{"id":7525,"date":"2015-04-15T17:12:28","date_gmt":"2015-04-15T17:12:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendywolfe.com\/?p=2133"},"modified":"2015-04-15T17:12:28","modified_gmt":"2015-04-15T17:12:28","slug":"increase-your-happiness-in-20-seconds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wendywolfe.com\/?p=7525","title":{"rendered":"Increase Your Happiness in 20 Seconds"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"school<\/a>Who\u2019s driving your bus?<\/p>\n

Are you driving or are you being driven by instincts that served you 150,000 years ago?<\/p>\n

Studies of the brain show instinctively we\u2019re Debbie Downer (no offense to any Debbie).<\/p>\n

Our brains have a negativity bias.\u00a0 Negative experiences are more important to the brain and make deeper and more lasting impressions than positive experiences.\u00a0 When our ancestors were hanging out in the Serengeti it was important for our brain to remember not to play with lions.<\/p>\n

As evolving humans our brains wanted to keep us safe, now it\u2019s not always helpful.\u00a0 We\u2019re bombarded daily with bad, sad and maddening news events.\u00a0 Facebook is filled with reasons to be angry at someone or something.\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019s always a cause to fight for\u2026 or an issue to fight against.\u00a0 All of this information translates into stress.\u00a0 Our ancient brain can\u2019t sort between real or perceived threats.\u00a0 \u00a0To the brain being late for a meeting is as threatening as a saber tooth tiger chasing you.<\/p>\n

In the brain our experiences (and the subsequent biochemical reactions) create neural \u201cpathways\u201d.<\/p>\n

Think of the neural pathway like a 1 lane highway.\u00a0 Negative experiences bring in the construction crews and turn it into a 10- lane highway.\u00a0 Stressful events are stored more quickly in the brain than positive experiences.\u00a0 Your brain naturally, chemically and automatically goes to panic and stress the more<\/i> you experience stress because the highway keeps getting bigger and faster.\u00a0 And each time it does, it increases the size of the amygdala\u2026the part of your brain that creates the flight or fight and decreases the size of your hippocampus\u2026where your rational<\/i> reasoning comes from.<\/p>\n

Each negative experience quickly compounds the next\u2026so if it seems like your anxiety and list of worries just keeping worse\u2026it is.<\/h4>\n

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Think about the last time something negative happened.\u00a0 Maybe you had an argument with a co-worker, sibling, parent or partner.\u00a0 How long did you continue to play the conversation in your mind?\u00a0 How much time did you spend justifying, criticizing (you or them) or just stewing?\u00a0 Hours? Days?\u00a0 Weeks? Years?<\/p>\n

Now think about the last time someone gave you a sincere compliment or shared how much you mean to them.\u00a0 How many times did you replay the love in your mind?\u00a0 Did you take the love in or did you defend against it?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re like most people, the negative situation received multiple encores and the compliment or shared love was cast aside.\"highway1<\/a><\/p>\n

Can you see the huge freeway being constructed for the negativity?<\/p>\n

Is it any wonder depression and anxiety are so prevalent in our society.<\/p>\n

Kind of sounds like we\u2019re screwed doesn’t it?<\/p>\n

Fortunately we\u2019re not.\u00a0 We can retrain our brain.<\/h4>\n

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By making a conscious decision to hold a positive experience in our awareness we can cause our brain to store the goodness in long term memory. Eventually, our brain begins to look for positive experiences.\u00a0 This process takes attention and practice yet it\u2019s easy to do.<\/p>\n

Studies show if you intentionally spend more time remembering and focusing on positive<\/i> experiences, you will create new neural pathways on a highway you want to travel.\u00a0 Twenty short seconds can turn the tide for you.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s your simple formula to build the Happiness Highway<\/h4>\n

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