A Palette of Psychological Curiosities

A HAPPINESS JAR FOR DEVELOPING POSITIVE THINKING IN CHILDREN

An optimistic mood helps children grow up healthier and become creative, positive and independent in the future. All of us have hard times, which can last for days, weeks or even months.

Positive thinking helps people get through such periods, and its effects are scientifically proven. Using research data, psychologists have established that an attitude of success in a particular task can help boost immunity to some infectious diseases.

The same happens with children.

How to develop positive thinking in children?

We offer you an excellent method developed by Spanish psychologists.

What to do

To begin with, choose a large and beautiful glass jar. It will be the happiness jar. You can label it with a marker or stick a nice picture on it.

The jar should be placed in a visible place in the house.

Every day, parents and children should write down the best thing that happened to each of them during the day. These can be very simple things, for example, a kind word or a smile, or much bigger things – an exam that went better than expected.

When a note is written, the information in it is stored in the brain, even if we do not realise it.

The note is folded and put into the jar.

After about 6 months, or when the jar is full, the notes are taken out and read aloud.

What this method gives

⦁ The child will learn to think about the good things that happen to them during the day.

⦁ They will value even small positive things that other people might not notice.

⦁ The child will be able to tell small problems from truly significant ones.

⦁ The child will learn to be grateful.

⦁ All this will improve communication and the overall atmosphere in the family.

A Parable About Happiness

Happiness was sitting in a pit. A man walked by, saw Happiness and asked it for a lot of money. Happiness granted his request – and he went away happy. A second man walked by, saw Happiness and asked for a beautiful girl as his wife. Happiness granted his request too – and he went away happy with his beautiful wife. One day a young lad came up to the pit. He looked at Happiness, but did not demand anything and asked instead:

– And what do you want, Happiness?

– To get out of here, – Happiness replied.

The lad helped it climb out and went on his way. And Happiness … ran after him.

How Often Do You Hug?

Such a seemingly simple question often makes us think. The importance of such "procedures" is simply priceless! To convince you, here are a few interesting facts about hugs.

1. People who were "short-changed" on hugs in childhood grow up withdrawn and insecure.

2. Friendly hugs boost the immune system and raise the level of oxytocin – a hormone that relieves feelings of anxiety and loneliness and normalises blood pressure.

3. There is a theory that the custom of hugging when meeting arose from the need to check whether a potential enemy was hiding a weapon in his bosom.

4. Europeans hug most often, Americans least often.

5. Italians have calculated that to feel happy, a person needs to hug someone at least 8 times a day.

6. And clinical psychology even has a section whose subject of study is hugs!

And although the Hugging Day is celebrated around the world on 21 January, you can make it a daily event for yourself. Try it and you will definitely like it!!!