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Psychology major Nicole Johnson '26 shares three simple ways to turn your frown upside down and chase the winter blues away — all gleaned from a positive psychology class at BW.
You might have smiled today, but was it a real smile? Did the corners of your eyes crinkle and your mouth turn up? If yes, according to the founder of positive psychology and author of "Authentic Happiness," Martin Seligman, that's a Duchenne smile, a genuine smile. If inauthentic, that's a Pan American smile. Smiling is the simplest indicator of joy. What if you could increase authentic happiness in your everyday life?
As winter approaches, like it always does, and it begins to get darker earlier, I know what is coming: days spent inside, dreading the miserable cold and wishing for sunshine. I need to do something to increase my happiness during this dark time of year, so I work to find ways to improve my winter happiness, and I can confidently say there are tools that work.
Gratitude may seem small, but it can make a significant difference. I urge you to pick up a journal and write things you are grateful for daily, or write down something you're thankful for on a sticky note and post it on your bedroom wall or bathroom mirror to start building a gratitude wall.
Some days may be hard, and that's okay. Push through, and you will see positive results. Simple notations of gratitude help you appreciate life. Since I began my quest to express gratitude, I find it seeping into my everyday life like sunlight through blinds. Practice gratitude, and your happiness will radiate and become contagious.
A key to increasing your happiness is to boost the happiness of others. That's why performing random acts of kindness can increase your own well-being. A 2023 study by Kumar and Epley found that people who performed prosocial acts, as well as those who were on the receiving end, are more positive. From my experience, this is true.
It is awkward at first, especially with strangers, but start small and work your way up. Leave a note for someone, offer a compliment, give up your seat, donate items, say hello, hold the door for someone. These are just a few examples of random acts of kindness that can make someone's day.
Finally, have you ever been doing an activity that was supposed to be fun, but it just wasn't making you happy? Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of "The How of Happiness," advises to do activities that you value and genuinely find enjoyable and stop doing activities that feel forced. This is known as Person-Activity Fit.
Increasing the number of tailored activities will increase happiness because you are inclined to try harder and feel better about doing them. I tried baking, but it was not a good fit. I got irritated with the time my cake took to cool, and it didn't even taste or look good. Then I tried walking outside and enjoyed it, so I began incorporating that activity into my day. Discovering Person-Activity Fit is a process, and it's okay to experiment to find what works.
If I can increase the happiness in my life, so can you. I strongly encourage you to try expressing gratitude, random acts of kindness, and finding your Person-Activity Fit to turn that Pan American smile into a Duchenne smile and reap the benefits of a life fully enjoyed.
A version of this column by Nicole Johnson '26 first appeared on cleveland.com and in The Sun News. The Medina, Ohio, native is majoring in psychology with minors in family studies and communication and also works as a behavior technician at Therapy and Wellness Connection.
