I first heard about “The Science of Well-Being” course when I was interviewing Diana for this Travel Tuesday feature on The Dimple Life blog. It definitely intrigued me but I had just moved to Argentina and my days were packed full of working and exploring a new, exciting city. Well, flash-forward 2 months and I took a (very) last-minute flight home due to the pandemic. On my first day back in Kansas, I came across this article on Facebook. I recognized the course immediately from my interview with Diana and decided to give it a shot. When else will I have the opportunity or the necessity to focus on my happiness or well-being then during the onset of a pandemic?

‘The Science of Well-Being’ is a free online course offered by Yale University. For transparency's sake, I’m currently in week six (of 10) in the course. However, I’ve already learned so many helpful tools and facts that I thought I would put together some actionable tips. And, I mean, when better than in the middle of these crazy, uncertain times? Some of the information might seem obvious, but I honestly think that people could benefit from a reminder of what's truly healthy and what's not (at least I do).

1. Use Your Signature Strengths

To use your signature strengths, you first need to know what they are! You can take your Character Strengths Survey here and it will list your top 4 strengths. For example, my top strengths were: love of learning, fairness, honesty, and humor. I then used these strengths to plan out a ‘happiness goal’ for each day of the week. One day I learned 5 new words, another day I visited a new museum (virtually!), and another day I focused on not telling any white lies. Each goal is quite simple, but it felt great using my top strengths in new ways every day for a week. I encourage you to find your signature strengths and put them to use in your everyday life!

2. Savoring

Savoring, as I learned in the course, “is the act of stepping outside of an experience to review and appreciate it.’ The purpose of savoring is to intensify and lengthen the positive emotions that come with doing something you love. Here are some examples: taking a nice shower, eating a delicious meal, and taking a walk outside. These are tasks you might already do, but I would also recommend using these techniques as well: share the experience with another person, think about how lucky you are to enjoy such an amazing moment, keep a souvenir or photo of that activity (maybe not the shower though!), and make sure you stay in the present moment the entire time. It’s about truly enjoying the little things in life (and putting your phone away!).

3. Daily Gratitude Journal

Gratitude is ‘a positive emotional state in which one recognizes and appreciates what one has received in life’. By taking just 5-10 minutes each night to write down five things for which you are grateful for, research shows that you will not only feel happier but also healthier! The five things can be little or big, just make sure you spend at least five minutes on the journal and ideally do this each night for a whole week (or longer).

4. Random Acts of Kindness

Research shows that happy people are motivated to do kind things for others. Over seven days, try to perform seven acts of kindness (beyond what you would normally do). Here are some examples: help your colleague with something, give a few dollars or some time to a cause you believe in, say something kind to a stranger, write a thank you note, give blood, etc. Obviously, please don’t go against any social distancing rules!

5. Social Connection

Now, more than ever, we need to prioritize our social connections. Research shows that ‘happy people spend more time with others and have a richer set of social connections than unhappy people.’ A social connection can be something as simple as having a chat with a stranger on the street. If you’re still in quarantine, I encourage you to reach out to a friend and spark a conversation over your preferred method of communication. Some other examples (once we are out of quarantine) include: sparking a conversation with someone on public transportation, asking a coworker about his/her day, or even chatting to the barista at a coffee shop. As a bonus, at least once a week, take a whole hour to connect with someone you care about. I guarantee that you will start to feel better after just a couple of social connections.

6. Exercise

Chances are you know you should be working out, but are you actually making the effort to do it? Well, I challenge you to spend 30 minutes a day doing some form of exercise. Research shows that 30 minutes of exercise a day can boost your mood whilst making your body healthier. Set a location and time for your workout to hold yourself accountable! During quarantine, I’ve been doing the Instagram Live workouts held by Revolve. They range from 25 to 45 minutes and take place 7 days a week (and yes, I attend all of them)! Other examples include: hitting the treadmill at the gym, doing an online yoga class, or throwing on some headphones and dancing around your room. Notice the difference in your mood (and body) before and after the workout!

7. Sleep

It’s no secret that a lot of people are sleep deprived. Research shows that ‘sleep can improve your mood more than expected.’ You should aim for at least seven hours of sleep for at least four nights a week. Sleep should be one of the easiest things to prioritize during quarantine- your normal distractions like hanging out with friends and errands are out of the picture! In addition to actually sleeping, make sure you avoid devices before bed and try to avoid caffeine and alcohol altogether.

8. Meditate

Do you ever have days where your brain is running a million miles a minute and you just can’t focus on anything? I know I do! Enter meditation. Meditation is ‘a practice of intentionally turning your attention away from distracting thoughts toward a single point of reference.’ Research shows that meditation can have positive benefits from increased concentration to feelings of social connection. I challenge you to spend at least 10 minutes per day meditating. It won’t be easy- but it will be well worth your time.

9. Gratitude Letter/Visit

This task might be the hardest and make you the most uncomfortable, BUT it will also have a big impact on your happiness and that of another person. I challenge you to write a letter of gratitude to someone you care about. Try to make it at least 300 words long. After you’ve written the letter, deliver it in person! My person was long distance so I did it via email, but even so, you are encouraged to at least do it via skype. According to my course, ‘a gratitude letter is one of the most powerful tools for increasing happiness because it can forge social bonds and really change someone’s life.’

And there you have it, folks! Nine actionable tips and ideas to improve your well-being. One thing to keep in mind- don’t be too hard on yourself. You can put all of these things into practice and still not feel 100%! These are scary and uncertain times and it’s okay (and even healthy) to have mixed emotions. All I hope is that you can put these tips and tools to action and improve your happiness over the next couple of weeks.