Somehow today an item slipped thru the cracks of the Trad Med.
Instead of telling us to be afraid - BE VERY AFRAID! - or to go shopping, on the front page of the major SF Bay Area newspaper's website was a story about how to be happy.
No, really.
http://www.sfgate.com/...
It turns out you don't have to be miserable during the holidays.
That's now scientifically proven by studies, say UC Berkeley scientists who do those studies.
...
It's all about concentrating on the things in our lives that work well and being thankful for them, then tossing in a heaping helping of compassion, say the goodness-minded folks at the Greater Good Science Center.
Having applied some of these ideas to my own life and found them to work, I can vouch for the research itself and encourage anyone needing a lift this holiday season to try these things out for yourself.
HINT #1: "Retail Therapy" is an oxymoron. Don't fall for it.
"The gist of it isn't any more complicated than the fact that consumption and materialism will not make us happy," said Christine Carter, a sociologist whose title at the center is the Santa-worthy one of happiness expert.
"...we have found that there are three main things that make you happier over the holidays, and they have nothing to do with materialism."
Those three things consist of feeling grateful for the good things in your life, taking time with your family and using every opportunity you can to help others.
Did you catch that?
Three things.
1. Gratitude
2. Spend time with family/ loved ones
3. Help Others
Not too complicated, right?
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Before too long you may find those petty obsessions and resentments melt away.
"I think of happiness as a skill," said Carter, whose seemingly perpetual incandescent smile would indicate that she takes her own advice. "It's all about what you practice and think about."
Sometimes simple advice is the most helpful.
If you are feeling down during these darkest, coldest days of the year, see if the ideas above might help you. Science suggests they will.
Information and self-administered tests on holiday happiness can be found at the Greater Good Science Center's website:
greatergood.berkeley.edu
Support their work here:
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/...