24 easy habits that psychologists have linked with health and happiness

There science-linked ways to be happier and healthier. And they're not so hard to do.Jotting down your feelings and star gazing are easy ways to lift your spirits. Here are 22 other easy ways to boost your mood that psychologists and social scientists swear by.We all strive to be happy and healthy.There are a number of small things you can do that will make a big impact on your overall well-being, according to psychologists.That might be reading an adventure story, keeping a gratitude journal or even gazing up at the stars on a clear night.But happiness is something we all have to continuously work at.Here are some of the things that psychologists and social science researchers have found that have the power to lift your spirits and keep them high.UP NEXT:17 'healthy habits' you're better off giving upSEE ALSO:35 science 'facts' that are totally wrongWrite down 3 things you're grateful for.Keeping tabs on the things you feel lucky to have in your life is a great way to boost your mood.In a recent studyfrompsychologists at UC Davis, researchers had 3 groups of volunteers keep weekly journals focused on a single topic. While one group wrote about major events that had happened that week, the second group wrote about hassles they'd experienced, and the last group wrote about things they were grateful for.Ten weeks later, those in the gratitude-journal group reported feeling more optimistic and more satisfied with their lives than those in any of the other groups and reported fewer physical symptoms of discomfort, from runny noses to headaches.Go on a hike or gaze up at the stars on a clear night.Awe is a powerfuleven awesome, you might sayhuman emotion. And ahandful of recent studies have found a link between experiencing a sense of awethat feeling you get when you look up at a starry sky or out across a wide open valleywith feeling less stressed and more satisfied. People who've recently had an awe-inspiring experience are also more likely to say they feel more curious about the world around them and to act more generously toward others.Drink coffee (not too much, though).They don't call it "Central Perk" for nothing. As a central nervous system stimulant, caffeine doesnt just boost alertness, it can also improve your mood. Several studies have even found a connection between caffeine consumption and a reduced depression risk, as well as an even a lower risk of suicide. However, at least one of these studies specifically found this connection with caffeinated coffee but not tea, though others found the same effect for tea as well.See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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