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How A 2-Minute Exercise Can Redirect Your Brain Toward Happiness

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Feeling down? A bad mood can be tough enough to break, but when you feel as if your entire life has hit a rough patch, it can be impossible to see the proverbial “bright side.”

Harvard-trained happiness researcher Shawn Achor has spent years studying the topic and says that there are two simple things you can do every day to boost your happiness to new levels, not just in the moment, but also for the long haul. The first, exercising, is a commonly cited happiness booster, but not quite for the reason everyone assumes, Achor tells Oprah in the above video from “Super Soul Sunday.”

“When people exercise, we talk about endorphins, but endorphins are just short-term,” he explains. “The reason why exercise is valuable is it trains your brain to believe, ‘My behavior matters,’ which is optimism.”

This longer-term optimism that results from exercise — even just 15 minutes of fun, cardio activity — actually creates a ripple effect across various parts of your life. “[It] causes you to create an entire constellation of positive habits around you,” Achor says.

The second way to boost your happiness is…