6 Ways to Find the Bright Side

"Happiness is a work ethic… It’s something that requires our brains to train just like an athlete has to train."1

As the number of people experiencing depression and anxiety continues to increase it is a good idea to find ways to help bring cheer and calm to ourselves and others around us. For many of us maintaining our sanity and inner peace requires a psychotherapist and medication. The following suggestions are simple things we can all do to relax and raise our zeal.

SMILE

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Smiles are free and favorable. As Biochemist, Sandra Barrett wrote “when we lighten up, our cells rejuvenate.” She further states “when we laugh our cells stretch.”2 The smile does not have to be real, we can fake it and get the same results.3 If we smile through stressful time, we reduce our stress levels as our cells respond.

DANCE

A small study found light ballroom dancing helped increase the quality of life of cancer survivors. The physical activity helps to release endorphins, which produce feelings of well being.4 When done to music dancing can be even more beneficial as our moods respond to music. At times a dance break serves as a great day to unwind.

SHARE

When we are down, speaking to someone who will listen without judgement can be therapeutic. Letting go of frustration helps to clear our thoughts and frees us to move on.What if you have no one to speak? Try a therapist. What if you cannot afford therapy? Here 3 sites where chat services are available and 3 hotline numbers for suicide prevention:

• https://www.7cups.com
• https://www.befrienders.org/need-to-talk
• http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/
• 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)
• 1-888-SUICIDE (1-888-784-2433)

GIVE

Giving can be invigorating. Our brain is stimulated by giving, specifically the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) activation increases.5 The VMPFC regions of the brain have been connected with social functions, emotion regulation and pleasure.6 Giving is not always about providing a service or financial assistance, at times giving is as simple as taking the time to speak to someone you usually ignore and listening more to those communicating with you.

CREATE

If you love to make things but have been unable to do so sometimes taking a few minutes for your hobby can give you clarity and help bring more positive action to your day. The creative mind cannot be pinned down, as people create many areas of the brain are activated.7
Not a creative? Try picking up a coloring book and some crayons. You may be pleasantly soothed by taking a few minutes to color like a child.

THINK

There have been small studies about the effects of meditation and prayer on health. Taking a moment to be grateful for little things helped me during pregnancy after I was informed my son was not growing due to the lack of nutrients able to reach him because my blood pressure was chronically high. A very sunny day became cold and foggy as I sat waiting for my husband to arrive. Afraid and alone I gave thanks for having the opportunity to turn the situation around.

The last 3 months of my pregnancy were spent on bed rest. I prayed for the best and developed a breathing routine to help decrease my physical stress. During my breathing I focused on finding the blessings in my life. Several hours of my day were focused on communicating positive messages to my growing son. He was born healthy and is now a happy 4 year old. 

The body is the home of the brain. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions, positive actions generate more positive thoughts. We can improve the quality of our lives by treating our bodies well and taking positive actions to maintain a balanced path for our brains.

1 Achor, Shawn. "Happyness is a Work Ethic" http://bigthink.com/in-their-own-words/happiness-is-a-work-ethic 2 http://sondrabarrett.com/health/
3 See note 2.
4 Pisu, M; Demark-Wahnefried, W; Kenzik, KM; Oster, RA; Lin, CP; Manne,S; Alvarez, R; Martin, MY. "A dance intervention for cancer survivors and their partners" (RHYTHM). Journal of Cancer Survivorship 1/8/17.5 Cooper, JC; Kreps, TA; Wiebe, T; Pirkl, T; Knutson, B. 5 Cooper, JC. "When giving is good" Neuron. 8/12/10. 
6 Grabenhorst, F and Rolls, KT. "Value, pleasure and choice in the ventral prefrontal cortex." Trends in Cognitive Science 2011 Feb;15(2):56-67.
7 Gregoire, Carolyn and Kaufman, Scott. "Creative People's Brains Really do Work Differently."Quartz. 1/4/2016.