Feel Happier Quicker

I read this magazine article today about ways to feel happier.  Found it in the March 14 issue of First for Women.  Lots of good ideas but I thought a few were definitely stand-outs:

• Get a whiff of vanilla - its sweet scent alters brain-wave patterns to spur the release of mood-lifting seratonin.  Just add a few drops to a cotton round, tuck it in a baggie and sniff as needed.
• Change your computer wallpaper - looking at a tropical beach or a lush forest can help people feel calmer and happier in just a couple of minutes.  Brain scans show that calming scenes encourage the different lobes of the brain to work in conjunction with each other, dampening the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
• Fill your hot water bottle -relaxing with a hot water bottle on your belly shifts brain-wave activity from the right side (which produces negative emotions) to the left side (which produces positive ones).
• Eat just 3 Brazil nuts - getting just this amount of selenium daily triggers a dramatic mood improvement, helping people feel less anxious and more energetic even if they show no signs of a nutrient shortfall.  Selenium soothes the nervous system, making it less reactive when stress hormones surge. (Gosh, it would be hard for me to eat just 3; I sure like 'em)!

So, that's just a few of the 21 ways to feel happier.  I think all of these are great and will give them a try.  The one thing I would add is that when I'm feeling stressed, I pull out my trusty journal that fits in my purse, and put pen to paper.  Even if I have to sneak into the ladies room to do this, it works for me every time.  Get it out of my head and onto the paper.  Do I care if anyone reads this journal after I'm gone?  Nope!  But while I'm still walking this planet, it stays in my purse. :-)

Today's picture speaks of serenity (and yes, it's my computer wallpaper):

Winter Sunset at the Cactus Ranch

  Namaste!