Pleasure…
How can I get back those moments of pleasure?
According to a study done by Sonja Lyubomirsky (Professor of psychology at the University of California) in 2006, you can “re-live” or “re-visit” a time in your past that brought you joy or pleasure. The study, which was done on students, asked each student to spend 8 minutes, 3 times a week, re-visiting a moment in their lives that brought them joy. After 4 weeks of this study, the participants sustained an increase in positive emotions, heightening their current state of joy and pleasure.
I often think back to our first (and only so far) trip to Disneyland. This trip was an amazing experience for my family and is one of my happiest memories. We often share these memories over diner and a flood of emotion comes back to me. I can visualize the experience and how amazing it was, instant gratitude and happiness take over my state of mind shifting any doubt, worry or negative thoughts into a more positive state of mind (not to mention the excitement we experience talking and planning of our next trip – something to look forward to when this pandemic is over)!
If you are having a hard time finding things to be grateful for or are finding you are dwelling on negative thoughts, try this strategy for 4 weeks (8 minutes, 3 times a week) to increase your happiness and bring back those moments of pleasure in your life.
