For example, exercise is an extremely effective stress reliever, and can even build energy in the long run, but many people find it too difficult to face a workout when they’re already exhausted. Meditation can be an extremely calming activity that can also build resilience, but sometimes sitting quietly can seem to amplify stressful thoughts. (There are ways around both of these issues, but many people find it easier to simply give up.) This is why it is such great news that bursts of happiness can lead to greater resilience toward stress. Many of the things that can lift our moods—playing with a pet, watching a funny video, or even eating chocolate, for example—are quick and easy to fit into one’s day. Savoring these experiences can expand on the benefits you’ll already experience. Read on to find out how this actually works, and then I’ll share with you some more strategies for lifting your mood. Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, through what is known as the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions has pioneered a branch of study that has found that positive emotions such as joy, contentment, or appreciation carry independent and lasting benefits.
Enjoying the Benefits of Happiness
What does all of this have to do with stress management? This branch of research shows how happiness and stress relief are connected: Doing little things to lift your mood really can have a lasting effect on your resilience toward stress. Each time you do something nice for yourself, you’re taking a step toward feeling less stressed now and in the future, and enjoying other benefits as well! Here is some more of what the research in this area has to say.
Good Moods Lead to Increased Resources
Several studies have found that positive emotions create a greater likelihood of creating resources to support social connection, and increase your ability to manage stress. While negative emotional states can lead to a “tunnel vision” experience where people focus so much on the negative that they miss opportunities in their lives, people experiencing happiness are more likely to build personal resources that are linked with resilience toward stress, including personal resilience, interpersonal resources like supportive friends, and practical resources like a secure financial situation. This increase in resources leads to more frequent good moods, and an upward spiral is created, which leads to benefits in health, happiness, and life satisfaction.
Positive Mood Can Help Improve Emotional Health
One study even found that increases in a good mood (also known as “positive affect”) may counteract unhappy or fearful states characteristic of mood disorders such as those involving anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia. (Note: if you are experiencing these disorders, it is also important to work with your therapist or talk to your doctor; this is not meant to replace the advice of a professional, but to supplement.)
Bottom Line
Ultimately, a review of the literature—a study of many studies—found that positive mood and positive thinking increase one’s ability to manage stress in healthy ways, which leads to improved health outcomes such as increased immunity and longevity, as well as improved lifestyle factors such as greater job satisfaction. So how can a stressed and busy person work these good moods into a packed schedule, you may be wondering? There are several strategies that work, and activities that you know make you happy (with few negative consequences, of course) are a great place to start.
