Conduct an Experiment of One

I recently read an article in the WSJ about how many of the typical suggestions for mood boosting activities actually lack strong scientific evidence. Things such as meditating, going outside, and exercising. The research that studied these activities was not well designed and there was a lack of evidence that they have positively impacted happiness levels. 

This got me thinking about how while it is great to have robust scientific research and recommendations around wellness, it can also be very helpful to conduct your own experiments with a sample size of one - yourself. 

To do this you simply notice how a certain behavior makes you personally feel. You can make this very detailed and complex by recording each behavior you try and how it affects you or you can keep it super simple and just intuitively tune in with how something makes you feel. 

For example, I have noticed that exercise is an automatic mood booster and stress reliever for me. Additionally, getting outside definitely makes me happier and positively affects my mood and mindset. Meditation, however, does not seem to affect my mood in the moment (but also has a number of other benefits). 

This can be a really helpful exercise and practice. It allows you to become in tune with your own body and mental state and know what works for you and what doesn’t, no matter what anyone else says. Start conducting your own personal experiments with a sample size of one and begin to bring awareness to the things that positively and negatively impact you.