Life Hack, Trick Your Brain Into Feeling Happy

You have heard the term "Fake it till you make it". I have heard several folks claim how unhealthy it is to pretend to be happy. Several American's have started to frown at forced happiness or "toxic positivity" as several folks have coined it. In fact, the Washington Post had an article where experts claimed that toxic positivity can be counterproductive and harmful to our mental health.

A new study found that if you're not happy, you can trick your brain into feeling better, and in turn feeling happy. Are we bringing back "turn that frown upside down"? Could this be what doctors decide to prescribe for those suffering from depression? I sure hope not.

The University of South Australia found that fake smiling even when you're unhappy will make your brain think you're truly happy. It turns out our brains read our muscle movements from a smile, according to the researchers "that releases neurotransmitters to encourage an emotionally positive state." which then puts us into a much happier state of mind.

Why is this information so important right now?  According to several experts, he coronavirus pandemic is causing a large increase in anxiety and depression cases nationwide. We can boost our mental health by tricking it. So smile big and proud, "fake it till you make it" boost your own mental health.