Spread Good Vibes

Quick Win

Spreading positivity not only makes the people around you happier, it supports your brain health, too. It's a quick win-win!

Try This Today

• Look for a wacky holiday. Choose a quirky day, like International Tuba Day (the first Friday in May), National Ice Cream Sandwich Day (Aug. 2) or International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) and send a greeting card or text to friends to let them know you're thinking of them. Whatever offbeat occasion you decide on, this bit of silliness will send a smile their way and put a grin on your face, as well.
• Compliment someone. Admiring the shoes worn by the person in front of you in line? Let them know. Thought your coworker asked a smart question in this morning's conference call? Say so the next time you see them. You just might turn their day around — and giving compliments makes you feel good, too.
• Flash a million-watt grin. A smile is a mood changer for both giver and receiver, and that can’t be said of many things in life. Even just practicing smiling can stimulate the emotional center of the brain, research has shown.

Why

Would you like to feel happier right now? Try making someone else happy. Both giving and receiving compliments can activate the brain's reward system, according to an fMRI study of 43 heterosexual couples in Germany with an average age of 24 published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience in 2023. And simply sharing a smile with another person can be transformative. Smiling has been linked to a number of potential health benefits, including lower blood pressure and a greater ability to rebound from stress, according to a scientific review published in Health Psychology Review in 2022.