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The Super Simple Way to Improve Your Mood
You were running late, spilled coffee on your report, and didn’t feel prepared for your meeting with your boss. Rough day. Want to cheer yourself up? You can make yourself happier by listening to positive music and making a mental effort to feel better at the same time, according to recent research at the University of Missouri.
The question posed by the study: Could doing something in an attempt to feel happier actually undermine your efforts (because you’re too focused on the end result)? Past research—in which participants tried to be happier while listening to classical music—has suggested that that might be the case.
Researchers conducted two experiments: For the first experiment, half the participants listened to happy-sounding music, while the other half listened to less positive tunes. Within each of the two groups, half of the people were instructed to make a conscious effort to improve their mood. Interestingly, only the people who both listened to happy music and tried to be happier actually experienced a boost.
In the second experiment, participants visited a lab regularly and listened to whatever music they wanted while they were there. Half of the participants made a conscious effort to improve their happiness level while doing so, and the other half didn’t. That first group was the only one to elevate their mood level.
That tracks for study co-author Kennon M. Sheldon, PhD, a professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri: “We’re constantly regulating our mood, doing things to make ourselves feel better, to recover from little things, bad things that go wrong,” says Sheldon. “It makes sense that we would have an adaptive capacity to do that for ourselves so that we’re not just at the mercy of whatever happens to us.”
Researchers say this may work especially well while listening to music since its effects on mood are well recognized—both in research and in everyday life.
While trying too hard to force yourself to have a sunny disposition may backfire, says Sheldon, hitting “play” on some Beyonce and thinking happy thoughts when the day isn’t going your way is definitely a smart strategy.
Women’s Health asked its Twitter followers for their feel-good songs. Check out this happy playlist curated from their answers, and use it the next time you need your own mood booster:
“Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys
“You Make My Dreams” by Hall & Oates
“Firework” by Katy Perry
“Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch
“Hey, Soul Sister” by Train
“Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley
“Raise Your Glass” by Pink
“End of Time” by Beyonce
“Beautiful Day” by U2
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
More from Women’s Health:
The Random Thing That Boosts Your Happiness
2-Minute Happiness Booster
Be Happy—Now!
The Simple Way to Boost Your Arousal
Who doesn’t love receiving just a little bit more than giving? But get this: Being generous in the bedroom can amp up your own desire, according to a new study in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Researchers studied “sexual communal strength”—or a willingness to meet your partner’s sexual needs—in 44 long-term couples. The couples completed individual surveys every day for 21 days, starting with a longer background survey that gauged how willing they were to meet their partner’s sexual needs, their relationship satisfaction, and their desire level. The result: People who were more willing to meet their partner’s needs in bed reported higher levels of daily arousal.
And being a giver doesn’t just have temporary lust-boosting effects—it was also associated with higher levels of desire four months later! While many couples saw a dip in their libido at the four-month follow-up, those who were more focused on their partner’s pleasure were able to maintain the spark, says lead study author Amy Muise, PhD, post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto.
So how does sexual generosity amp up your own arousal? “Knowing that you can satisfy your partner and turn your partner on—that’s a huge boost to your self-esteem” says Ian Kerner, PhD, founder of Good In Bed and author of She Comes First. And that sexy confidence, paired with an equally turned-on partner, tends to result in mind-blowing sex. “If you’re putting yourself in a situation where you’re attentive to your partner’s needs, it creates a virtuous cycle of sex and sexual desire,” says Kerner.
But before you bend over backwards—literally or figuratively—for your guy, there’s one big caveat: Focusing on your partner’s desires at the expense of your own does not have the same effect, says Muise. Instead, the idea is to foster a mutual focus on each other’s pleasure and to both make an effort to fulfill the other person’s needs between the sheets.
Feeling inspired? Here are three ways to make your sex life a little more gratuitous:
Find out what turns him on
“I always encourage couples to talk about their fantasies,” says Kerner. Just make it clear that this is purely a sexy conversation—not an immediate request or an area to judge. If you’re blanking on sexy fantasies to share, think back to your favorite x-rated movie scenes, your celebrity crushes, or what your porn preferences are. Even if something is totally out of your element, just acknowledging your partner’s turn-ons and talking about them can boost your intimacy and open up the floor to hotter sex.
