Apr 27th, 2007 | Happiness, Life Hacks, Self-help, Lifehack, Mind Hacks, Health | No Comments
I was just going through some old news clippings and found a New Scientist article from 2005 on getting the most from your brain.
Its full of great tips, but today there was one that stood out in particular as it meshes nicely with another tip I read on Penelope Trunk’s blog that I’ve been looking for an opportunity to mention here.
From New Scientist:
“Get a mental lift by bending over backwards” (This was the result from a study on the mood-altering ability of various yoga poses).
And from Penelope Trunk:
“Seventy-five percent of people report that negative thinking goes away if you look toward the sky.”
So, in the interests of productivity lets combine the two to make a new tip:
For a quick mental boost, go outside, bend over backwards, and look for Superman.
YMMV (but it does work for me).
Apr 24th, 2007 | Happiness, Life Hacks, Movies, Self-help, Lifehack | 3 Comments
I’m a big movie fan. One of my favourite things is to go to the cinema with a big bag of Revels and watch a great film, it just makes my day.
You’ve probably seen movies that leave a lasting impression on you. After I see the next Spider-man movie for example, I’m going to feel like Peter Parker for a few days.
Really, I will.
There is a subset of these mood altering movies that are the ultimate feel good movies. Watching one of these movies will lift your mood, whether you’re already smiling or really down, all you need to do is stick one in the DVD player, hit play, and voilà, only 2 hours later, life starts to look better.
Everyone has their own favourites, though there is one that may top the list for a lot of people (some therapists even recommend it to help cure depression): It’s a Wonderful Life.
It’s a Wonderful Life is the top of my list, that’s a given, although Amelie, the story of a woman who finds happiness through her hobby of making other people’s lives better, is a respectable second. This past weekend, I rented Stranger Than Fiction, starring Will Ferrell in a role that’s a departure from his usual, and that now occupies third spot in my ultimate feel good movie chart.
So, next time you want some cheering up, there are worse things you can do than go to your local video rental shop, pick up one of your ultimate feel good movies, and get a bag of Revels for me while you’re there.
