Recently I wrote about how social media creates disconnection between people (see 5 Ways to
Overcome the Social Media Disonnect). Of course there is another side to the coin.... social
media can be brilliant! Who doesn't love the opportunity to boast about a big accomplishment,
celebrate a special moment, or get in touch with a long lost friend?

These are some obvious ways that social media benefits our lives. We can share pictures with
distant relatives and friends, ask for advice from lots of people at once, and get some extra smiles
from watching cute parakeets play the piano (extra smiles are a great thing, no matter what has
inspired them!)

What was the last post you saw from a friend on Facebook that made you laugh, cry, or feel
something amazing? Don't just keep reading... think about it.... what post have you read recently
that inspired you?

And now think again.... what if, right there in the palm of your hand, you have the tools to create a
happier you? What if you have the power to make the world a better place at the same time?
Woah, you say, that's a big claim... what are you on about?

But this is not so far fetched. You Could Change The World. In little tiny ways that add up to really
big things. Or in really big ways too. But the key to this runs a bit opposite to how social media
normally stacks up..... you have to stop looking at it from your own personal space – documenting
what you do and who are you with and where you go. Instead, start thinking about it as a radio
broadcast to the world.

A radio broadcast? Yes, this is the new era – messages sent by amazing wireless technology and
received by many people at once. Your 'voice' on social media has the power to inform, entertain,
advise, and care – it's up to you to be the editor and give the world something that will uplift and
cheer rather than depress and discourage.

How do you change the world? By adding one small piece of GOOD at a time. Social media has
that power. I'm sure you can think of a friend or two whose posts you are always glad to see. You
can probably also think of another person who seems to do nothing but complain! Which would
you rather tune into? Which makes your life better for hearing it?

LOTS of people might read what you write – your reputation will be formed on these things. If they
heard your messages on the radio, would they switch channels? Would they tune in again
tomorrow? People hear bad news and negative stuff every day, so make your social media feed
them much juicier content that is positive and enriches their experiences. Make them want to tune
in to what you have to say.

So imagine yourself in the radio studio behind the microphone – you have a message to give to the
world.... be an Agent for Happiness through what you broadcast and you are sure to find yourself
happier too.

How do we do this? Here are 9 great ways to create more Happiness using social media:

1. Remember who you are. What is your essence? Being genuine is really important. Share what's really going on with you and be prepared to be vulnerable. There's a big difference between complaining about life ('My boss is so unreasonable! I am starting to hate working there') and being vulnerable in a constructive way ('I'm struggling with my work and some unrealistic expectations on me ... I'm sure you all have had some similar experiences... do you have have some tips on how to handle it?')

2. Be an attentive editor. While keeping that authenticity, filter your posts and choose your words carefully – build people up, don't tear them down. And if your audience isn't interested in your content, change it. Experiment, see what will get their attention.

3. Share things that make people smile and bring them joy. If it's bad news or heaping dirt on someone, don't post it – nobody looks good when you do that, and it creates no true happiness.

4. Reach out for help and advice. You are not an endless supply of all that is wonderful, and human beings need to lean on each other – being part of cheering you up or doing you a favour might be someone else's best moment of the day. And remember to be there for others in the same way – being there for someone else is a brilliant way to create a bit of personal happiness. I know a woman who is overwhelmed with her own three kids (twins are just 2) and yet she is first to volunteer anytime someone needs help with childcare – she creates happiness for several people at once! (This also shows it is important to consider who to accept help from and to filter the advice you receive.)

5. Fight someone else's corner. If you see someone else posting about their difficulties or
worry about something, be the voice of encouragement to them – 'You got this!'

6. Don't engage with a ranting radio station. If someone else is out to pick a fight or create
division, let them do it well away from your precious page. By all means discuss things, but
if it gets heated switch off before you are tempted to rant too!

7. Introduce a topic that is all about helping others. It might be your link to a charity and
their great work, or the fundraising you are doing for them. Or raise some awareness of
someone else's issue so that other's will understand better next time they encounter it.

8. Do some therapy: because social media connects groups of people who have similar
interests, it can be a great springboard for personal growth – join a group of people who
have similar struggles and be part of their support as they will be for you. (And the world is
definitely a better place with a better version of you in it!) We even found someone who
used social media to successfully self-treat her depression by reflecting back to her all the
positive things in her life. See her article here.

