Got Happiness?

Never underestimate the power of sleep!
In a study published by The New York Times, researcher Dr. Kahneman and colleagues found that, more than income or job security, a good night’s rest has the greatest impact on mood.

That being said, most people aren’t getting the sleep they need to feel their best—and the cell phone and/or computer may be a culprit. "Unfortunately, cell phones and computers, which make our lives more productive and enjoyable, may be abused to the point that they contribute to getting less sleep at night leaving millions of Americans functioning poorly the next day," Russell Rosenberg, the vice chairman of the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), says.

Consider this: exposure to artificial light before going to bed can increase alertness and suppress the release of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. In addition, wireless network devices operate at high frequencies, which can excite, and disrupt, living tissue.

Nearly 95 percent of people questioned in an NSF study said they used some type of electronics in the hour before going to bed, and about two-thirds admitted they do not get enough sleep during the week. Give your body and mind a break by unplugging from your screens in the evening. Turn Z’s into A’s!!

For a helping hand, check out: http://helpguide.org/life/sleep_tips.htm

Bringing light into someone’s day when they aren’t expecting it is a great way to brighten your own!

According to Dacher Keltner, director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Laboratory and author of “Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life,” kindness and compassion are hard-wired into our brains—to promote thriving, prosperous communities. As social creatures, we literally feed on positive interaction and connection. Keltner advocates a shift in paradigm: instead of competition for survival, how about collaboration for thrival? (*note: this author is aware that “thrival” is not techincally a word.)

Random Acts of Kindess are some of the simplest and most powerful tools in any pursuit of happiness.

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

-Leave flowers on somebody’s doorstep.
-Tape the exact change for a soda to a vending machine.
-Send a card to a friend, “just because.”
-When standing in a line, let the next person go ahead of you.
-Pay a sincere compliment to a total stranger.

Read more about Keltner’s approach to the good life at: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=kindness-emotions-psychology

Enjoy more Random Kindess here: http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/