My grandmother always told me that getting outside for a little walk could clear our heads and lift our spirits; now we have plenty of neuroscience to show that she was, of course, correct!
When we’ve been feeling angry or had a “fight or flight” response, physical activity can help us feel better by clearing the adrenaline out of our system. Like happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky says: Exercise—even just a little walk around the block with the dog or the baby—may just be the best short-term happiness booster we know of.
© 2011 Christine Carter, Ph.D.
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