signposts for happiness.

i likededed [as gayle king might say] a piece featured this a.m. on yahoo! shine ...

it's titled "nine signs you're happier than you think," but
it's really about some unusual factors proven to affect happiness.

[how can you be happier than you think you are?
if you feel happy much of the time, you're happy, right?
it's not like you're feeling blue & then you read an online article
& say, 'hey － i've got a sister; i feel so much better all of a sudden!"

anyway ... ]

according to the article, here are some indicators you can improve upon to feel happier:

1. put down the remote. no shocker there － the happiest among us spend a third fewer hours as couch potatoes.

2. get up & go. along the same lines, exercising more means greater life satisfaction & less stress. [only 15-35 min/day makes a happy difference.]

3. get up & go have sex. again, no surprise here － physical intimacy makes people happy. duh.

4. have two best friends. besides your spouse. & don't have sex with them.

5. hang around positive people. make sure your best friends are optimists, & hang around with them often － frequency of get-togethers matters most for happiness purposes.

6. while drinking cocoa. ok, here's a new one: holding a cup of coffee or other warm beverage helps folks feel more appreciative, generous & trusting.

7. put up some memorabilia. photos or mementos of good times remind people of their "happiness potential," & promise it will be fulfilled again someday.

the other two happiness indicators may be a bit beyond your control ...

well, if you're a college student or younger, then you can mind your pose:
folks with the biggest grins in their college yearbook pictures are five times less likely to be divorced decades later than their gloomier peers.

& if you've got a sister, then thank your lucky lot:
people with one or more female siblings feel better supported, more able to cope & more optimistic.

i'm lucky times three sister-wise ... but if you're on your own or
burdened by brothers only, i feel fairly sure sister-friends or sister-mamas count!


image source: madeinlowell@etsy.com