Dont Worry… be Happy

“Some pursue happiness - others create it.”
- Unknown
This time of year when we’re supposed to be happy and making merry… we often find heck, we’re plum not. Most of us, like Chevy Chase, in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, have unrealistically idealized the holidays.

We were all brought up on “the tis the season” - annual televising of “A Christmas Carol,” “White Christmas” and “It’s a Wonderful Life;” the endless holiday variety specials; “Jingle Bells” playing in the background for the upteenth time, as we strolled through the mall and then stood in line for the opportunity to hop on in Santa’s lap and remind him to bring the stuff we already sent him about in that letter we sent over a month ago.

But there are techniques to being happy according to Time‘Time’s Special Report on the subject. It seems that the latest science (and apparently, it is a science) is focused on ways to be happier as a whole, rather than on how to fix problems like depression, anxiety, and such. In other words, what factors enable us to thrive, flourish, not just during the holiday season.

Each of the 20 ways to be happier is explored on their site. The techniques they mentioned were based on the International Conference on Happiness and Its Causes.

A lot of them are no-brainers, such as: “Move your body,” (tip #5) “Smile,” (tip #19) “Laugh big,” (tip #6) “Do something nice for someone else,” (tip #7) and “Snog. Canoodle. Get it on” (tip # 3). Oh, and money doesn’t hurt either (tip #8).

But there are also a few concepts which may not be as obvious as those. For instance, “Tell your story to someone” (tip # 14).

Telling stories, it seems, does two things to boost our emotions. First, it allows our memories to filter out negative aspects of the story, while retaining and re-framing the positive points. Second, telling a negative or embarrassing story to several people lessens the sting. (Hmm you might want to rethink this, especially if you’ve had a couple of eggnogs.)

Also new to me was “Play the part of an optimist,” (tip #12) which posits that optimism is a learned skill. We can cultivate an optimistic streak in three distinct ways: Stand up straight (no kidding), speak in a cheerful, upbeat tone, and use happier words (as in, losing your job is such a great way to find time to smell the roses).

“Nothing can bring you happiness, but yourself”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson