to strive for will keep you out of the negativity rut, so do something you’ve always wanted try (even if you’re afraid to do it). Find something that gives you a sense of purpose and then strive for it. 

Find a beloved book that makes you laugh or cry or sigh every time you read it, curl up in a quiet, sunny place with it, and get lost in the story. Let yourself be lifted out of your own life and into the world of the book. Share the characters’ triumphs and feel their torments. Escape your own problems for a little while. True, you can’t run away from issues in real life, but sometimes the respite of a good story can lighten your mood and give you a much-needed break to clear your mind. This works with your favorite movie too! 

Our brains take pleasure in new and novel ideas. To encourage you to seek out the new and unexpected, your brain will release feel-good hormones when you try something new. Routines bring stagnation—it’s time to break out of your rut and find some joy! Try something you normally wouldn’t and then feel the rush of happiness. Maybe you’ve always wanted to skydive or kayak or drive off to that inn by the beach . . . whatever it is, try it! 

The most magical times of the day often go by unnoticed. There is something so beautiful and peaceful about the sunrise! Try waking up early one morning to go out and witness it. Hear the quiet chirp of the early birds, feel the breeze on your face, watch as the sunlight first appears over the horizon and begins the day with its light. A sunrise is akin to a religious experience—don’t miss it. Watch a sunrise just once, and you’ll notice how positive you feel for the whole rest of the day. 

Some people love to cause trouble—they love to interfere in situations that are not really their concern and stir the pot of emotions. Whether they do so out of a desire to create chaos and push other people’s buttons or to boost their own egos by making themselves feel superior, if you want to hold on to your happiness, you should avoid these types of people at all costs. Toxic people have a need to suck others into their negative spiral. Avoid the drama and distance yourself from them! If you can’t turn a person’s focus away from negativity, then simply excuse yourself and leave the conversation. Your happiness is worth the little bit of awkward inter action you might need to initiate to remove yourself from the situation. 

“Me time” is a concept that is slowly slipping away in our hectic world, but it’s critical for your mental health. For just one day, try to spend that day with only yourself—no family, no friends, no coworkers. While these people may have your best interest in mind, they are often a distraction from getting to know your real self. Spend a day relaxing, doing the things you love, eating foods that make you happy, and focusing on you and your purpose. Avoid checking your phone at all. Really unplug yourself from the world. It won’t be as awful as you may think! In fact, the peace that comes from occasional solitude will make you feel refreshed and calm. 

Nostalgia and reminiscing stimulate those feel-good emotions because they make your brain remember how happy you were when you first did the things you’re remembering. Think back to something you really loved doing as a kid. Roller skating? Playing at the beach? Eating ice cream at the ice cream parlor? Visiting a relative’s house? Whatever it is, find a way to do it again. Sure, the experience will be slightly different now that you are a bit older and time has passed, but the joy you’ll get by reliving your favorite memories will be the same. When kids do fun things, they aren’t embarrassed or shy or intimidated—they simply experience the richness of life. Go be a kid again! You’ll reignite the joy that came from having those experiences. 

We all have a resistance to change when things come up that may alter our comfortable way of living. One way to battle this resistance is to make small changes— even tiny changes help. Say there’s something you have been resisting doing. Try doing it for just five minutes. Anyone can do something for five minutes, right? Re- search new careers for just five minutes. Walk or paint or play an instrument for just five minutes. The goal of these short bursts of time is to find something related to doing that activity that brings you joy. Doing something you hate is possible for a while, but you’ll never stick with it—you need to find some joy in an activity in order to keep on doing it. That’s why you need to find something— anything—that makes you happy about that activity. Once you have, then you’ll be able to change. 

This hack harkens back to the fact that when you bring happiness to others, you will feel happy yourself. Just remember: it’s important to be sincere and give active and constructive responses. We live in a world where people show their responses in emojis and symbols, which in reality are empty and meaningless. If someone shares good news with you, send a sincere response that shows genuine interest in and happiness for the other person. By doing so, you will create stronger social bonds and give people a more positive view of you.