40 ways to find happiness after 40
Approach aging with a smile on your face and not care in the world.
Aging is not easy. Your body begins to hurt, yourThe skin starts to sag, your hairGray fund-And, it goes without saying that these things do not give you exactly that you want to jump for joy. But while aging comes with his fair share of suffering, that does not mean that you can not find happiness in your 40s, 50 years old and even well in your last years. On the contrary, everything you need is a little gratitude, good friends and the occasional shopping trip to live your best life (despite your wrinkles and your hair crying).
On ato study Leaded at the University of California, Berkeley, participants in the study of more than 40 years have increased more and more confidence, safety, adaptation and intellectual capacity, while reducing the self-criticism of It says, for many people, the early 40 years is only the beginning of a well-lived life. In this spirit, we have gathered some ways to find happiness at your age.
1 Sign up in a dance class
Take your partner and head to the nearest dance studio forFind happiness, Improve your health and maybe even look for a new hobby. WhenQueensland Ballet and University of Queensland Technology Studied the effect of ballet classes on seniors for three months, they found that dance classes was correlated at higher energy levels, a greater sense of accomplishment and immense feelings of happiness.
2 Take more selfies
Although people like to make fun of theselfie a lot formidable, Take pictures of you with your front front camera can actually do wonders for your levels of happiness. In fact, according to ato study published in thePsychology of well-being, taking a single selfie a day can both improve your moodand Make you more confident in your smile. It's a winning victory!
3 Organize a power supply
You want to find happiness after 40 years? Work with some of the other people in your community to do something charitable as configuring a food line for people in need. According toresearch Published in the newspaperNature Communications, more generous people in more activities in ventral striatum, part of the brain directly connected to the reward system.
4 Work in at least three exercise sessions each week
Try if the couch can be, it's important to force you to hit the gym from time to time - for your mental and physical health. The good news? By ameta-analysis published in theStudies of the journal of happiness, just spend 150 minutes a weekpractice-What is about three painful sessions a week - to reap the benefits of physical activity.
5 Sing karaoke
The next time you arefeel bad And need to find happiness, to grab some of your nearest, calls a babysitter if you need to be and go to a karaoke bar. WhenResearchers at the University of East Anglia I studied the benefits of songs of mental health, they discovered that karaoke returned happier topics by giving people a sense of belonging.
6 Integrate acts of random kindness
Remember what you used to tell your children all the time? "Treat others as you want to be treated"? Well, now it's time you do the same. On ato study From the University of Oxford, be nice with other people can not only improve the well-being of this person, but also.
7 Go to bed earlier
Do not negative thoughts and anxiety mitigate your mood? Sorry the night of the owls, but your sleep habits could be to blame. On ato study Published inCognitive therapy and research, people who tend to feel more negative thoughts that dissuades their happiness, so aim topee At an earlier hour if you want to wake up in the best mood.
8 Practice meditation before going to bed
So you can feel calm,fall asleep faster,And make sure you sleep enough every night. In the same sleep investigation, researchers found that the amount of sleep that a person gets is equally important as when they go to sleep in negative thinking. In your 40-year-old, you do not have a lot of time to get these seven or eight hours every night, but you will certainly want to try if you are happy and you're stress-free is your absolute priority.
9 Conquer a hilly hike
Make a hike, take the family campsite or run out, because when it comes to being happy, mother nature is your best friend. In fact, according to an analysis byResearchers from Carleton University, "Those who are more connected to nature tended to experience a more positive impact, vitality and life satisfaction compared to people less connected to nature."
10 Plan holiday far in the future
Do you want to become happy in a hurry? Book a relaxing getaway for you and your partner to take months on the road. On ato study Published in the newspaperApplied research as life, just the anticipation of these future holidays is enough to raise your spirits and help you find happiness.
11 Plan a weekly dinner with friends
Make a habit of having friends for dinner, drinks and a great conversation. WhenResearchers at the University of Southampton Tracking young adults in their last years, they found that those who were extroverted and sociable were the happiest and most satisfied with their lives.
12 Find a job with a shorter interpretation
When you are well in your forties and your 50s, the last thing you want to do is lose hours of your precious time sitting in traffic, shuttles to a job that you are not particularly passionate - and frankly, you should not . By ato study From the University of Western England, every 20 minutes you spend shuttle you are also miserable as if you received a 10% payroll reduction.
