Yahoo Lifestyle 'I'm a Cognitive Scientist, and This Is One Mood-Boosting Habit I Swear By'
At one point or another, it's possible you've experienced the blues, whether it be in the cold of winter, or on a typical Monday. While there is no one-size-fits-all fix for happiness, there is one mood-boosting habit that Dr. Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist, Yale University professor and the host of The Happiness Lab podcast, swears by.
Dr. Santos, who partnered with United for National Plan for Vacation Day, shared with Parade what she recommends to individuals looking to elevate their spirits...and we're very much onboard!
Continue reading to find out what the "happiness expert" had to say:
The Best Mood-Boosting Habit, According to a Cognitive Scientist
Planning a getaway could be just the ticket to boost your mood.
"The mood-boosting habit that I swear by is getting new experiences, and travel tends to be a big part of that, whenever I can afford it," Dr. Santos shares.
And that tracks with recent data as well—according to a new survey by United, 70 percent of Americans said that booking a flight for a vacation makes them happy. The findings align with what Dr. Santos has known for a long time.
"It shows that experiences like travel really bring us a big happiness boost, and interestingly, often more of a boost than we expect," she tells Parade. "We often don't realize that experiential purchases make us happier than material purchases."
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The Happiness Lab podcast host points out that experiences make us a "little bit more social" and "social connection is a huge boost" for happiness.
"In fact, one study found that to become a very happy person, it is necessary to boost your social connection up," Dr. Santos explains. "And I think that's one of the reasons experiences, and especially travel, can be so powerful—because travel winds up making us even more social, right?"
"Even if you take a solo trip, my guess is you end up actually talking to lots of people on that solo trip that you wouldn't have talked to before, making these new connections," she adds. "I think getting some social connection, is a really important happiness tip for anyone who might be struggling right now, which is yet another reason experiences can be so powerful."
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Other Habits To Boost Your Happiness
While you can view traveling as a form of self-care, it can be costly and is not always a feasible option.
"If you're not feeling like you have the discretionary income to book some really ridiculous over-the-top vacation, remember that even smaller kinds of breaks, even smaller experiences can help, too," Dr. Santos notes.
Of course, taking a trip, whether it be long or short, is just one mood-boosting option.
"I think another way is to try new activities," Dr. Santos shares. "There's lots of research on what's called living a psychologically rich life, which is like you're trying things out, doing new kinds of things."
She advises trying a new restaurant, going to a different place where you can try something new, or even take a different walk to work. "[It's] as simple as that," she says. "These are the kinds of things that you can do to just make your life feel a little bit richer. Add some surprises. Add some new experiences to your life."
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Dr. Laurie Santos is a Yale professor, cognitive scientist and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. Her goal is "to help people use science-backed strategies to live happier, more fulfilling lives," and shares insight with over 70k followers on Instagram.
