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Feeling Sad? 13 All-Natural Ways to Boost Your Mood and Feel Happier Every Day

Try these doctor-approved mood-boosters that'll blast away the blues -- without meds! (14 Photos)

Brenda Kearns on May 11, 2012 at 4:49PM

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Feeling Sad? 13 All-Natural Ways to Boost Your Mood and Feel Happier Every Day

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Wear Something Soft

The texture and weight of what touches your skin -- especially soft, light things like stuffed animals, silky scarves, even gentle breezes -- can have an immediate impact on your level of happiness and contentment, according to a series of recent experiments at Yale University that investigated the link between touch and brain function. Soft materials stimulate the skin’s most delicate pressure-sensitive nerves, which increase your brain’s production of the mood-boosting hormone oxytocin, according to the research.

Try this: After a bad day, slip into your comfiest outfit and treat yourself to a few minutes of rest outdoors, focusing on the feel of the evening breeze tickling your skin. No breeze? Too hot? Relax inside facing a fan set on “low” to get the same happiness boost.

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