Really make an effort
Sex—like every other part of your relationship—should come with a healthy dose of give and take. Whether your guy prefers a particular position or has been dying to try something new, it’s not a bad idea to take one for the team every once in a while (as long as you’re comfortable with it). “What this study shows is that giving pleasure is just as important as receiving pleasure,” says Kerner. So the next time you’re getting busy, take a minute to think about what your partner is craving at that moment and how to give it to him. “Knowing that you’re creating that pleasure, that you’re giving that to your partner, that’s incredibly sexy and it’s a huge turn on,” says Kerner.
Make sure they return the favor
So what about when it’s your turn to receive? When you’re craving something specific in bed—whether it’s more foreplay or trying a position that makes it easier for you to orgasm—there’s a way to ask for it without making your partner feel like a failure. Whatever you do, don’t start with something like “Why don’t we ever…” Framing it this way comes off as negative and will automatically put him on the defensive, says Kerner. “Rather than having a conversation that points to what you’re not doing, talk about the sex you want to be having,” says Kerner. Bring it up in a non-confrontational way, like telling him about a crazy-hot dream you had about him the other night, or the interesting article (like this one) that you read, or even texting him a scandalous link (like this one). It’s a simple and sexy way to bring up something you want to try—and we’re willing to bet he’ll be game.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
More from Women’s Health:
14 Sexy Tricks to Boost Your Libido
Love Bites
Get Your Libido Back
The Simple Way to Eat Less
Would that cheeseburger be nearly as tempting if you knew you’d have to log 33 minutes on the treadmill to burn off all of the calories it contains? Didn’t think so. So it’s not exactly shocking that, when menus list how much exercise you’d have to do to work off each food, people order lower-calorie options, according to a recent study.
For the experiment, researchers from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth randomly assigned a group of people aged 18-30 to one of three groups: one that ordered off of a menu without calorie counts, one that ordered off of a menu with calorie counts, and one that ordered off of a menu that listed how many minutes of brisk walking would be necessary to burn the food calories. Other than the calorie/exercise labels, the menus were exactly the same.
Listing calories on the menu didn’t lead people to order lighter options—but listing the minutes of brisk walking necessary did.
The next time you go to a restaurant, you probably won’t see the exercise equivalents for each dish—but you can still use a similar motivational strategy to curb junk food urges. The next time you hear a donut or a slice of pizza calling your name, consult this handy guide—and see if you even want it afterward:
The Simple Way to Breathe Easier
One of the best things you can do for your lungs (besides keeping them smoke-free)? Strike a pose. Practicing yoga regularly may help boost your lung function and capacity, according to a new study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Researchers from Texas State University at San Marcos gathered 57 studies from four databases (the Alternative Health Watch, Physical Education Index, Medline, and SPORTdiscus), looking for ones that included the keywords “yoga,” “respiration,” and “pulmonary function.” Of those 57, researchers found nine studies that focused on pulmonary function in 609 individuals with healthy lungs. These studies measured how much a person can exhale in one second (something called forced expiratory volume, or FEV1) to determine lung health. After examining all nine studies, researchers found that all but one experiment indicated yoga was associated with better overall lung function. This was true even if the specific yoga techniques practiced–breathing, meditation, poses, etc.–varied in each study.
You might not realize it, but your lungs are like muscles in that they need to be exercised. Otherwise, they’ll become rigid, which forces you to take shorter breaths and can increase your risk of lung disease. Yoga requires you to breathe deeply to fully expand your lungs, which makes them more flexible and increases their ability to take in more air.
For improved pulmonary functions, researchers suggest practicing yoga for a minimum of two days a week, one hour each day. You should experience improved lung function in about 10 weeks. “It’s important that we inhale and exhale so that we keep our lungs functioning properly,” says lead study author Allison Abel, assistant director of total wellness at from Texas State University at San Marcos. This will help prevent problems such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis.
Better breathing isn’t the only benefit you’ll get from practicing yoga–it’s also a great way to fry fat, ease aches and pains, and make you feel more Zen. Whether you’re looking for an easy energy boost or want to build a leaner body, these yoga routines will keep your entire body fit–lungs and all.
