Feel-good factors
When people are asked to list the things that make them happy, the answers in the modern industrialized world tend to be remarkably consistent. Here’s a compilation of some of the most common responses when people were surveyed to find out what made them feel good:
- Getting into bed with freshly washed sheets
- Feeling the sun on your face
- Having a cup of freshly brewed tea or coffee
- Curling up with a good book
- Having time to yourself
- Smelling fresh bread
- Getting a massage
- Looking at the sky
- The clean feeling after having a shower
- Putting on your favourite song
- Finding a bargain
- Listening to rainfall when you’re inside
- Having a long hot bath
- Smelling just-cut grass
- Browsing in a book shop
- Tasting chocolate
- Going outside to do something active
- Doing some exercise
- Seeing dogs stick their heads out of car windows
- Using a new cleaning sponge
- Waking up and realizing you have a day off
- Enjoying the sight of a room you’ve just tidied
- Baking a cake
- Popping bubble wrap
- Swimming in the sea
- Dancing like no one’s watching
- Opening a new book
- Smelling fine wine
- Putting your out-of-office message on when you’ve finished work
- Putting on a new pair of socks or underwear
- Singing in the shower
- Getting a seat on a crowded bus or train
- The “pop” when you open a new jar
- Complimenting other people
- Looking at beautiful photographs
- Ticking off items on your to-do list
- Feeling safe and warm at home
- Making something with your hands
- Using new stationery
- Grabbing a bargain in a sale
- Watching comedy clips
- Having dinner around a table
- Tidying out a drawer
- Late night conversations with friends
- Getting home after a long day
- Planning a holiday or treat
- Watching a musical performance or music video
- Going to a farmers’ market
- Revisiting a favourite film
- Stroking a pet
- Looking after plants
- Drawing/doodling/colouring in
Look through the list and see if you agree with any of them. Tick the ones that make you feel good, then double tick the ones that you could do today if you wanted to or, failing that, the next day.
What do they have in common? Many employ the senses. Others involved some seeking out, enable a small sense of achievement or contain a small element of surprise. Many take no more activation energy – or the basic motivation to get something done – than you need to get out of bed in the morning.
This list also shows how quickly we can pivot to activities that make us feel good. Too often we convince ourselves we need to take life-changing actions, such as rebooting our careers or relationships, to start to get happy chemicals flowing again. We also tend to believe good feelings must arise spontaneously. This is a misconception. According to a 2010 study in the journal Clinical Psychology Review by researcher, Eric Garland, most people simply don’t realize that “Positive emotion can be intentionally self-generated. If ‘savoured’, even the most fleeting everyday moments can add up to upward spirals in positivity.” Put another way, you can give your brain the chance of finding happiness if you feed it more uplifting experiences.
Indeed, it’s easy to underestimate the value of making small improvements daily. As your brain circuits and chemistry start to change, so will your mood. You probably won’t notice when you feel 1 per cent better every week, or even every month, but over time, these improvements add up.
- Read our review of Feeling ‘Blah’?
- Feeling ‘Blah’?: Why Anhedonia Has Left You Joyless and How to Recapture Life’s Highs by Tanith Carey (Welbeck Balance) is out now.
- Lead picture credit: Freddie Marriage on Unsplash
