Three Ways to Get Happy Quickly

We’re always trying to do things quickly. “Go, go, go,” seems to be the theme in our busy lives. We want the fastest way to lose weight, the fastest way to get to work, and the fastest way to make dinner. It’s true that some things should be taken slowly, but if there is a fast option for anything, you know you’d rather take it. That’s why Health.com has created three ways to get happy “in a hurry.” Yes, sometimes happiness takes time, but if you want a quick mood boost, doing any of these three things will give you that.

Put on your favorite dress. Ever put on a dress and feel absolutely beautiful? It turns out that what you wear may have an effect on your mood. Karen J. Pine, a professor of development psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, explains that when we “wear smart, positive, and attractive clothes, we tend to behave accordingly, and that’s bound to lift our mood.” So if you are wearing jeans and a baggy sweater because you feel sad, you may be contributing to your bad mood. Put on a cute dress and you’ll feel happier.

Watch a sad movie. When you watch a tearjerker, you feel sad in the moment. But afterward, when you wipe away your tears and see the world clearly again, you feel happier and grateful for the good things in your life. A recent study suggests these feelings are very real, as those who watched a sad film reported “feelings of happiness and satisfaction” afterward. Go ahead, curl up in bed and put The Notebook in, you may cry yourself to a better mood.

Kiss someone. Kissing someone you like makes you feel like floating and giggling at the same time. That’s because kissing leads to a release of the “bonding” neurotransmitter oxytocin. It lessens cortisol, a stress hormone, and makes you feel calm. Now stop moping around the house and smooch someone!