Burn Fat Faster with these Yoga Exercises
Shake Off Tummy Troubles (with yoga)
photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock
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Breathing Techniques: Less Anxiety and More Energy
Improve Your Breathing Techniques
Breathe Away Heartburn
The Simple Way to Be More Compassionate
So your dad’s birthday totally slipped your mind and you haven’t had a chance to call your college roommate to see how her new job is going. It happens—but it may happen less often if you take time to just breathe: Meditating may help make you a more compassionate person, according to a study published in the journal Psychological Science.
For the study, researchers from Northeastern University and Harvard University looked at 39 people, 20 of whom were asked to complete an eight-week meditation training program. Ten of those participants underwent a mindfulness meditation program, and the other 10 completed a compassion meditation program. The mindfulness meditation trained people to focus and calm their minds, usually by concentrating on breathing throughout their body. The program centered around compassion included similar techniques, except while breathing, participants were supposed to concentrate on inhaling and exhaling through their hearts—which is supposed to make people more aware of their own negative feelings. These meditators were also taught that everyone feels the same discomfort as them and to take solace in this.
When participants were asked to return for a follow-up, researchers staged a waiting room with three chairs. Actors occupied two seats while the participant sat in the remaining one. When a third actor arrived on crutches and appeared to be suffering from pain, researchers watched to see if the participants offered up their seats.
Half of those who had meditated came to the actor’s aid (regardless of the type of meditation training they underwent), while just 15 percent of the non-meditating participants did the same. Why? “It could be something as simple as greater awareness of the environment,” says Paul Condon, a graduate student in the social psychology program at Northeastern University and a co-author of the study. “Meditators may be less self-focused and more externally in-tune.”
Of course, meditation doesn’t just make you nicer—there are selfish reasons to take a mental time-out, too. Read up on how the practice can do wonders for your mind, body, and soul:
Meditations for Instant Bliss!
Meditation: The Truth behind the Trend
photo: Hemera/Thinkstock
The Simple Way to Move More
If your running shoes are collecting more dust bunnies than miles, you may want to change up your diet. Swapping out saturated fat for monounsaturated fat can increase your physical activity levels by up to 15 percent, according to new research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers from the University of Vermont and Duke University gave 32 young adults meals that contained an oil high in palmitic acid, a common type of saturated fat, for three weeks. After breaking for a week, the participants resumed eating the same meals for three more weeks—but this time the oil was high in oleic acid, a common type of monounsaturated fat.
Throughout the study, participants wore accelerometers around their waists to allow researchers to monitor their physical activity. When the participants followed a diet high in monounsaturated fats, they were between 12 and 15 percent more active than when they ate the saturated fat-rich meals. What’s more, participants’ resting metabolisms were faster when they replaced saturated fat with monounsaturated fat.
To see if participants’ moods were behind the revved-up sweat sessions, researchers asked some of them to answer a survey about their mental ups and downs. Researchers found that the test subjects were angrier and more hostile when they ate the meals filled with saturated fats.
“Nobody recommends the Western diet, which is full of saturated fat from meat and dairy,” says C. Lawrence Kien, MD, PhD, lead study researcher and professor at The University of Vermont College of Medicine’s division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism—yet it’s still the predominant diet in the U.S., he points out. “This study would suggest that a Mediterranean diet rich in monounsaturated fats could create physical and behavioral changes that are associated with leanness.”
Monounsaturated fats can also help regulate inflammation in the body, which may influence brain chemistry and account for the boosts in mood and activity, says Kein. In addition, previous research has shown that monounsaturated fats promote weight loss, increase feel-good serotonin levels, and boost lean muscle mass.
About 20 percent of your total daily calories should come from monounsaturated fats, according to The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Saturated fats, however, should account for no more than 7 percent of your day’s caloric intake.
Here, four foods packed with monounsaturated fats that may help motivate you to slip on your running shoes:
Peanuts
Peanuts actually pack more monounsaturated fats than just about any other legume, says Nutritionist Laura Cipullo, RD, owner of Laura Cipullo Whole Nutrition Services in New York City.
