Happy International Day of Happiness! This global celebration takes place every year on March 20. It is a day dedicated to recognising the importance of happiness and well-being in people’s lives.
Today, celebrate the things that bring you joy and make your heart sing. From laughter to guilty pleasures, here is the scoop on how to boost your mood and trigger those happy endorphins!
Laughter is the best medicine
We have all heard the saying, but it's true: laughter is the best medicine. Watching a funny video, reading a humorous post with a hilarious meme, or hanging out with people who make you laugh are just some of the ways to get your brains and belly to thank you.
Laughter is a powerful tool that helps reduce stress, boost our mood, and even improve physical health.
Research published in “Laughter as Medicine: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Interventional Studies Evaluating the Impact of Spontaneous Laughter on Cortisol Levels”, found that laughter is linked to a significant decrease in cortisol levels (Kramer and Leitao CB, 2023).
This suggests that laughter could be a valuable therapy tool to improve overall well-being.
Being kind
You can spread some happiness today by doing something kind for yourself or someone else. Write a gratitude letter, surprise a friend with a small gift, or simply offer a listening ear.
These small acts of kindness can brighten up someone's day and trigger a happiness chain reaction.
The joy of guilty pleasures
We all have guilty pleasures that bring us joy. Whether it's binge-watching your absolute favorite TV show, devouring a tub of ice cream in one sitting, or scrolling through TikTok watching funny videos, today is the day to indulge in those guilty pleasures and own it, especially since we are headed for a long weekend.
The happiness playlist
Music alone has the power to evoke emotions, trigger memories, and boost our mood. Listening to the right songs can instantly lift one’s mood.
Creating a happiness playlist is a simple and effective way to use the power of music and improve your well-being by reducing stress and anxiety.
How do you create a feel-good playlist? Start with songs that evoke good memories. Including a mix of genres and sounds such as amapiano, pop, or uplifting music can help cater to different moods that will lead to one goal; being happy!
Don’t forget to spread happiness by sharing your feel-good playlist, and inspire others to dance and sing along.