9. Share causes you believe in or start a movement. Some of the most brilliant hash-tags
have been started at grass roots and caught on to incite the public imagination. A concert
pianist named James Rhodes founded a movement called #Dontstopthemusic to drive the
campaign to make music education for children a right, not a privilege. Big things start with
one person and a clear idea. What are you itching to promote or do to make the world
better?

So, here you are – your stage is ready, and your microphone is plugged in... what are you going to
broadcast today?
Next article: Why Crying is good for you
Researched and written by: Heidi Hollis

You’re brain has invited you to a party. It’s throwing it especially, just for you, and there’s a reason. There’s a stressful situation coming. Something you can’t avoid, something you can’t outrun, something you have to face. That's where the fun begins.
 
Picture a deflated bouncy castle. This is your capacity, your internal resource, for dealing with stress and it needs a few things to do its job well. What is your brain doing when you encounter a stressful situation? Let's take a look inside. We need a space – a place for this party to happen. That's in the hypothalamus – a big chemical factory where things get started. Let's look at a few of those chemicals and how they help the party to happen.
 
First, cortisol is a chemical whose job is restore balance to your body. It’s the frontline defence of your body’s stress reaction. It rebalances your blood sugar levels, and lowers your immune system, (which in small doses means it does things like reducing inflammation). It’s there to help your body cope with stress. Cortisol is the air in the bouncy castle. It keeps you buoyant during a stressful situation. 

But to get that air into the bouncy castle, we need assistance from two other chemicals. CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone, releases corticotropin (the name’s a clue) which in turn increases the generation of cortisol – it's the air pump, sending plenty of cortisol (air) into the stress-coping mechanism (bouncy castle). AVP, or aginine-vassopressin, causes your blood vessels to contract and so raises your blood pressure. That sends the cortisol around the system more quickly. So, CRH is an air pump and AVP helps the bouncy castle blow up faster. Party on! Wooo hoooo!
 
So in the short term that’s great. No one can remain stressed on a bouncy castle. The stress reduces and cortisol has done its job. Yay cortisol! However, if the stress carries on, or doesn’t reduce fast enough, then more and more CRH and AVP will be produced, which means more cortisol. The bouncy castle inflates further and further, your immune system is reduced even more to the point of rising infection risks, your blood pressure remains high, and even your memory can be affected. Eventually the bouncy castle has to burst, and that's REALLY stressful. 
​

​Constant, chronic stress can have devastating neuro-chemical consequences. That’s why stress is so dangerous. But if cortisol is part of the problem, then where are the neuro-chemicals to benefit us when we overcome our stress? Enter endorphins and dopamine.
 
Endorphins are one of those neuro-chemicals that most people have sort of heard of. In the broadest of senses they’re the “happy” chemicals, though their real purpose seems to be relief of pain, stress and anxiety. Endorphins are basically an emotional energy boost, supporting the human body through difficulty by reducing our ability to feel pain. It’s a sedative and an analgesic, and just what you want when faced with stress. It’s nice and simple to induce; exercise, laughter and chocolate can all do it. So that bouncy castle is now at a party, and there’s chocolate and laughter abounding. That stress is looking a lot less… stressful, isn’t it?

And then there’s dopamine. Dopamine is chemical motivation; it’s the chemical that gives you your get up and go. The drive to do things is down to dopamine and it’s damn good at its job, so scientists usually talk about it being connected to pleasure rather than motivation. Faced with a stressful situation? Dopamine sends you an invitation to the party your brain is throwing for you. There’s going to be chocolate and laughter and a bouncy castle, it says. All you have to do is RSVP and turn up. Just got to overcome this challenge.
 
And that’s what happens when you overcome stressful situations. Dopamine makes you want to overcome it. Endorphins give you a boost. Cortisol keeps the stress from getting to you as you do it; CRH and AVP helping it along the way. And then once you’ve faced it, once you’re through, your body throws you a party. All through the process, from the moment you first encounter the stressful situation, your brain is releasing chemicals to help you overcome it. Your body wants you to win. All you have to do is go along with it.
 
 
Sources
http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/2011/02/the-physiology-of-stress-cortisol-and-the-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis/#.V7nW762IB2A
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thai-nguyen/hacking-into-your-happy-c_b_6007660.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3104618/
http://today.uconn.edu/2012/11/uconn-researcher-dopamine-not-about-pleasure-anymore/
 
 
Guest Contributor: Julian Richards
Edited by: Heidi Hollis
 
Still coming (stay tuned!): How to use Social Media to become Happier!