13 Learn to play the "smoke on the water" on the guitar
You have worked hard, you have high good children and you have always been there for your friends when they needed you - but it's now time to do something selfish for a change andpick up a hobby thisyou enjoy doing. AsResearchers have proved Time and again, again in an activity that you like to enjoy both your physical and mental well-being - and it is never too late to find the true passion of your life.
14 Keep a bouquet of flowers in the kitchen
Start the right foot every morning with a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table. According toresearch Since Harvard University, just be around flowers every day can increase your mood and perspective on life - and the more you are around the flowers, the more you harvest the benefits.
15 Optimistic music breath
Although truly tries to be happy, it is half of the battle when it comes to stimulating your mood, the secret to get you a state of euphoria in its own right could lie in which music you listen to. WhenResearchers from the University of Missouri Upgrades to try to improve their mood, they found that those who listened to optimistic music (in this case,Judy Garland"Get Happy") have been able to find happiness, while those who have crossed the dark tunes of Stravinsky remained sad.
16 Splurge on a pair of perfect jeans
Good news: There is finally a reason for science-has supported to give your penchant for retail therapy. On ato study published in theJournal of Consumer PsychologyBy doing shopping when you feel sad can actually serve as therapy form and improve your mood, because the action makes you feel more in control of your life and your environment.
17 Become the next Picasso of the World
There is no too old to enjoy the arts and crafts. Not only they are fun, butresearch published in thePositive psychology diary Determined to do something creative every day (like painting, scrapbooking or sewing) is directly correlated at a better mood.
18 Spend more time with your children
Do not underestimate the power of strong family links when it comes to becoming happy. WhenResearchers from the University of Texas in Austin I studied the impact of various factors on the levels of happiness, they found that it was not money that helped the subjects find happiness, but the support of the family.
19 Write negative thoughts and throw them
The next time you have a negative thinking that plays with your mood, try writing on a piece of paper and throw it to the trash. WhenSpanish researchers Having topics did this action itself, they found that their negative thoughts were both physically and mentally rejected.
20 Focus on focusing
Make a conscious effort to focus only on what's going on in the present moment, rather than what could happen or what will happen to the road - you will probably find you happier for that. WhenHarvard University Researchers Analyzed the impact of people's reflections on their emotions, they found that "people think about what's not almost as often as they think about what is and ... it's usually unfortunate."
21 Emphade your strengths
Of course, you never go better about things you will not excel unless you practiced to do them, but sometimes it is good to focus on the things you are already good. In fact, according to the search forShawn Achour The advantage of happiness,Employees who focus on their personal strengths have higher levels of satisfaction and happiness than those who do not emphasize what they are the best.
22 Dream of your other
In case of difficulties and distress, all it takes to transform a frown frown backwards is spent time with the person you love. And believe it or not, your other significant does not even need to be in the same room as you for you for you to reap the benefits of their comfort. Yes, according to ato study Published inConsciousness and Cognition, just dream of your partner is enough to help you find happiness andform connections.
23 Thank you someone better have made your life
Do not limit yourfeelings of gratitude Just Thanksgiving. When psychologistDr. Martin E. P. SeligmanofUniversity of Pennsylvania Serve people to write a letter of gratitude and deliver it to someone they have never really thanked, he found that all the subjects who dropped from the letters of upperights have experienced Tags in their happiness scores that lasted nearly a month.
24 Be honest about your emotions
If you feel sad about something, so it's preferable that you are honest about how you feel that to suppress these emotions and pretend that everything is fine. It's according to ato study published in theExperimental Psychology Journal, who found that "people may be happier when they feel the emotions they want, even if these emotions are unpleasant".
25 Volunteer at a local shelter for homeless
You do not know what to do with your free time now that you are retired and that children are out of the house? Consider filing a portion of your schedule with volunteering activities in a local cuisine orAnimal refuge. On ato study Published inPsychological newsletter, the elderly who volunteer are clearer, happier, healthier,and Make the world a better place!
