Increasing Happiness:Simple exercises and techniques

GRATITUDE--a way of lifeOur groundbreaking research has shown that grateful people experience higher levels of positive emotions such as: Joy,

enthusiasm, love, happiness, and optimism, and thatthe practice of as a discipline protects a person from the destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and bitterness. We have discovered that a person who experiences gratitude is able to cope more effectively with: Every day stress, Increased resilience in the face of trauma-

Gratitude

induced stress, and may recover more quickly from illness and benefit from greater physical health.

Continuedour research has led us to conclude that experiencing gratitude leads to increased feelings of connectedness, improved relationships, and even altruism. We have also found that when people experience gratitude, they feel more loving, more forgiving, and closer to God. Gratitude, we have found, maximizes the enjoyment of the goodour enjoyment of others, of God, of our lives. Happiness is facilitated when we enjoy what we have been given, when we want what we have. (Robert E. Emmons, Thanks!)

HEART STRENGTHSWhen you start to focus on negative emotions such as; anger, anxiety, or sadness, remember to work on one of the heart strengths:

Altruism:of others.

the principle or practice of concern for the welfare

Empathy:

the capacity to recognize feelings that are being experienced by another.

Forgiveness:

the renunciation or cessation of resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, disagreement, or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution.

Gratitude:Hope:

feeling or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.

picture courtesy of leilockheart

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Living after the painful parts of our lives is what helps us build character, and become the best person that we can possibly become. One thing that we must remember when dealing with hurt, anger and pain in our lives is that when dealing with it, holding on to it, and looking back wishing that you did things differently when you had the chance is a good way to feel this pain longer than you need to. Though it is important to cherish yesterday, it is also important to dream for tomorrow, and to live each day as thoroughly as possible.By J. Johnson picture courtesy of leilockheart January 22, 2012

Dont Borrow Sorrow from Tomorrow!Amy Robinson

Normal Rockwell

SMILE!!!

It is very difficult to be unhappy if we are smiling. Next time you have a bad moment, try smiling and see if you can still be in a negative mood! Lets try it!

HAPPINESS JOURNAL & QOLT EXERCISESPracticing makes perfect! We must work at recognizing our behaviors and improving on our own life satisfaction and happiness. Quality of Life Therapy: Applying a Life Satisfaction approach to Positive Psychology and Cognitive Therapy (QOLT Exercises) Happiness Journal: Enhancing Happiness and Life Satisfaction (UofU Positive Psychology Distance Education)

Lets Practice!Choose an exercise from the handouts I have given you.

LIST OF GIFTS or BLESSINGSGRATITUDE, DEPRESSION, and PLEASANT MEMORIES In several studies, depression has been shown to be strongly inversely related to gratitude. The more grateful a person is, the less depressed they are. The more depressed a person is, the less likely they are to go around feeling thankful for life. (Thanks!) When we are grateful we are more likely to notice positive aspects in our lives, and this enhances the formation (or encoding) of these experiences into memory. (Thanks!)

GRATITUDE JOURNAL+Nightly record what you are grateful for. (at least 3-10 things per night) BENEFITS: Happier Healthier Aware of goodness in life Better Sleep Stress Reduced

Life may not be what we imagined it, but it can become what we always hoped for!Examples of amazing people overcoming hardship:Nini (Ninis diaries) Hellen Keller Who are people that you know that overcame adversity? How did they do it? What can we learn from this? BEAUTIFUL HEARTBREAKHILLARY WEEKS

Negative: ANGER ANXIETY SADNESS

POSITIVE: ALTRUISM EMPATHY FORGIVENESS GRATITUDE HOPE

HEART LOCK-IN TECHNIQUE Lets try it!

Close your eyes and relax. Shift your attention away from the mind to the area around your heart. If it helps you to focus, put your hand on your heart. Visualize your breath going in and out through the area of your heart and take very slow, deep breaths. Now focus on creating a genuine feeling of appreciation and care for someone or something positive in your life. Really try to feel the emotion of appreciation, not just the thought. Try to sincerely sustain those feelings of appreciation and love as long as you can. (Institute of HeartMath Boulder Creek, CA)

Heart Lock-in Technique continued The heart lock-in technique helps one shift from negative emotions to positive.

Appreciation is the key. The heart communicates with the brain and the rest of the body through various communication systems and that through these systems, the heart has a significant influence on the function of our brains and all our bodily systems. (Thanks!) Battles: stress, negative thought processes. Re-centers one to a positive state.

Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third, wrote the novelist and poet Marge Piercy. And understanding the giftedness of life may be a prerequisite for emotional health.Robert A. Emmons, (Thanks!)

What does this mean to you?

Lets Practice!

Choose a different exercise to practice now.

In Conclusion: GRATITUDE: Is the KEY to life satisfaction and happiness! PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Just as in anything that we truly desire in life, we must practice and work at it until it becomes part of our nature. TECHNIQUES and EXERCISES can help! Smile Gratitude Journal

Heart Lock-In Technique QOLT exercises

YOU CAN Do IT!: everyone has ups and downs, the important thing is to keep it in perspective. You can make a difference first in your own life, then in those around you! HEART STRENGHTS: Altruism, EMPATHY, forgiveness, GRATITUDE, and hope!

Acknowledgements:David Petrucci, Caleb & Chloe, and my familyJ. Goodman Farr, UofU Distance Education Professor: Enhancing Happiness and Life Satisfaction

References: Robert A. Emmons, PhD. Thanks! How the new science of gratitude can make you happier Michael B. Frisch Quality of Life Therapy: applying a Life Satisfaction Approach to Positive Psychology and Cognitive Therapy (QOLT)