Turn That Frown Upside Down

Teach yourself to be happier, even when times are tough.

If the gloomy economic climate is dragging your morale lower than the Dow Jones Industrial Average, you have plenty of company. All of us have been barraged for months with depressing news about defrauded investors, mortgage foreclosures, bankruptcies, employee layoffs and companies that have gone belly-up.

Chances are that you know someone who has lost his or her job or home or is pinching pennies to get by. Feeling more optimistic when the economy is so bleak may seem like a lost cause. Surprisingly, researchers have found that adopting a more upbeat attitude is a skill that, like guitar playing or skiing, can be learned through practice.

I have a personal friend who holds a master’s degree in applied positive psychology, and in talking with her she has said that she is confident that people can teach themselves to get more pleasure from life, regardless of their circumstances. “This is about rolling up your sleeves in the service of happiness, “ she says.

An Attitude of Gratitude

One of the easiest and most effective paths to a happier life is to develop an attitude of gratitude. It’s no coincidence that giving thanks is a foundation of prayer in every religion and culture. Expressing appreciation requires you to take stock of the blessings in your life, which in turn reminds you to acknowledge that so much good regularly comes your way.

If you’re stuck on what to actually be grateful for, take a few seconds before you get out of bed each morning to value the potential in each new day. You have to tell yourself, “I’m grateful to be here.” You will find that thought will improve how you treat yourself and others.

Another way to help yourself be more upbeat even in trying times is to schedule pleasurable activities. Those anticipated events don’t have to be costly or exotic, but they do need to be a welcome break in your routine. They can be as simple as lunch with a friend at a cool new bistro or a stroll through a farmers market for fresh strawberries. Having a good day, or a good week, requires you to think about what it will take to have just that. I, for one, put a massage on my calendar for a week out. I happen to reap a twofold benefit. I get a rush of happiness anticipating the enjoyable event, and I savor the activity as it happens.

Help Yourself by Helping Others

While nurturing your own mind and busy is one surefire method of staying upbeat, it’s only a piece in the bigger picture of happiness. Reaching out to others is a powerful mood-lifter, especially when you’re connecting with those who benefit from your efforts. It raises a giver’s spirit…there is always someone out there who needs what you have.

Consider volunteering at a pet shelter, library, local school or a soup kitchen. One time, I aided homebound senior citizens by driving them on errands. Fostering personal connections turns out to be a powerful antidote to the self-absorption that can obsess us during trying times.

I really think there even more of a benefit to community service. The good feelings that blossom in you as you reach out actually rub off on others. It is known as “social contagion theory.” This principle says that moods, like colds, are easily transmitted between family members, colleagues and friends.

The closest people to you are predictors of who you will become.

So it’s no wonder that a diet of depressing news or too much time with trash-talking friends can make us feel defeated as well. But the flip side is, thankfully, true too: Even when times are tough, we can create a more upbeat reality for ourselves, and that optimism is equally infectious.