9 tricks to rejoice for no reason

It is known that our behavior depends on emotions. But the opposite is also true: our mood depends on our actions. One of the founders of scientific psychology, William James, was the first to put forward this idea at the beginning of the 20th century. However, we received serious scientific confirmation only in the 60s.

In the course of numerous studies, psychologists have sought to get people to portray positive and negative emotions on their faces. For example, the volunteers held a pencil in their teeth and their lips involuntarily folded into a smile. Or psychologists placed dummies of electrodes on the eyebrows of the subjects and asked them to move the "electrodes" as close to each other as possible, for this they had to frown.

In another study, volunteers uttered certain sounds and words (for example, the well-known "cheese"). Then the subjects were asked how they felt, whether they liked the study. The results convincingly showed that those who portrayed positive emotions actually experienced these emotions. By taking advantage of feedback, we can literally embrace joy and happiness.

1. Smile

To trick our senses, we don't have to stretch our lips into a fake smile: it won't work. Better do this exercise: relax the muscles of your forehead and cheeks, let your mouth open slightly; then tighten the muscles in the corners of the mouth, trying to pull them towards the ears; Raise your eyebrows slightly. Your face should take on a joyfully surprised expression, hold it for at least 20 seconds. Do this exercise several times throughout the day, especially before stressful situations.

2. Get Rid of Trouble

Many "magical" rituals involve the burning of misfortunes and troubles written on a piece of paper. And there is a rational grain in this. Singaporean researcher Li Xiuping asked students to write down their recent unfortunate decision or action on paper. Some of the young people then sealed these notes in an envelope. And even that simple act made them feel better. A symbolic farewell to failures got rid of worries. Try it yourself.

3. Get to know others

Usually, the closer people get to each other, the more they learn about each other. As with a smile, the opposite is also true. Psychologist Arthur Aron gave unfamiliar couples a list of 36 questions to ask each other when they first met. As a result, people felt close and sympathetic to the stranger with whom they exchanged personal information. At the same time, Aaron's questions did not at all concern any intimate details. Here are ten of them:

Who would you invite to dinner if you could choose anyone?
Would you like to be famous? In what field?
Have you ever rehearsed an upcoming phone conversation? What for?
How do you envision your ideal day?
When was the last time you sang for yourself? And for someone?
If you were asked to keep the body or mind of a 30-year-old until 90, which would you choose?
What's your most cherished memory?
And the worst thing?
What are you most grateful to in life?
If you could change something in your life path, what would it be?

4. Push away the bad, attract the good

Research shows that pushing something away from ourselves makes us feel worse about the object, even if we have not experienced negative feelings before. Conversely, when we move something closer, we perceive this object more positively. This property can be used when dieting. Push away harmful products from yourself, depicting disgust on your face, and, on the contrary, move useful ones towards you.

5. Use muscles and posture

When a person is determined, his muscles tense, especially the muscles of the hand. No wonder they say: he gathered his will into a fist. As you probably already guessed, tightly clenched fists will help you get rid of indecision and lack of will. You can strain other muscles, or simply squeeze the handle with force in your fingers.

Social psychologist Ron Friedman has done an interesting experiment. He let volunteers solve complex anagrams. In this case, one half of the subjects (according to Ron's instructions) stood with their arms crossed over their chest, and the other half with their hands on their hips. Surprisingly, those who crossed their arms turned out to be much more stubborn. If they couldn't find a solution, they spent twice as long trying. And those who stood with their hands on their hips quickly gave up.

Solving a difficult problem? Cross your arms over your chest.

6. Change your habits

British psychologists Ben Fletcher and Karen Pine studied people trying to lose weight. And they found that giving up other habitual patterns of behavior helps in the fight against excess weight. Even a simple change in the daily route to work had a beneficial effect. Therefore, if you are trying to get rid of a bad habit, try to break the normal course of life.

Try food you've never eaten. Go to a museum or exhibition. Try to go to different stores, not just the one closest to your home. Watch a movie that you would never have watched before.

7. Give yourself some comfort

A person who sits in a soft comfortable chair himself is inclined to show softness and compliance. To simulate the negotiation of the price of a car, psychologist Joshua Ackerman put some subjects in chairs and others on hard chairs. Those who sat on the rigid were more uncompromising and bargained more decisively. The results are quite expected. So if you want to feel a little bit happier, just sit back.

8. Drink something warm

Since ancient times, warmth has been associated with safety and pleasant sensations, while cold invariably means something threatening and extremely unpleasant. Lawrence Williams of the University of Colorado gave volunteers a hot cup of coffee or a cold drink and asked them to read a short description of a stranger. Lawrence then asked, "What do you think of this person's personality?" Those who received the coffee rated the stranger better than those who drank the cold one.

If you want to please someone, treat them to hot coffee, not iced lemonade. And don't forget to sit in an easy chair.

9. Feel the power of unity

An easy way to get rid of loneliness is to do things in sync with everyone. Researchers at the University of Southern California asked volunteers to walk in step for a while and sing a hymn together. Another group walked the same routes, but at random, and they just listened to the anthem. After that, the subjects played a board game, where each had a choice: to help other players or hinder and win more. Those who walked in step and sang the anthem were more likely to choose the strategy of assistance. Thus, even mechanical unity evokes a sense of community in us.