4 Rituals that Will Keep You Happy, According to Neuroscience



Everything is interconnected. Gratitude improves sleep. Sleep reduces pain. Reduced pain improves your mood. Improved mood reduces anxiety, which improves focus and planning. Focus and planning help with decision making. Decision making further reduces anxiety and improves enjoyment. Enjoyment gives you more to be grateful for, which keeps that loop of the upward spiral going. Enjoyment also makes it more likely you’ll exercise and be social, which, in turn, will make you happier. 
- Alex Kord, neuroscientist, UCLA


  1. Ask “What am I grateful for?” No answers? Doesn’t matter. Just searching helps.
  2. Label those negative emotions. Give it a name and your brain isn’t so bothered by it.
  3. Decide. Go for “good enough” instead of “best decision ever made on Earth.”
  4. Hugs, hugs, hugs. Don’t text — touch.


Read the full article on TIME.com.

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