Small Changes, Big Impact: Habits for a Happier Life

Small Changes, Big Impact: Habits for a Happier Life

Welcome to Effective Habits, a weekly newsletter where I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you live a happy, healthy, and productive life.

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Today at a Glance:

• 5 Simple Habits to Increase Your Happiness

• Why You Shouldn't Scroll Through Your Phone While Eating

• The Release Ratio: How to Make Use of Everything You Know

5 Simple Habits to Increase Your HappinessAlison DeNisco Rayome

Lights, Camera, ... Psychologists at the University of California found that certain activities increase happiness. These activities, including connection, compassion, gratitude, and mindfulness, were part of the Science of Happiness course, which is still available to audit for free. Happiness is not entirely determined by genetics or circumstances, and research shows that at least 40% of happiness is within our control. Being happy doesn't mean you feel pure joy and cheerfulness every hour of every day; humans aren't designed that way. Happiness means being content and accepting negative experiences, managing and coping with them, and using them to make better decisions later. Here are five exercises that clinical studies have shown to improve your feelings of happiness and well-being.Action!

1. Nurture your social connections: Deliberately choose to spend time with the important people in your life. Call, video chat, or go for a walk to keep up with them.

2. Perform random acts of kindness: Find simple ways to be kind to others, from complimenting a stranger on their outfit to engaging with a coworker you don't usually talk to. Doing so taps into your natural desire to help others and makes you feel happier.

3. Express gratitude: Write down three things you're grateful for at the end of each day, no matter how small they may be. This helps train your mind to focus on the good things in your life instead of the stressful ones.

4. Practice mindfulness: Focus on the present moment and recognize your emotions without judging them. Mindfulness exercises like meditation can increase feelings of self-acceptance.

5. Practice self-compassion: Be present in the moment, understand that setbacks are part of being human, and cultivate a kinder inner voice. Excessive self-criticism gets in the way of achieving your goals.

Why You Shouldn't Scroll Through Your Phone While EatingAmanda Capritto

Lights, Camera, ...Are you guilty of scrolling through your phone while munching on a meal? Well, you might want to think twice about this common habit. Research shows that distracted eating can have a big impact on your health, contributing to issues like obesity and overeating. So, how can you combat this? The answer is simple: mindful eating. By paying attention to your food, chewing slowly, and putting away your devices, you can gain control over your eating habits, reduce emotional eating, and even lose weight. It's time to ditch the screens and start savoring your meals - your mind and body will thank you!Action!

• Practice mindful eating to promote satiety, facilitate weight loss, and minimize emotional eating by focusing on the taste, texture, and aroma of your food without any distractions.

  • Put your phone away and out of sight during meal times.

  • Eat in a room without a TV or a computer.

  • Slow down your eating, fully chew your food, and wait a few seconds before taking the next bite.

  • Enlist a partner to help out by eating together and using only your conversation as entertainment.

The Release Ratio: How to Make Use of Everything You KnowLawrence Yeo

Lights, Camera, ...Do you ever feel like your brain is overflowing with knowledge from all the books, podcasts, and videos you consume? Well, it turns out that simply consuming information isn't enough. Just like the stomach, the mind needs to release what it takes in. To truly make use of what you know, you need to create or build something, anything, with it. This is where the Release Ratio comes in. By increasing the ratio of content you create over the content you consume, you can unlock the wisdom in your mind, turn it into something productive, and make room for more learning. Whether it's journaling for ten minutes a day or recording a voice note, opening the valve and releasing a little bit of brain fuel will make all the difference in giving your mind room to breathe.Action!

• Create something using the knowledge gained from consumed content to keep your 'Release Ratio' above 0. Examples include:

  • Start a daily journal where you write down ideas, thoughts, and experiences of the day within 5 to 10 minutes.

  • Record a short voice note after reading something.

  • Jot down some business ideas you’ve had recently.

• Increase your commitment to longer-term, dedicated projects to make good use of your brain fuel. This could mean:

  • Structuring your short voice notes into hour-long podcasts.

  • Evolving quick journal entries into long-form blog posts.

  • Turning your business plan into a real business.

• Be mindful of the balance between knowledge consumption and release. Your Release Ratio can go above 1.0, but it's important to avoid burning out. Take breaks and fill your mind with good reads and interesting conversations.

• Remember that being a knowledge sponge is fun, but you need the proper release to make it meaningful. Don't release too much without refilling, or you'll be exhausted.

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FUN FACT 

Swiss cheese tastes better when it listens to hip hop. Nine wheels of cheese aged to music for 24 hours a day for 6.5 months straight; the cheese that listened to A Tribe Called Quest’s “We Got it From Here” outperformed the other cheeses in two blind taste tests by a wide margin.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not liable for any risks or issues that may arise from using this information.