The Weird Things That Make You Happy

Lisa Franchi February 06, 2013

Travelling, shopping, attending social gatherings, and spending quality time with family and friends are sure to beat the loneliness that you feel. But if you’ve been doing these things for a long time now and you’ve gone a little bored and ‘unhappy’, then it’s time for you to try some of weirdest things, which according to experts, can make you happy! What’s more – you don’t need to spend a dime for these!

Read a Newspaper

If you feel sad because you think you’ve got the biggest problem in the world, or you are the most unlucky guy, then it’s time for you to read a newspaper. In a study by the University of Maryland that analysed 30-years worth of data, scientists found that happy people read newspaper a lot while their less happy colleagues spend hours watching television. According to the researchers, people find reading newspaper to be more satisfying than watching TV. Another thing, finding out that there are many people who struggle with lots of unfortunate situations will remind you that you’re not the unluckiest guy ever. In fact, there are many things you should be grateful of!

Get Older

If you think ageing is the one causing you sadness, think again! There are so many good things to be happy about growing old. Brain scans show that cells in the grey matter ‘dance’ whenever older people see or experience something good, such as a beautifully decorated cake, a cute baby, an attractive landscape, and an act of kindness. Optimism, which is present in many older adults, is crucial if you want to find and sustain happiness in life. Don’t be afraid to grow old. Aside from the fact that it is an inevitable process, ageing allows you to acquire more knowledge, wisdom and experience. By staying positive, you will feel and look years younger from your actual age.

Do Less for Your Kids

As parents, we want nothing but the best for our children. We want to be there for them all the time, support them and help them in any way we can. But did you know that women who observe ‘intense parenting’ are more likely to get depressed than mums who provide ‘just enough’ love and care to their kids? Sacrificing your needs can do you more harm than good. Aside from being depressed, you can also affect the wellbeing of your children. Studies show that maternal depression can interfere with mum-and-child relationships. Children of depressed mums are more likely to develop mental and behavioural problems, such as severe anxiety, low self-esteem, and learning difficulties.

Watch an Emotional Movie

Surely, watching comedy films can make you laugh out loud. But just because you’re watching a sad movie, doesn’t mean you will already feel gloomy after. In fact, the reverse happens! Researchers from Ohio State University found that watching emotional movies can actually boost our mood. After crying a river inside the theatre, expect to feel good about yourself and your life! Here’s a tip – the sadder the plot of the movie you watched, the happier you become!

Experience the Thursday Fun

‘Thank God it’s Friday!’ – We often hear these words from others, especially from working professionals. But did you know Thursday gives us more feelings of happiness than Friday and any other days of the week? That’s according to the London School of Economics study. Here, researchers tracked the moods of 45,000 people via a mobile phone application called ‘Mappiness’ and found that majority of them feel happier during Thursdays. During this day, we feel more excited and happy about the coming weekend!

Fake a Smile

It’s true that only genuine happiness can improve your wellbeing so how come making a fake smile help? Well, doing so can actually lessen your stress levels and enhance your mood! These were the findings of the University of Kansas researchers. For their study, they asked the volunteers to do a standard smile, a broad smile, and a neutral facial reaction. After, they went through stress-inducing activities, such as plunging their hands in cold water. Surprisingly, those who were asked to fake a smile had a lower heart rate after the stressful activity – an indication that they were less stressed! So even if you don’t have a reason to be happy, just smile! And let your smile take you to the world of joy and happiness!

Keep Yourself Busy

Sitting on a couch, watching your favourite TV show while sipping some cold bear and munching chips and cookies, and letting the time pass by without thinking of your obligations may sound really relaxing and enjoyable. But the pleasures these things give are only temporary. They may not even raise your sense of wellbeing. Instead, scientists recommend keeping your mind and body occupied! When it comes to being happy, research shows 9 out of 10 people say it has nothing to do with working (contrary to the popular belief!). During weekends, try to engage in hardcore sport activities like frisking and boxing, or do some high intensity interval training workouts. This doesn’t mean of course that you should avoid relaxing activities. The key is observing balance in your daily life. Practising yoga and other mindfulness techniques is one way to help your mind and body relax to a great extent.

Ride on a subway

Well, nobody likes the subway. No one likes the idea of sitting next to a huge crowd of muttering, noisy strangers. Just the thought of being in a coffin-like metal train can be a nightmare! But according to a team of Swedish researchers, riding on a subway can actually boost happiness. For their study, researchers asked a number of volunteers who usually drove their way to work, to commute and ride on a subway for a month. Prior the activity, all participants thought it will be a nightmare. But over the course of the study, participants’ view on subway improved and after a month, they felt significantly better about their general wellbeing than before the study begun.

Dear Readers,

How about you, what are the odd things you do to enhance your mood and become happy?

Share your story by posting a comment below.