Curious about how happy triggers benefit your daily life? Keep reading to find out everything there is to know about happy triggers, including examples and how to incorporate them into your daily life.

What are happy triggers?

According to psychologist and founder of Black Girl Wellness, Tanya M. Nichols, PhD, happy triggers refer to the rituals and routines we adopt to promote positive memories and foster favorable experiences. “Happy triggers are things you do or products you use that bring you peace and joy,” she says. Alternatively, she points out that happy triggers can also refer to the grounding routines you perform at the start and end of each day. Some examples could include everything from a regular exercise routine and dedicated skincare regimen to daily meditation practice and an evening Sun Salutation sequence.

The advantage of happy triggers

Dr. Sarkis, who is also a writer and a member of the EXOS Performance Advisory Board, says happy triggers are a helpful concept when trying to form new habits. “They are the clash of memory and motivation that fuels an action,” she says.

In this way, happy triggers act as helpful anchors in our daily lives. “They add value to our lives and ground us in our feelings amidst our busy, busy lives,” says Dr. Nichols. “Happy triggers are the simple pleasures we can control through mindful activity or a regular routine that connects you more deeply to yourself and lets you savor the little things.”

Along with creating a sense of grounded calm throughout the day, Dr. Sarkis says happy triggers are incredibly beneficial when it comes to getting out of a funk. “The benefit of happy triggers is that you can leverage how your memory system and neurochemicals work together to trigger happiness,” she says. “Practicing this type of technique allows us to access the happiness memory system that is neurochemically hardwired inside our brain. Just as we can descend down the rabbit hole of fear, thought and traumatic events. , we can also initiate and elicit mood-enhancing triggers.

Happy Triggers Take Practice

As simple as they may seem, there’s more to happy triggers than meets the eye. “When it comes to pursuing happiness, there are no magic pills or secret recipes,” says Dr. Sarkis. “In order to achieve a sense of happiness, you must practice (it’s code for doing over and over again) habits that make you feel good. These habits can be behavioral (like starting an exercise routine) or cognitive (like observing your negative thought patterns) or emotional (like practicing gratitude).

It’s then how those actions make you feel that turn them into happy triggers. “Happy triggers are simply the spark that triggers action, in the form of behavior(s), which then promotes a sense of well-being,” says Dr. Sarkis. “Happiness is an inside job. You have to practice and behave in your own way to achieve a feeling of happiness.

How to Establish Happy Triggers

Happy triggers aren’t universal — they vary based on a person’s individual interests, values, and needs. “For a person, it might be using an object that has personal meaning or meaning, like drinking coffee from a special cup or using your morning commute as time for you, to connect with your loved ones. or even listen to podcasts,” says Dr. Nichols. “Think about the little things that can have a big impact on your mood and energy and build them into your daily routine.”

If you don’t know how to find your happy triggers, start by practicing presence. “Be present in what brings you joy,” says Dr. Sarkis. “Begin to engage in a practice of observing around what brings you happiness, joy, and a sense of well-being. Likewise, what gets in the way. The more curious you are about what makes you happy, the more you will become.”

Being present partly involves all of your senses. “If you’ve ever suffered from any type of traumatic triggering event, you already know it’s a whole-body experience, meaning all of your senses are engaged in the triggering memory,” explains Dr. Sarkis, noting that this is why PTSD can be so difficult to live with and overcome. “But on the flip side, so is identifying and engaging your own unique happy triggers.” With that in mind, she says to focus on your whole body when identifying your happy triggers, not just your mind or physical feelings individually.

Focusing on a whole-body experience, Dr. Sarkis says to ask yourself questions like, what does happiness smell like to you? How does happiness taste to you? What does it look like? What does it look like?

Once you tune in to all of these things, Dr. Sarkis advises you to think about all the things you are willing to do to prioritize these things in an effort to optimize your overall sense of well-being and well-being. happiness. “Include group and individual things,” she says. “And remember, happiness doesn’t have to cost money. So yes, get a massage, a manicure, a facial, attend a live event. But also, watch the sunrise and sunset, listen to the sound of waves or rain, connect deeply with a loved one. Make at least one of your articles something you are currently a complete novice at. It turns out that we also need a little risk in our lives to spark happiness.

The last word

We’ve probably all heard it before, but Dr. Sarkis reminds us that it’s not the destination but the journey that gives an overall feeling of happiness. “Instead of focusing on happiness, invest in the process of doing things that bring you happiness,” she says. “You can’t directly chase happiness. You have to find it through secondary means like deep fulfillment, intimate connection, service to others, etc.

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