This month at the Kid Clinic: The seven habits of happy people

Positive psychology is the study of positive emotions and discovering what makes people happy. There are several studies that point to specific ways of thinking and acting that impact our sense of wellbeing and happiness. From these studies, seven habits of happy people have been identified. They are easy and practical ways to be happier.

• The first habit is to develop close relationships where one individual engages in activities with another and shares one's personal feelings with another.
• The second habit is cultivating kindness and caring by volunteering or simply reaching out to another person who is in need.
• The third habit is to engage in some kind of exercise, or simply moving your body at any speed on a regular basis.
• The fourth, and my personal favorite, is finding one's flow which is a joyful state one achieves doing an activity that is best suited for our skills.
• The fifth habit is discovering meaning through spirituality or religious practice which can help us attain a deeper kind of happiness.
• The sixth habit is discovering and using one's own unique strengths and virtues to further one's personal goals.
• The last habit is to treasure gratitude, mindfulness, and hope to keep personal perspective in reality, but hopeful for personal future. Grateful people have been shown to have greater positive emotion, a greater sense of belonging and lower incidence of depression and stress.

For more information about positive psychology, explore this link: http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/science-of-happiness/

The Kid Clinic is a school-based pediatric clinic offering medical care and counseling services for Campbell County students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and their siblings over the age of 2. It is located at 800 Butler Spaeth Rd., across from St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. The Kid Clinic is open Monday-Friday from 8 am-5 pm. For more information, call 307-688-8700 or visit www.cchwyo.org/kidclinic.

The Kid Clinic is a collaborative effort between Campbell County Health and Campbell County School District.

This blog was written by Brianne Wooldridge, PPC, Kid Clinic Counselor