Beginner's Fitness Programs

In the previous blog, I mentioned that being happy is great for our health, and mentioned a couple of things we can do. I thought it might be nice to continue this theme.

First, let’s think about how to spend our money to be happy. Can we buy happiness with money? Well, many people think so, but there are big differences depending on what you buy. One study indicated that when people pay for experiences such as a massage or family vacation, they are much happier than when they buy material things such as a big-screen TV or a car. They were happy when buying the TV, but the happiness wore off pretty quickly, compared to those purchasing the experiences (that often can be relived in memories).

My second tip is much simpler. Just look up! When you ask your friend questions, did you notice that she tends to look up? The eyes and the brain are intimately related, and when we try to remember the past, we tend to look upward left. A couple of researchers looked deeper and found that physical movements accompanying thoughts significantly affect emotions! For example, when considering your senior year of high school, if you move your head upward, you tend to remember a positive memory. On the other hand, if you move your head downward, you tend to recall a negative memory.

This means that if you want to feel happy, create an upward physical motion, such as looking up or standing up, and think of a happy experience from the past. This puts you into a happy state. No wonder people raise their arms when they get excited at sporting events!

Source: The relative relativity of material and experiential purchases.. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2010; 98 (1): 146
Motor action and emotional memory. Cognition, 2010; 115 (1): 179

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