Try This Peanut Recipe: Curried Peanuts
Olives
Chances are you’ve heard about the health wonder that is olive oil. But don’t forget where the yummy stuff comes from. Olives are teeming with oleic acid, says Cipullo.
Try This Olive Recipe: Tuna-Olive Salad
Avocados
Avocados’ super creamy texture comes from monounsaturated fats, says nutritionist Monica Reinagel, LN, CNS.
Try This Avocado Recipe: Vegetable Fajitas
Dark Chocolate
A health food your taste buds can seriously get behind, dark chocolate (we’re talking 60 percent cocoa and up) packs good-for-you monounsaturated fats. It’s still important to practice moderation with the sweet stuff, though, says Reinagel, so you don’t take in too many calories.
Try This Dark Chocolate Recipe: Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Bark
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Eating Well: The Best Fitness Foods for Women
9 Health Benefits of Chocolate
The FWB Diet: What to Eat and Why It Works
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The Simple Way to Eat Better
What you see is what you eat: When you’re trying to clean up your diet, looking at a waistline-friendly food (like an orange) may help keep you from reaching for an unhealthy snack, according to a study in the journal Eating Behaviors.
Researchers at The University of Leeds studied 13 dieters and 21 non-dieters. On two separate occasions, they exposed each group to one of two foods—chocolate or an orange — to compare how participants reacted to tempting food afterward. After seeing and smelling one of the two foods, each group was invited to snack on an assortment of oranges, chocolate, and cereal bars for 10 minutes.
When dieters were shown the orange, they ended up consuming fewer calories and 60 percent less chocolate than when they were shown the chocolate. By contrast, the non-dieters ate a similar amount whether they glimpsed the orange or the chocolate beforehand. When you’re already trying to eat healthfully, just eyeing a piece of fruit cab prime you for better decision-making, say the researchers. “Being exposed to diet-healthy food is an instant reminder for dieters to stick to their diet plans,” says Nicola J. Buckland, research student at The University of Leeds and lead author of the study.
To keep from falling off the healthy-eating wagon, Buckland recommends keeping a piece of fruit “in highly visible places,” like on your desk or kitchen counter. If you’re heading out and you know you’ll be tempted to cheat, pack an apple in your purse or some baby carrots in your clutch. Every time you open your bag, you’ll be reminded of your healthy-eating mission, says Buckland.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Eating Well: The Best Fitness Foods for Women
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The Simple Health Change You Need to Make
Don’t pass the salt, please. If the average American scales back her sodium intake to 2,200 mg per day (that’s 40 percent less than the 3,600 mg currently consumed!), it could save between 280,000 and 500,000 American lives over a 10-year period, according to a new article published in the journal Hypertension.
The results come from findings of three separate studies on sodium intake and death rates. All three studies found that less sodium led to hundreds of thousands of fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD).
“Sodium is related to blood pressure and blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and stroke,” says Pamela Coxson , PhD, mathematician with the Division of General and Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and one of the study authors. “If you lower sodium intake, your blood pressure goes down.”
And consider these scary stats: Heart disease is more fatal to American women than any other disease—over 400,000 deaths in American women are caused by CVD each year, according to The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. And it’s no wonder, considering the average American consumes 3,600 mg of sodium each day, a whopping 2,100 mg more than the amount recommended by the CDC.
Want to slash your risk? Cut the salt to 2,200 mg per day. “The main thing that helps is to shift the balance of foods to fresh foods and away from processed foods,” says Coxson. “Eighty percent of sodium in our diet comes from processed foods.” And carb-lovers, beware: Bread in particular is the biggest source of sodium for the typical person in the US, she says.
Click here for 10 sinister sources of salt (plus, reduced-sodium suggestions for each).
And click here for the 25 saltiest foods in America.
Want to know your risk for heart disease? Click here to use the heart disease risk calculator from the Mayo Clinic.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
More from WH:
Heart-Healthy Recipes
5 Steps to a Healthy Heart
Why You Should Crank Up Your Cardio
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G-Free Friday: Sweet ‘n Simple Apple Crisp
Think dessert has to be complicated? Think again! This Sweet n’ Simple Apple Crisp is gluten-free and takes less than …
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