Happiness Hacks

For those times when you want someone to quiz you or share notes from that last lecture, nothing beats having a classmate who’s willing to study with you. If there is someone in your class or workshop you find intriguing or who is new to the school or program, ask that person to study with you. Say something to spark a conversation. Imagine being in a new environment and not knowing anyone . . . and then how welcoming it would feel to have a stranger invite you to study with them. Most likely, the person you ask to be your study buddy will be as supportive of you as you are of them. You both want to excel! It’s a win-win for both of you.

Get out the box of craft supplies and create something fun, whimsical, or beautiful with some kids in your life. Quality time with children is never time wasted—kids need time with family members to feel loved and wanted. Instead of allowing them to sit in front of the television and be bombarded with (possibly undesirable) mes- sages, establish an hour of family fellowship and watch them thrive. Spending time with kids will make you feel pretty good, too, plus you might end up with some personalized and creative art to keep for yourself. 

A thoughtful way to send off a friend or neighbor who is moving away is to give that person a gift that will always remind him of the times you shared. If the person who’s leaving loves gardening, you could put seeds from your favorite plants into white paper envelopes, then tuck the envelopes into a card to give your friend on his moving day. Or if you used to cook dinner with your neighbor, you could write down some of your favorite recipes for her. That way, when your friend is in her new place, she can plant the flowers or make the dish and think of you. 

If something isn’t going well in your life—a parent becomes ill, a car hits yours in the parking lot, you overdraw your bank account, the Uber you took to the most important meeting of your life gets snarled in traffic—have hope that circumstances will shift and the situation will improve or resolve. Rather than allowing stress and anxiety to fill you with worry, try to feel hopeful and find the courage to work toward changing what isn’t going well. Having a more positive mindset will be better for you emotionally and physically. 

Keep your brain happy by stimulating it with memory exercises and problem- solving games. Doing daily crossword or number puzzles means your brain gets a sustained cognitive workout every day. Besides, the act of using those little gray cells often brings pleasure as well as mental stimulation! 

Whenever you have a bad day, feel exasperated, or struggle to get out of a foul mood, sniff some lavender to restore your serenity. It’s easy to see why lavender is one of the most popular scents in aromatherapy. (Scents like citrus, rose, and sandalwood are also pleasant. When you smell them, they can trigger particular memories or experiences because your olfactory nerve carries their scent straight to your brain.) There are many ways to enjoy lavender: use freshly crushed flowers set out in a bowl, set some reeds in a diffuser pot with a splash of lavender essential oil, light some lavender-scented candles, simmer lavender potpourri, or put out sachets of dried lavender. Allow the scent to lift your mood and remember that you never again have to relive a bad day. 

Unwind with a glass of your favorite wine at the end of an exhausting day. According to a number of studies, wine is good for you if you drink it in moderation and as part of a healthy diet. Wine has phytochemicals (flavonoids and resveratrol) that prevent free-radical molecules from damaging your body’s cells. Researchers have shown that drinking dry wine reduces the risk of getting certain cancers as well as heart disease; it also slows the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s dis- eases. For women, one five-ounce glass per day is good, while men should drink no more than two five-ounce glasses—more than that, and wine does not offer health benefits. 

Maybe you were like a lot of other people and made mud pies as a child. Rediscover what children know about the warm, fuzzy feelings you get from burying your hands in mud—produce a piece of pottery! Spend some happy hours in a pottery class pinching off a ball of clay, centering it on a potter’s wheel, shaping it, firing out the impurities, glazing it, and then firing it again to affix the glaze. A pottery class can provide access to clay, a potter’s wheel, a kiln, and, of course, an instructor. Alternatively, you can purchase the type of clay that can be fired in your own oven (at lower temperatures than a kiln) and make some beads to string into neck- laces. 

A massage is a great way to release the stress and tension you hold in your body. There’s nothing comparable to human touch coupled with aromatherapy to trans- port you into a place of relaxation and peace. Massages are de rigueur at day spas. They are also offered at deeply discounted rates at local colleges that run massage therapy training programs. Of course, you could ask your significant other to give you a massage . . . but that could lead to other activities. Then again, that kind of massage could also relieve stress and put a smile on your face!

You know your way around the kitchen, and you’ve experimented with a recipe or two to amp up the flavor of your favorite brownies. Why not organize (or participate in) a local bake sale or head off to a county fair with your special culinary creation? Get some validation for your incredible baking skills! There are plenty of on- line challenges too. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to say your pie/cake/trifle/ cheese-cake was judged the best in the entire competition? Sure, it would—that blue ribbon would give you bragging rights for years to come. Even if you don’t win, the simple act of baking is sure to put a smile on your face and some deliciousness in your belly.