Net Miles Of Smiles

Who says the road to nirvana is lined with megabucks and designer handbags? Experts are now discovering it’s the little (and often free!) things that lead to true happiness — like these bliss boosters.  

  By Colleen Rush
  

There’s good news in the joy business these days: Recent research suggests it’s not a fancy lifestyle that makes people happy. “Rather, any effortless pleasure or thing that strengthens social bonds or gives you a positive sense of control has measurable mental benefits,” says Leaf Van Boven, associate professor of psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. So we teased out the latest tips from positive-psychology pros. They’re all easy and potent…and most don’t cost a dime.

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Flower Power
A cheap sunflower stem for your desk gives a bunch of benefits in one. It has associations with the sun and an almost human-looking face, and the color of its petals has been shown to evoke positive emotions. Plus, people with plants in their offices actually feel happier about their jobs, according to a new study in HortScience.

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Comments (0) Jan 28 2009