76 South Bay Accent
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PAUL DAVIS/TOUCHING PEACE PHOTOGRAPHY; SHUTTERSTOCK; COURTESY OF TERRI KAHRS/PRINGLE HILL STUDIO
LIGHTEN UP
An easy way to lighten up a mild
case of malaise is to buy a sun
lamp. Sit in front of it an hour a
day to banish winter blues without
having to worry about a litany of
potential prescription-induced
side effects. People experiencing
winter depression typically have low
levels of serotonin, the “happiness
molecule,” and high levels of melatonin.
They may be suffering from
SAD—Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Says neuroscientist and Mercaptor
Discoveries CEO Sara Isbell, a lack
of sunlight is thought to “affect the
balance between serotonin and melatonin,
both of which are involved in
sleep patterns and mood.“
WRITE YOUR
WAY WELL
The act of tracing and analyzing
your thoughts and emotions across a
page (or tapping away at a keyboard)
can make you more productive
and emotionally aware, and a less
irrational decision maker—all key
components of a contented state of
mind. Studies at the University of
Missouri, Columbia, have shown that
writing about achieving future goals
and dreams can make people happier
and healthier. Similarly, there’s
plenty of evidence that keeping a
gratitude journal can increase happiness
and health by making the good
things in life more salient.
FAKE IT ‘TIL
YOU FEEL IT
You may not feel like it, but
just turning a frown upside
down actually releases critical
hormones that will make you
feel better. “Sometimes your joy
is the source of your smile, but
sometimes your smile can be the
source of your joy,” wrote Thich
Nhat Hanh. The wise Buddhist
monk was onto something.
THICH NHAT HANH
GRATITUDE JOURNAL BY TERRI KAHRS, PRINGLE HILL STUDIO