Trending Now
Move.
That’s right, the simple act of getting up off your bum and moving around the office, house, or neighborhood is scientifically proven to improve your mood. Dr. Peter J. Rentfrow, the author of a paper that came out of a study that gathered data from over 10,000 people, explains:
“Our data shows that happy people are more active in general. However, our analyses also indicated that periods of physical activity led to increased positive mood, regardless of individuals’ baseline happiness. There are have been many studies about the positive psychological effects of exercise, but what we’ve found is that in order to be happier, you don’t have to go out and run a marathon – all you’ve really got to do is periodically engage in slight physical activity throughout the day.”
Basically, they’re not even talking about going for a walk (though there’s no denying that fresh air does a brain and body good) – all you have to do to be happier right now is get up and move. Maybe refill your coffee or your wine glass, let the dog out, and then go back to the desk or the couch.
That’s what I call killing a couple of birds with one stone.
h/t: Spring.org