“Negative emotions come screaming and shouting at us, while positive emotions are just whispering.” (Dr. Barbara Fredrickson).
The bright side is that the latter, even if they are subtler, generally come in large numbers throughout life and offset the strong negatives. One key to increasing our sense of well-being is to cultivate them throughout the day.
Do something good, especially to a stranger. Research shows that it will lead to increased levels of dopamine and oxytocin.
It can be as simple as, when doing your groceries, asking the cashier how his day was, and wish him well while looking into their eyes. Do this with purpose and not mechanically. Go beyond the usual pleasantry.
Try: “Have an EXCELLENT day! I hope everyone will treat you with a smile today!” and almost sure you will collect a smile from the other person.
(initially published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/liviupetri_happiness-mentalhealth-linkedin-activity-6763020601901776896-GiTV)