Micro-Moments of Happiness to Ward Off Depression
Happy Monday!
We wanted to kick-off the week with some goodness from our dear friend Dr. Daniel Amen. In his newest book, You, Happier: The 7 Neuroscience Secrets of Feeling Good Based on Your Brain Type he reveals how to improve your overall brain health to consistently enhance your mood and elevate your happiness. We love this excerpt on creating more micro-moments of happiness…
“The big “H”— happiness—doesn’t require major life-changing events, accomplishments, or milestones. Start finding joy in the smallest things you can: hearing a bird sing outside your window, feeling the warmth of the sun on your face when you step outside, petting your dog or cat, taking that first sip of your favorite brain healthy smoothie, or cracking open a new book.
I call these micro-moments of happiness.
Most of us gloss over these little things, searching instead for the big experiences. I want you to savor these precious times because, when your brain pays attention to them, they add up to more overall contentment and satisfaction with your life. The more micro-moments you cherish, the greater your sense of joy.
If you were one of my patients, I’d ask you to do my 4 Circles of Happiness exercise to identify the little things that make you happy in each of the following 4 circles.
- Biological Circle: how your physical body and brain function
- Psychological Circle: developmental issues and how you think
- Social Circle: social support, your current life situation, and societal influences
- Spiritual Circle: your connection to God, the planet, past, and future generations, and your deepest sense of meaning and purpose
Let me show you some of my own micro-moments of happiness in each of the 4 Circles:
- Biological Micro-Moments: the first sip of a brain-healthy cappuccino or hot chocolate, the first bite of an orange from my late father’s ranch, guacamole made from his avocados, my dog Aslan getting excited when I put on my sneakers to go for a walk, holding my wife Tana’s hand when we walk, having eye contact with her, seeing the fireplace come on or watching it, hearing a song I love
- Psychological Micro-Moments: making a great play in a Sudoku puzzle, laughing at a joke or funny scene in a movie or TV show, listening to a cool plot twist in an audiobook, putting words together to make someone laugh
- Social Micro-Moments: hearing my mother’s voice on the phone when she first recognizes it’s me, thinking of the grandkids, getting a fun text from a friend or patient, petting/cuddling the dog and cat
- Spiritual Micro-Moments: saying a prayer each night, randomly remembering a Bible verse that applies to a situation I am in, being grateful for another day, remembering my grandfather and father.”
If you’d like more insights and inspiration on this topic, check out Dr. Amen’s book You, Happier, his blog and weekly podcast. We are endlessly thankful for all the incredible learnings and practical strategies, and we hope you benefit greatly this week by enjoying life through a new lens…one micro-moment at a time.
Blessings from all of us at RISE,
Dee and Sean
