Page 78 - Javanan Magazine Issue # 1865

PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE No. 1862
ISSUE No. 1856
PERSPECTIVES JAVANAN
JAVANAN
Dr. Alan A.
Modarressi LOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Clinical and A SOCIOCULTURAL AND MIND AND BODY OUTLOOK
Neuro-Psychologyst In this column, we examine the mental health issues in the context
of social, culture, and physiological concerns of the Iranian community

TO BE HAPPY DO WHAT you should do the same with negative of oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine,
all of which create good feelings. In a
people.
HAPPY PEOPLE DO pen to everyone, including happy Harvard study, employees who helped
They stay positive. Bad things hap-
others were 10 times more likely to be
Major Habits of Truly Happy People people. Instead of complaining about focused at work and 40% more likely
to get a promotion. The same study
how things could have been or should
have been, happy people reflect on ev- showed that people who consistently
erything they’re grateful for. Then they provided social support were the most
e all have different goals, create it, or you don’t. Happiness that find the best solution available to the likely to be happy during times of high
values, beliefs, and experi- lasts is earned through your habits.
Wences, but there is one uni- Supremely happy people have honed problem, tackle it, and move on. Noth- stress. As long as you make certain that
versal thing that binds us all: We just habits that maintain their happiness ing fuels unhappiness quite like pessi- you aren’t overcommitting yourself,
want to be happy. But for the most part, day in, day out. Try out their habits, mism. The problem with a pessimistic helping others is sure to have a posi-
happiness seems more like an existen- and see what they do for you: attitude, apart from the damage it does tive influence on your mood.
tial dream than an attainable reality. They slow down to appreciate life’s to your mood, is that it becomes a They make an effort to be happy. No
Yet, everything we think, say, and do little pleasures. By nature, we fall into self-fulfilling prophecy: if you expect one wakes up feeling happy every day
are linked to our innermost desires to routines. In some ways, this is a good bad things, you’re more likely to ex- and supremely happy people are no
achieve happiness. We get a new job thing. It saves precious brainpower perience negative events. Pessimistic exception. They just work at it harder
because we think it will make us hap- and creates comfort. However, some- thoughts are hard to shake off until you than everyone else. They know how
py. We buy a new car because we think times you get so caught up in your rou- recognize how illogical they are. Force easy it is to get sucked into a routine
happiness might exist there. Or we get tine that you fail to appreciate the little yourself to look at the facts, and you’ll where you don’t monitor your emo-
married, have kids, and maybe travel things in life. Happy people know how see that things are not nearly as bad as tions or actively try to be happy and
to some far-off destination because we important it is to savor the taste of their they seem. positive. Happy people constantly
think it will provide that sense of hap- meal, revel in the amazing conversa- They get enough sleep. I’ve beaten evaluate their moods and make deci-
piness, we’re all chasing. tion they just had, or even just step out- this one to death over the years and sions with their happiness in mind.
But for some reason, often no mat- side to take a deep breath of fresh air. can’t say enough about the importance They do things in-person. Happy
ter what we do, happiness is just out They exercise. Getting your body of sleep to improving your mood, fo- people only let technology do their
of reach. That feeling of utter elation moving for as little as 10 minutes re- cus, and self-control. When you sleep, talking when absolutely necessary. The
seems more temporary than perma- leases GABA, a neurotransmitter that your brain literally recharges, remov- human brain is wired for in-person in-
nent. It’s here one moment, then gone makes your brain feel soothed and ing toxic proteins that accumulate dur- teraction, so happy people will jump at
the next. Just when we seem to have keeps you in control of your impulses. ing the day as byproducts of normal the chance to drive across town to see
attained happiness in one form or an- Happy people schedule regular exer- neuronal activity. This ensures that you a friend or meet face-to-face because it
other, the feeling is lost into the abyss. cise and follow through on it because wake up alert and clear-headed. Your makes them feel good.
We are always chasing something—be they know it pays huge dividends for energy, attention, and memory are all They have a growth mindset. Peo-
it a promotion, a new car, or a signifi- their mood. reduced when you don’t get enough ple’s core attitudes fall into one of
cant other. This leads to the belief that, They spend money on other people. quality sleep. Sleep deprivation also two categories: a fixed mindset or a
“When (blank) happens, I’ll finally be Research shows that spending money raises stress hormone levels on its growth mindset. With a fixed mind-
happy.” on other people makes you much hap- own, even without a stressor present. set, you believe you are who you are
An article in Talent Smart indicates pier than spending it on yourself. This Happy people make sleep a priority, and you cannot change. This creates
while major events do make us happy is especially true of small things that because it makes them feel great and problems when you’re challenged, be-
at first, research shows this happiness demonstrate effort, such as going out they know how lousy they feel when cause anything that appears to be more
doesn’t last. A study from Northwest- of your way to buy your friend a book they’re sleep deprived. than you can handle is bound to make
ern University measured the happiness that you know they will like. They have deep conversations. you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
levels of regular people against those They surround themselves with Happy people know that happiness People with a growth mindset believe
who had won large lottery prizes the the right people. Happiness spreads and substance go hand-in-hand. They that they can improve with effort. This
year prior. The researchers were sur- through people. Surrounding yourself avoid gossip, small talk, and judging makes them happier because they are
prised to discover that the happiness with happy people builds confidence, others. Instead, they focus on mean- better at handling difficulties. They
ratings of both groups were practically stimulates creativity, and it’s flat-out ingful interactions. They engage with also outperform those with a fixed
identical. fun. Hanging around negative people other people on a deeper level, because mindset because they embrace chal-
The mistaken notion that major life has the opposite effect. They want they know that doing so feels good, lenges, treating them as opportunities
events dictate your happiness and sad- people to join their pity party so that builds an emotional connection, and is to learn something new.
ness is so prevalent that psychologists they can feel better about themselves. an interesting way to learn. Happiness can be tough to maintain,
have a name for it: impact bias. The Think of it this way: If a person were They help others. Taking the time but investing in the right habits pays
reality is, event-based happiness is smoking, would you sit there all af- to help people not only makes them off. Adopting even a few of the habits
fleeting. ternoon inhaling the second-hand happy, but it also makes you happy. from this list will make a big differ-
Happiness is synthetic—you either smoke? You’d distance yourself, and Helping other people gives you a surge ence in your mood.
DANESH FOROUGHI, PH.D. Alan Modarressi, PhD, QME

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PSY13680 Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Marriage, Family & Child Psychotherapist, MFC23455 Qualified Medical Evaluator
Certified National Board of Addiction Examiners #4974 Certified Psychophsychologist
Tel: (310) 940-3642 Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management

15720 Ventura Blvd., Second Fl. #224 Encino CA 91436 (818) 501-6080 (562) 861-7226

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