Two Simple Exercises to feel happier, sleep better, and dream sweeter
Monday, November 27th, 2006From Researchers seek routes to happier life - Yahoo! News
Research on improving happiness.
EXERCISE #1: Before you go to sleep everyday, remember three Good things that happened to you that day
Every night, she was to think of three good things that happened that day and analyze why they occurred. That was supposed to increase her overall happiness.
“The quality of my dreams has changed, I never have trouble falling asleep and I do feel happier,” she said.
Miller said the exercise made her notice more good things in her day, and that now she routinely lists 10 or 20 of them rather than just three.
EXERCISE #2: Do acts of Kindness, Everyday
For example, in one experiment, participants were asked to regularly practice random acts of kindness, things like holding a door open for a stranger or doing a roommate’s dishes, for 10 weeks. The idea was to improve a person’s self-image and promote good interactions with other people.
Participants who performed a variety of acts, rather than repeating the same ones, showed an increase in happiness even a month after the experiment was concluded. Those who kept on doing the acts on their own did better than those who didn’t.