 Here on Psych2Go, we celebrate the advancements made in psychology, psychotherapy, and neuroscience. So when studies come out that answer an age-old question, it's extremely exciting. But there's one question that we've been asking ourselves since the dawn of consciousness. How can we be happy? Many psychologists, philosophers, and neuroscientists have offered their thoughts for us to examine. Let's take a look at a few rituals that will make you happy. Happiness is different for each individual and can't be reduced down to a basic formula that applies to everyone. This is just a sample of rituals you can try that will make you happier according to neuroscience. Label negative feelings. Sometimes our sadness or anger is subconscious. We aren't focused on it, but it's there. Feelings are also complicated. Maybe you aren't angry, you're frustrated. Maybe you aren't sad, you're melancholic. There are labels we can apply to our negative emotions that will help us put them into perspective and regulate them. A 2007 study by Matthew Lieberman and colleagues called Putting Feelings Into Words found that putting labels on our feelings diminishes emotional reactivity in the parts of the brain that are sensitive to or in charge of producing emotions. If you think about your room you know what everything is and where you might find each little thing, even when your room is a mess. You don't stress about your things unless something is missing or not supposed to be there. Your brain is the same. Without labels you don't know where everything is in the mess, but with labels you don't have to worry. You can look around and say there's happiness, there's anger, oh yes and there's my sadness. It becomes manageable. When something in your room goes missing it becomes your focus. Nothing else matters, it all just blends into the background. When we don't have a label for an emotion or feeling it becomes our focus and we feel it a lot more than we should. Our emotions and feelings also blend into the background. Sometimes we don't have the words for our feelings or the words we do have seem crude and vague. Luckily there are professionals like licensed therapists who can help us out and help you define these feelings as well as get diagnosed which for chronic mental illnesses is like the ultimate label. Make that decision. If you're stressing about a decision whether it is crucial or tiny the solution is simple. Make it. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to come to a certain conclusion because some decisions require time and patience to make. Decision making can include deciding what your intentions are, what you need out of certain situations and setting goals. According to a study titled anxiety and decision making anxiety gets in the way of our decision making by trapping us in fear. Fear of the outcome of your decision either way. Maybe you've felt like a deer in the headlights unable to move. A term used for this is analysis paralysis and is common in people with anxiety. It's okay to make a decision that isn't perfect. Make the decision that is okay for now just so you can have some sort of conclusion and end your stress. Overanalyzing does more harm than good. Seek physical touch. Human beings need physical touch. More specifically we need physical affection. A 2005 study on affection by communication expert Corey Floyd and others found that expressing affection can lead to increased happiness and self-esteem, decreased fear of intimacy and susceptibility to depression and higher relationship satisfaction. But don't think that you need a romantic partner to experience physical affection. You can hug your friends, your mom or dad or your siblings. The benefits might surprise you and who wouldn't appreciate a hug. The nice thing about hugs is that they're reciprocal. Don't have anyone to hug. Treat yourself to a massage instead. Ask yourself what you are grateful for. You may have been told to be grateful in the past. It's easier said than done when you're in a negative mindset. But the truth is there's a lot to be grateful for. Neuroscience backs this up according to neuroscientist Dr. Alex Corb who explains that when we express gratitude there's an increase in our dopamine and serotonin. Eye motions can take on a snowball effect. If you're looking for the things that suck, you'll find more and more. But if you're looking for good things, things you appreciate and possibly couldn't do without, you start to see more examples around you. So let's get that snowball rolling in the right direction and find some things to be grateful for. Maybe you're grateful to have access to the device you're watching this on. That alone opens up a lot of opportunities for you. Move your body. Not everyone is into hitting the weights in the gym, but that doesn't mean you can't still find a way to be active. A 2015 study by neuroscientist Lucas Kanopka on the effects of exercise from a neuroscience perspective found that because the data indicates that exercise may provide significant effects, we should begin to incorporate exercise into our therapeutic designs for mood and cognitive disorders. In other words, exercise can elevate your mood. It doesn't take a lot. The study suggests just moving your body through dancing, lifting weights, running or stretching for at least 20 minutes can greatly affect your mood. Try to set some time aside specifically for this. You can try it while watching TV or YouTube, or you can incorporate it with the next point. Spend time outdoors. This might seem like an old school way of thinking. You might have heard your parents or grandparents try to explain that the cause of your depression is your phone or computer. While there are studies that explain that social media use has negative effects on the brain, that information might not always be helpful. The idea of seeing the sun or touching grass being the cure for depression isn't totally true. However, there definitely are benefits that can help your mood. A study by Roger Ulrich, an expert in patient care environments on the benefits of ecotherapy, a type of therapy that involves nature and being outdoors, states that connecting with nature has an ameliorating effect. This basically means that taking the time to breathe in fresh air, feel the sun on your skin and feel grass or soil on your hands or feet helps you clear your mind. This helps with cognition and of course, lifts your mood. Other studies such as the 2020 study by psychologist and neuroscientist Aaron Heller reveals that a general change in scenery helps you revisit stressful situations with renewed creativity and inspiration. As a ritual, before or after school or work, try to spend a little time in nature. As we said in the beginning, everyone is different. What makes you happy might not make others happy. Maybe there isn't a lot of nature where you live. Maybe you have a mental health condition that prevents you from seeing things to be grateful for. The main idea is that you try. You might not be able to do every single one of these but we encourage you to give it a week and test them out. Go into each one with an open mind and heart and know that happiness is definitely attainable. Before you go, please like the video and subscribe to Psych2Go if you enjoyed this or found it helpful. And don't forget, you can come back to this video anytime for a refresher on these rituals. Good luck and remember, you