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Who You Know Can Make You Happy

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:00:00 -0800

It looks like happiness is viral and who you know can make you happy. Well, as long as your friends are happy, and their friends too.

The long running Framingham Heart Study on social networks and health found that happiness is kind of like a virus and it spreads through social networks. Having happy friends can increase your chances for happiness. And your friends having happy friends can influence your happiness as well. Even a happy friend of a friend of a friend can influence your degree of happiness. Yep, three degrees of separation can still affect your happiness, and I have no idea what this will do to Kevin Bacon and his six degrees of separation.

To see if sadness is contagious,

The How-To Lounge: Making the Best of Things

DearSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Financially, things are rough right now, and even if you’re not personally affected, it’s impossible to miss the changes happening everywhere as people lose their homes and their jobs. In such a time of uncertainty, it’s easy to let worries overtake you. But as they say about life giving you lemons, maybe it's time to make lemonade. To see my ideas for doing just that,

14 Things to Do When It's Chilly

DearSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0700

When other people are wishing it were still Summer, I'm savoring the Fall air. But even though I love Fall, I admit that this in-between season can be difficult for planning ahead since there's always a possibility of rain, wind, or chills. Fortunately, I've got a list of things to do if you wake up to a gray morning when you expect sun.

Stay in bed!
Rent a few movies or download a season of a TV show you've been meaning to watch.
Clean out your closet.
Invite your friends over to play a board game and drink hot buttered rums.
Make a casserole, a roast, or one of your other favorite comfort foods.
Reread your favorite young adult book.
Do a yoga video in your living room.

To see the rest just

Relationship Protocol: How Do You Cheer Each Other Up?

DearSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0700

When you’re in a relationship, one person’s mood undoubtedly affects the other’s. If you’re angry, he’s going to be worried until he knows what’s wrong, and if he’s sad, you’re going to be concerned until he starts to perk up. But while being in a relationship does make moods interdependent, it also gives you an automatic cheer-up buddy — the person who will pull out all the stops to get you smiling again. Ladies, when you’re down and out, what does your man do to get you up and feeling like yourself again? And do you have any tricks to make him happy?

Source

Little Things to Make You Smile

DearSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 13:00:00 -0700

I always know I'm in a good mood or feeling happy if I catch myself sporting a big goofy grin just going about my day-to-day business. All it takes is a simple moment or a kind word to perk me up and get me grinning. However, sometimes, and I don't think I'm alone on this, a smile is a lot harder to come by than it should be. In an attempt to make every day smile worthy, I've put together a list of little things that always leave me with a happy feeling. Check them out and add your own!

Getting a random hug from someone you love.
A latte executed just how you like it.
Rain on your roof at night.
And a sunny morning the next day.
Scarves, purses, and new shoes!
A phone call from an old friend.
Green lights all the way home.
Receiving an actual card in the mail.
Getting dressed in the morning and realizing it's going to be a "skinny" day.

To see the rest of my list

Dear Poll: Do You Find Others’ Happiness Contagious or Grating?

DearSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:00:00 -0700

There’s a reason why “misery loves company” seems to be such a true cliché — for some people, being around happy people when they feel sad is a lot like having someone laugh directly in their face. But learning how to derive happiness from other’s good moods is a great ability, and one I’m still working on! Do you find happiness in others contagious or just irritating?Source

Dear Poll: Do You Find Others’ Happiness Contagious or Grating?

Seeing someone else happy always perks my mood!

When I’m in a bad mood, I don’t want to be around anyone who’s giddy.

It really depends on who the person is.

Other — Please share.

The How-To Lounge: Getting Excited About Fall

DearSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

I love the Fall; there’s something so special about those months just before Winter. But even though I enjoy the Fall season, for some reason every year, I have a terrible time letting go of Summer and all those long, hot nights. So I’ve come up with some tips for taking the edge off. To see them,

Guess Who Said It?

DearSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Who said this about the man in her life?

"I’m happy and that’s all that matters. I have someone really great. Someone who can make me laugh — that’s always what comes first. It’s the best to be able to really, like, truly laugh with someone like they’re your best friend, you know?"

Link Time! 8/28

BuzzSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:30:17 -0700

The phrase "TV in the bathtub" makes me nervous immediately, but apparently, there's a safe version of this. — GeekSugar
One of the actors in Changeling learned that spontaneously improvising a kiss with Angelina Jolie in a scene can be exciting, but dangerous. — MTV Movies Blog
Did HBO chicken out by dropping its adaptation of Preacher? — TV Squad
Traveling over Labor Day weekend? Check out seven good movies to watch when stuck in an airport. — Cinematical
Apparently, you can stream a track from Jenny Lewis's album Acid Tongue over at NPR.org. — Stereogum
Kristin Chenoweth delivers an intervention — in song! — GiggleSugar
Can you imagine a sequel to Todd Solondz's Happiness? — Vulture
The video for Common's "Announcement" is pretty awesome. — Popwatch
Ten questions with Wentworth Miller. — The TV Addict

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Minutes to a Healthier You . . .

FitSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0700

It's not the hours we spend at the gym that makes a difference in our health, it's the little things too.

Recent research has found that simply being happy can lengthen your life 7.5 to 10 years. So take time each day to relax and reflect on the positives. I like to write down five positive things that happened in my journal each night to remind myself of the joys I might easily forget the next day. It only takes a few minutes to do, but it provides a wealth of happiness for me — and apparently it is extending my life as well.

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