What Doctors Tell Their Friends About Happiness
REDBOOK|June 2018

Look in the mirror and you’ll find the key to contentment: you. Let these experts guide you to creating a healthier, more joyful life for yourself.

Stephanie Wood
What Doctors Tell Their Friends About Happiness

HAVING A GOOD DAY? SAY SO

“I’ve got a friend who’s always saying things like, ‘I love spending time with you’ and ‘This is great.’ Sharing your feelings is part of a practice known as ‘savoring,’ and studies show that people who do it have higher levels of overall happiness than those who don’t. Being aware of how you’re feeling, and slowing down to value those emotions and even voice them, prolongs and intensifies your joy. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday or hiking, be like my friend and tell the other person what you appreciate about the moment. When something really good happens, don’t just smile and move on. Laugh out loud, high-five your colleague, go out for drinks. And don’t stop at your own accomplishments or good fortune: A call or text rejoicing in someone else’s news lifts both your spirits and strengthens that connection.”

—Fred B. Bryant, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Loyola University in Chicago and coauthor of Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience

EXERCISE IS THERAPY

“A graduate student was so stressed out that she struggled to even get out of bed. I suggested she start walking daily and work up to a half hour of running or swimming about five days a week. It was hard at first, but she turned a corner when she realized that she was worrying less. It’s no secret that exercise triggers the release of feelgood serotonin and dopamine, but there’s also GABA, a chemical that quiets negative thinking and helps calm your mind. One study found that clinically depressed people who began exercising were just as likely to recover as those who were also taking an antidepressant, and 10 months after the trial began, they were actually more likely not to have relapsed.”

This story is from the June 2018 edition of REDBOOK.

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This story is from the June 2018 edition of REDBOOK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.