26 Imagine yourself in your happy place
Your imagination is much more powerful than you think, especially when it comes to your emotions. According toresearch Published in the newspaperBorders in human neuroscience, People in a bad mood that represent themselves in better situations are able to modify not only their imaginary environments, but their mood too.
27 Splurge on a trip without price in the world
If you are on the market to make a big purchase, opt for an experience once in a life like aluxurious holiday On an object like a flat screen TV that will lose its call in the year.
"Things like a new purchase of materials make me happy initially, but very quickly, we adapt to that, and it does not bring us a lot of joy,"notedProfessor of Cornell PsychologyThomas Gilovich, one of the chief researchers in a study on material objects and their impact on mood. However, Gilovich et al. revealed that this is not the case of experiences, because people are not as likely to compare their unique memories to those of their friends.
28 Slide in your favorite dress
If you want to find happiness, you will first dress the game. But how? Well, according toresearch From the University of Hertfordshire, women are ten times more likely to wear their favorite dresses when they are in a good mood, and that high upsets and jeans are resembling the depression when depression is always present.
"Clothes do not just influence others - this reflects and also influences the bearer's mood", author of the studyPine karenexplained in a press release. "This [study] demonstrates the psychological power of clothes and how good choices could influence a person's happiness."
29 Deviate in the joys of being a parent
Whatevermother or father can attest, be a parent is not an easy exploit. But while parenthood has its ups and downs, it is also one of the most rewarding things that a person can do. Ato study From the University of California to Riverside even found that people with children are happier than their counterparts without children, especially when they take care of their children.
30 Share a good news with your partner
Obtain aPromotion at work? Finally, to master this paint technique that annoyed you for months? Cook a perfect lot of chocolate chips cookies? Then share this exciting news with someone you like! On ato study From the Society of Personality and Social Psychology, share a positive experience with a person close to you can increase your feelings of happiness on this experience and serve to further strengthen your mood.
31 Direct social media
It's not a secret thatsocial mediaCan have a harmful effect on your mental health and well-being. If you want to find happiness and live a life with fewer feelings of stress and sadness, a good place to start is with a social media hiatus without Twitter, Facebook and your other favorite platforms.
32 Surround yourself happy friends
Good moods are as contagious as the bad, so be sure to surround yourself only friends who are not Debbie. It might seem hard, butstudies have found that good moods can spread through a social network almost like a beneficial bacterium.
33 Learn to appreciate what you have
Although everyone has aFast mood boost To do something new and exciting, they are just those who appreciate all they have to maintain this level of happiness. It's according to ato study published in thePersonality Bulletin and Social Psychology, which found that "the continued assessment of the initial change of life" can expand a break of happiness.
34 Do you accept for whom you are
There is no point in trying to change the things you have no control. Not only is it a waste of time and energy, but ato study From the University of Hertfordshire noted that people who accept their lives as they are happier than those who are constantly trying to change.
35 Valorize your free time and go wisely
Having all the money in the world does not matter if you do not have time to make the most of it. At the end of the day, your time is much more valuable than money andresearchers Have shown that people who prioritize their time on their bank account tend to live a happier and more significant life in the long run.
36 Balancing your meals with a side salad
You probably already know now all the physicalHealth benefits To eat enough fruits and vegetables, but did you know that there were mood-stimulation benefits, as well? On ato study From the University of Warwick, each additional service you get (up to eight portions in total) is associated with an increase in the atmosphere - so do not forget to serve all the meals with one side of the green greens!
37 Remain a lot of hydrated
According toDepartment of Agriculture of the United States,Even mild dehydration can harm your mood and motor skills, so make sure you get a sufficient amount of water - about eight glasses in a 24-hour period. Everyday.
38 Drink more coffee
Drinkjava cup is not just good for your energy levels. Obviously, caffeine in your favorite A.M. Drinking invites the release of dopamine hormones and serotonin, which help you both happier.
39 Buy a pair of yellow heels
If you do not already have a lot of yellow clothes in your closet, you are now a good time to start storing. Countless studies have shown that this fluffy color can make people feel happier - and it works to stimulate your mood if you wear it oreat it.
40 Customize your workspace
"Bring your personal life into your workspace has been found to have very positive results," explainsAlex PalmerIn his new bookHacks happiness."Add works of art or plants to your office or make another addition that improves it personally for you."
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