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Ever heard people talk about their pet peeves? Pet peeves are the small actions that others do that seem to get under one\u2019s skin. When asked, people can generate a long list of offenses. Perhaps you can, too! In fact, the list can sometimes be so long that it has the potential to create an awkward tension and possibly lead to unkind moments.<\/p>\n
What if you turned this around by asking about people\u2019s little loves? Little loves are small actions that can lift one\u2019s mood and brighten the day. Just changing this question can become an opportunity for kindness and empathy. And isn\u2019t that what we need more of? Actions like holding a door open for someone, saying good morning and calling the person by his or her name, or sharing an honest compliment are just some of the things<\/a> that can make someone\u2019s day.<\/p>\n In his best-selling book, The Slight Edge<\/a><\/em>, Jeff Olson shares how meditation can help us open ourselves to kindness and empathy. He writes, \u201cMeditate daily. Nothing fancy; just stop all activity, relax, and watch your breath go in and out for two minutes. This trains your brain to focus where you want it to, and not get distracted by any negativity in your environment. Do a random act of kindness over the course of each day.\u201d Imagine the difference a daily random act of kindness can make to transform a stressful or negative environment. To borrow a lyric from an old campfire song, \u201cIt only takes a spark to get a fire going.\u201d<\/p>\n In fact, studies show<\/a> that actions like this can create a positive feedback loop between happiness and kindness so that one encourages the other. \u201cThe practical implications of this positive feedback loop could be that engaging in one kind deed (e.g., taking your mom to lunch) would make you happier, and the happier you feel, the more likely you are to do another kind act,\u201d says Lara Aknin, a graduate student in psychology at the University of British Columbia and lead author of one of these studies.<\/p>\n Meditating and journaling are also a part of what author Shawn Achor calls creating daily happiness hygiene<\/a> to go along with necessary physical practices such as sleeping and brushing our teeth. Achor says, \u201cHappiness is NOT the belief that everything is great, happiness is the belief that change is possible.\u201d So, by intentionally acting on random acts of happiness, we connect with the people around us and make the environment better for everyone.<\/p>\n To further spark your creativity, join Neora and Live Happy as we honor the International Day of Happiness, March 20, by creating a happiness wall at your school or workplace. Guidelines and a free event kit are available to download at www.happyacts.org<\/a>. You can also download our free calendar of happy acts to get ideas throughout this month.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.neora.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/US-EN_RO-2Blog_3.18.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRewiring Your Brain for Positive Change<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A Month Full of Happy Acts<\/strong><\/h3>\n