Make 2020 Your Year with These 20 Tips and Tricks to Feel Happier

£4.99 Skin-on-skin contact is a proven antidepressant: touch, massage and stroking have all been linked with an oxytocin boost and are thought to be particularly potent when employed in a relationship you perceive to be positive. New-to-market devices likeweighted blankets are designed to replicate the feels of a hug – all the serotonin benefits without the human contact. Marathon world-record- holder Eliud Kipchoge employed a technique known as ‘periodic smiling’ to break through the pain barrier. A study by Murdoch University found that supplements containing saffron extract had a similar effect to drugs that act on the brain’s serotonin receptors. According to a University of Freiburg study, two soaks per week can improve your mood more than aerobic exercise. Depressive participants who enjoyed baths followed by chill time wrapped in a hot towel reported a greater reduction in symptoms than those who did interval training instead.Researchers posited that raising body temperature could account for the improvement. Optimise the way you feel, one bite at a time Breakfast: Swap milk for kefir in your morning oats. A study in Beneficial Microbes found that the fermented drink’s probiotics raised serotonin levels in overworked medical students. The effect is so strong that Leiden University found that participants were more likely to donate to good causes after eating it. Best described as a pleasant tingling sensation, it can also betriggered by the sound of whispering or a cat purring. But a Shefflield University study found that subject’s wellbeing improved after listening to ASMAR clips,withtheir heart rates dropping by 3bpm. £15.00 Training in green spaces brighten your day, but look for blue to really give your brain a lift. A study by O2 in conjunction with a lecturer from Goldsmiths University found that enjoying music as part of a crowd triggered a spike in feelings of self-worth and closeness to others by 25%. A study published in the journal Art Therapy found that 45 minutes of craft work can reduce levels of the serotonin- crushing stress hormone cortisol, while knitting has been shown to lower heart rates by 11bpm. Try woodwork: scientists have found that the sensation of touchingwood (oh, stop it) stimulates your body’s relaxation response There are many factors at play in your post-lunch slump: low blood sugar, tiredness, the prospect of another three hours spent grappling with multiple Google docs. A study published in Current Biology found that a weekend under canvas can bring your body clock forward by 100 minutes. A study in Nature Neuroscience found that levels of the chemical rose 9% in those listening to spine-tingling tracks, a phenomenon scientifically referred to as a ‘musicalfrisson’. Beyond the caffeine-replicating benefits of plunging into freezing water, it’s thought that repeatedly doing so could help your body deal with stress. While the physiological proof is pending, the anecdotal kind is unanimous, with regulars describing it as an act of mindfulness. Interacting with animals promotes the release of serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin, all of which elevate your mood and keep low times on a tight leash. Research conducted by the Royal College of Music found that a 10-week programme of group drumming reduced symptoms of depression by 38%, and anxiety by 20%. Interestingly, they also showed an improvement in social resilience – the ability to cope withexternal pressures and disturbances.

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