Dr. Mercola September 13 2008 37,367 views
This headline certainly sounds paradoxical. But while all the choices available to you nowadays may offer more freedom than ever before, they may also exact quite a cost on your psyche, according to psychologist Barry Schwartz in this compelling video.
Schwartz, the author of The Paradox of Choice, believes, rightly, that the "freedom of choice" provided by limitless options escalates expectations, and therefore introduces indecision and unhappiness into the equation.
He believes happiness may be easier than you think; that by simply limiting your choices and options, you can increase your level of happiness.
Live Science Magazine takes a less complex look at happiness, offering these simple keys to give your mood a much needed boost:
Give it away After performing good deeds, people are happier and feel their life has more purpose. It only takes $5 spent on others to make you happier on a given day, according to a recent study. And selfless acts can also help your marriage become a more enjoyable experience. Ponder this A 2005 study that tracked mood changes in dialysis patients found they were in a good mood most of the time, despite having their blood cleaned three times a week. However, healthy patients envisioned a miserable life when asked to imagine adhering to such a demanding schedule. As Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Work out Consistent exercise can help people battling depression. Exercise improves your state of mind in part by affecting your body's levels of two chemicals: cortisol and endorphins. Cortisol, which is produced in response to stress, increases blood pressure and blood sugar, weakens your immune response and can lead to organ inflammation and damage. But working out burns cortisol, restoring your body's normal levels. Exercise can also cause your brain to release endorphins, your body's natural pain relievers. Live long If you still find yourself down in the dumps, just give it some time. A study of 2 million people from 80 nations found that depression is most common among adults in their mid-40’s. But with age, humans are more inclined to filter out the negatives while focusing on what they enjoy.
Give it away
After performing good deeds, people are happier and feel their life has more purpose. It only takes $5 spent on others to make you happier on a given day, according to a recent study. And selfless acts can also help your marriage become a more enjoyable experience. Ponder this
A 2005 study that tracked mood changes in dialysis patients found they were in a good mood most of the time, despite having their blood cleaned three times a week. However, healthy patients envisioned a miserable life when asked to imagine adhering to such a demanding schedule. As Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Work out
Consistent exercise can help people battling depression. Exercise improves your state of mind in part by affecting your body's levels of two chemicals: cortisol and endorphins. Cortisol, which is produced in response to stress, increases blood pressure and blood sugar, weakens your immune response and can lead to organ inflammation and damage. But working out burns cortisol, restoring your body's normal levels. Exercise can also cause your brain to release endorphins, your body's natural pain relievers.
Live long
If you still find yourself down in the dumps, just give it some time. A study of 2 million people from 80 nations found that depression is most common among adults in their mid-40’s. But with age, humans are more inclined to filter out the negatives while focusing on what they enjoy.
YES absolutely MrAK Couldnt agree more and how appropriate that your comment comes at the top of the list!!
Our RICHES are definitely to be found within and I find Eckhart Tolles Pathways to the Now great tools to assist that connection to our non-physical Self. Once connected how different does life feel and then what is really important??
yes...read Tolle's A NEW EARTH
self-limiting your choices could simplify your life. Simplifying your life gives you more time and space in which to be grateful for the blessings already in your life.
Limited choices enforced from without would not make one happier.
It is more often than not the WRONG choices that contribute to unhappiness rather than too many choices.
There are no 'wrong choices' in the grand scheme of things - only consequences. Sometimes 'wrong' decisions turn out in ways you'd never expect. It's a neutral universe.
Always rubs me the wrong way when someone says that happiness comes from "giving". Who doesn't "give" (in one way or another), unless, of course, one lives alone in a cave. A chiropractor I was seeing a little while back told me about how his "giving" was reflected back to his life. I remember thinking to myself...yes, and you are getting a pretty hefty pay check to go along with it. As if every (well, most every) mother doesn't "give" endlessly to her family. As if every father doesn't give, to the best of his ability, to provide for his family. I believe that most people give, in one way or another, to others in need. Limiting our choices makes our life easier and that, in itself, helps by eliminating some of the stress in our lives. Reducing stress always helps to bring more peace into ones life and that sure makes me happier... and having good health sure helps.