Happiness. The single most coveted emotion for all humans is the subject of research, study and art. It also, as it turns out, a goal which a litany of websites aims to achieve. We scoured the web and found the following digital mood boosters for you. For once we say – they’re safe to try at home.
1. GIGGLERS.TV
WHAT An online video channel dedicated to the funniest laughs online.
IN DETAIL Driven by ambition to spread the laugh, Gigglers.tv promotes the idea of laughter as a generator of a happier world. The website plays an uninterrupted sequence of hundreds of YouTube clips, and includes truly hilarious finds: a TV anchor who gets a laughing fit on air followed by a baby’s addictive giggle to the sound of paper ripping. The videos are curated by Gigglers.tv’s team, who edit the originals into brief, 10-second clips. Users are welcome to upload their own videos and join the funniest party on the web.
SOURCE OF HAPPINESS A good laugh.
WEBSITE: http://www.gigglers.tv/
2. DAILY THOUGHT BY REAL SIMPLE
WHAT Inspiring quotes put in a designy format.
IN DETAIL “Learn from yesterday. Live for today. Hope for tomorrow”, reads one of Daily Thought’s vignettes of inspiration, sent out to subscribers daily – or browsable online. A tried and true happiness motivator, Daily Thought is all about positive thinking and a healthy approach to life and self.
SOURCE OF HAPPINESS A positive outlook on life.
WEBSITE: http://simplystated.realsimple.com/category/daily-thought/
3. THE NICEST PLACE ON THE INTERNET
WHAT User-generated videos of hugs offered to the viewer.
IN DETAIL When meetings are replaced with IM chats and friends are merely online connections, a web-based hug was only a matter of time. The Nicest Place on the Internet plays videos of individuals offering hugs to the viewer. You can share your own hug too.
SOURCE OF HAPPINESS Human interaction.
WEBSITE: http://thenicestplaceontheinter.net/
4. ILLUUM
WHAT A mood-tracking app.
IN DETAIL How to keep track of your happy-sad metrics? Illuum, an online free app, helps you track, study and improve your happiness. With a simple interface, Illuum allows you to rate your day on a scale of 1 (“the worst”) to 9 (“awesomeness”). Your log is translated into graphs, providing you with data that would otherwise go unnoticed: you may find out that Tuesday mornings are your happiest times, but Sunday nights are always glum.
SOURCE OF HAPPINESS Knowing what makes you tick.
WEBSITE: http://www.illuum.com/
5. THE HAPPINESS PROJECT TOOLBOX
WHAT Tools for happiness.
IN DETAIL Gretchen Rubin, of The Happiness Project fame, created this sister website, which offers tools, tips, group chat room and online-based features to help users be happier. Rubin’s musings about the nature of happiness are thought provoking and avoid cliches, such as this recent post about being happy without feeling happy.
SOURCE OF HAPPINESS Awareness of yourself and others.
WEBSITE: http://www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com/
6. GIVES ME HOPE
WHAT A collaborative collection of snippet-sized stories about hope.
IN DETAIL A treasure trove of life’s happier moments is shared by hopeful users on Gives Me Hope. You can browse the thankfully short stories by categories, such as Cute Kids or Inspiring Feats. You can submit your story, and the GMH users vote on submitted stories. The most popular stories get to be posted on the homepage.
SOURCE OF HAPPINESS Sharing and caring.
WEBSITE: http://www.givesmehope.com/
7. PINTEREST: SEARCH RESULTS FOR BOARDS TITLED “HAPPINESS”
WHAT Image collections of happiness on Pinterest.
IN DETAIL A search for boards titled “happiness” on Pinterest yields a cornucopia of inspiring and happiness-inducing images. Give it a try!
SOURCE OF HAPPINESS A moving picture.
WEBSITE: http://pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=happiness
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