Last week as my sister Oneita was watering her plants, she noticed a sticky substance on the leaves of her orchids. She thought something was wrong, so she Googled to see what she needed to do to correct the problem. She was surprised to learn that the sticky stuff was called ‘Happy Sap.’ When orchids are doing well in a good environment, they exude happy sap. It’s a sign of healthy wellbeing.

She thought how many of us should exude (display an emotion or quality) ‘happy sap’ or happy displays of emotion to those around us. As Christians we are usually happy because of the promises in the Bible, but we do have times when we maybe aren’t so happy when something goes wrong or we are just feeling down.

The following are 10 ways Oneita shares to become happy in 30 seconds or less.

1. Take one deep breath. Just one deep breath can turn off your ‘fight or flight’ instinct and activate your ‘rest and restore’ mode. Got 15 seconds more? Take another deep breath. You’ll feel even more contents.

2. Find something in your day that triggers a feeling of gratitude. You had a good breakfast, you have a good job, or you enjoyed reading the newspaper this morning, or did a crossword puzzle successfully. Absorb that feeling of gratitude for a few moments. Lingering on a positive experience helps embed it in your brain.

3. Take time to appreciate something that didn’t happen during the day. No one in your family got sick, you didn’t have car trouble, and you didn’t fight with anyone. Remember to keep things in perspective.

4. Smile. Many people think of happiness as something that comes from the inside out, or from your mind to your behavior. But happiness can also come from the outside in, or from your actions to your mind. This deliberate decision to smile, for example, actually activates happiness-inducing chemicals in the brain.

5. Slap a label on your negative feelings. Anger. Helplessness. Sad. Anxious. Just labeling your emotions can erase your suffering. Attaching a label shifts activity from the emotional part of your brain to the thinking part, making you hurt less and feel more in control.

6. Sit up straight. Poor posture can actually cause a negative emotional state. Studies show that people who slouch experience more bad moods, lower self-esteem, and poor confidence than those who sit upright. Sitting up straight can cause positive emotional states--a sense of confidence, assertiveness and a happier mood. Good posture also helps your physical well-being and prevents many types of neck, shoulder and back problems. So, lift your body upward. you’ll feel better.

7. Notice the small pleasures in life and appreciate them. Author and PSYCHOLOGY TODAY magazine blogger Rick Henson writes about the health and happiness benefits of ‘taking in the good’ in his groundbreaking book HARDWIRING HAPPINESS. He recommends appreciating the little things, noting ‘Most opportunities for a good experience arrive with little fanfare. You finished an email, your telephone works, you have a friend.’

Bring pleasant thoughts and people to the foreground of your awareness. Linger for 5 seconds or more on a good experience to allow it to sink in. Your happiness level will increase.

8. Appreciate yourself. Think of one thing you’ve already accomplished or handled well today or focus on a good quality you’ve demonstrated--started a project, made a phone call, had an honest talk with a friend that ended well. Drawing your attention to your strengths will lift your spirits.

9. Find positive meaning in negative events. If you experience a setback, can you find a rapid way to turn it into lemonade? Start by thinking about the setback as a challenge rather than a failure. That should take 5 seconds or less. In the remaining 25 seconds, think about how to move forward.

10. Use a desktop photo to remind you of the purposes and pleasures of life. A photo of your family, your travels, or a favorite saying can restore and promote moments of happiness. Taking a ‘micro-break’ and enjoying a photo of a natural scene can promote good health by lowering stress and blood pressure--as well as happiness. To keep from getting used to a particular photo, periodically change it up. Seven habits of supremely happy people: 1. Enjoy the little things of life 2. Sweat it out--exercise 3. Carefully select your friends 4. Stay positive 5. Get enough sleep 6. Help others 7. Make an effort to be happy.

Like the song says, ‘Don’t Worry. Be happy.’

As I, myself. have been taking Chair Yoga classes at the wellness center, I remember hearing a lot of these truths by our instructor. Take these points in this discussion seriously. THEY REALLY WORK! I appreciate my sister Oneita Fry Turner of Chattanooga, for sharing these simple, encouraging ways to help us change our attitudes and our outlook for a better life.

X