A FEW HAPPINESS HACKS YOU CAN DO ON YOUR COMMUTE

Someone talked to psychiatrists and asked them to come up with a few happiness hacks you can do on your commute.  Here are a few easy ones.

1.  Focus on a favourite song.  Try to find something new about it you enjoy.  Like maybe you never realized how great the baseline is.  Listening to good music is therapeutic on its own.  But focusing on it can also be a form of mindful meditation.

2.  Use your phone as an ACTUAL phone, and call someone you haven’t talked to in a while.  We haven’t been able to interact much in the past two years.  And phone calls are a lot more beneficial than social media.  It reminds you you’re connected and supported by other people.

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3.  Take some deep breaths.  Deep breathing gets you out of that “fight or flight” mode we tend to get stuck in.  We don’t do it enough even though it’s easy, and you can do it anywhere.

4.  Aromatherapy.  Upgrade the pine tree air freshener in your car to a smell you enjoy.  Or just take a second to sniff something calming before you walk out the door.  Lavender, citrus, and mint are popular options.

5.  Listen to your favourite radio show.  A professor of psychiatry in St. Louis says things that make you laugh or just relax are usually best.  Anything too heavy or news-focused might just stress you out more.