Happiness

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.

~Anne Frank

Happiness

It’s strange to publish something about happiness, especially as the world faces the biggest health challenge in years. But perhaps now more than ever, happiness has a place in the world in mitigating the fear and anxiety we are all feeling. With our days filled with a new normal rotation of habits and emotions, it’s only natural to be frightened. 

Fear is a powerful emotion. It helps us deal with threats and motivates us to take action. Whether it is fight or flight these reactions although highly functional are also highly stressful and can take a toll on your body. With that in mind, the best way to address the fear and uncertainty is to cultivate positivity. For this reason, we offer some insight on how to do that.

How To Undo The Physical Effects of Fear

Fear is functional, but it carries unintended consequences. The good news is, positive emotions can undo the physical effects of stress. In fact, studies have shown that one strategy in particular (eliciting the relaxation response) may enable you to manage stress and fear. That’s because the relaxation response is the opposite of the body’s (fight or flight) response. When we feel positive emotions like happiness, physiologically, our nervous systems calm down. So, if positive emotions can help undo the effects of fear, the question then is how do we stimulate happiness in a time of such fear?

Activities That Cultivate Happiness

COVID-19 is forcing us to slow down but it is can also allow us to cultivate happiness in our lives where it was lacking. With this in mind, we offer some insight on activities that can help keep you feeling sane and happy during these difficult times:

  • Connect: our friends and family help keep us connected so make a conscious effort to reach out to them daily
  • Take Notice: slow down appreciate the beautiful things, and take quiet moments for mindful self-reflection
  • Be Active: because moving is good for a positive mood, try to avoid the temptation of sitting down all day (yoga, dance, just get moving)
  • Keep Learning: take the found time to rediscover an old interest or sign up for an online course, just keep learning
  • Give: because being generous makes us feel good, reach out to help those in need
  • Be Grateful: never take anything for granted life is a blessing

Together, We’ll Get Through This

We are living in stressful times. In times like these, we need practical, actionable ways of coping with stress, fear, and anxiety. For this reason, we are dedicated to helping you build resilience and find some calm amidst all the chaos. Over the next few weeks, we will be adding more resources as we create them so keep checking back. Together, we’ll get through this!