Lately everyone’s been rocking out to the mega hit song Happy by Pharrell Williams & I understand why. The beat is catchy, the video is fun to watch, and the lyrics are positive and uplifting:
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof!
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth!
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you!
Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do!Here come bad news talking this and that
Well, give me all you got, and don’t hold back
Well, I should probably warn you I’ll be just fine
No offense to you, don’t waste your time
Because I’m happy!
But what if you feel like your room definitely has a roof or worse yet your room is a windowless spot in the basement?
As much as love that song and its message, I haven’t been feeling too happy lately. I’ve dealt with depression for years and, it seems to be really trying to keep me down these past few weeks. I tend to want to fight depression (in the face lol) so, I’m here sharing a journey I plan on embarking on in the month of April (a.k.a. “fighting depression in the face”).
Inspired by this incredible TED Talk by psychologist Shawn Achor where he discusses the science of happiness.
First I strongly suggest you watch the video:
“If you can raise somebody’s level of positivity in the present, then their brain experiences what we now call a happiness advantage, which is your brain at positive performs significantly better than it does at negative, neutral or stressed. Your intelligence rises, your creativity rises, your energy levels rise.If we can find a way of becoming positive in the present, then our brains work even more successfully as we’re able to work harder, faster and more intelligently.[W]e can actually rewire your brain, allowing your brain to actually work more optimistically and more successfully.”– Shawn Achor
According to Achor by the end of the month I should expect my brain to:- start retaining a pattern of scanning the world for the positive before the negative
- relive positive experiences
- get over the cultural ADHD created by trying to do multiple tasks at once and focus on the task at hand
- be more hydrated and therefore function better**
- be more rested and therefore function better**
- be more conscious of kindness and
- understand that behavior matters
30 Day Happiness Challenge and invite anyone that wants to participate to do so.