~Lift your mood with upbeat pals!

A study out of Duke University and Canada’s Waterloo University reveals that spending time with happy friends instantly puts you in a positive mood, too! Why? Our brains are wired to subconsciously mimic the personality traits of people around us!

~Feel happier with the scent of grass!

 In a British study, 92% of women said scents have the power to make them happy. And their top pick? The smell of freshly mowed grass! Inhaling grass’s distinct scent stimulates the brain’s production of mood-boosting alpha waves.

~Relax with two little words!

Say, “thank-you!” Expressing gratitude even just once a week is proven to relax your body and mind and increase feelings of optimism 15%. The reason: Blood tests show it sends your levels of the stress hormone cortisol plunging and keeps them low for hours.

 ~Tame tension with a softer tone!

Feeling anxious? That means your heart rate and blood pressure are elevated, which, in turn, makes your nerves even worse. Good news: A study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine reports that speaking in a soft, low tone almost instantly reverses this effect, helping to reduce stress levels by up to 20%!