I was recently reading an article in Higher Perspective (http://www.higherperspectives.com) and learned some Amazing Psychology Facts Everyone Needs to Know:

Your favorite song is likely associated with an emotional event.

Music impacts your perspective.

This one seems kind of obvious! A study at the University of Groningen showed that music has a dramatic impact on your perception. Use music to change a mood when needed.

The more you spend on others, the happier you are.

Be sure to give plenty this holiday season!

Spending money on experience instead of stuff also makes you happier.

Collect memories not things, right?

Kids are more high strung today than the average psych ward patient in 1950.

About half the human population now suffers anxiety, depression, or a sort of substance abuse. In any given year about 17 percent of us will have an anxiety disorder, and over our lives, about 28 percent of us will have an anxiety disorder. And, if you have one anxiety disorder, then you probably have two or three anxiety disorders and, possibly, depression. The most common anxiety disorders are panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and specific phobia. 49 percent of the general population has a history of anxiety, depression, substance abuse or some of all three major problems.

The average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s. We are getting more anxious every decade. Psychologists have speculated the possible reasons. Some of the reasons may be a decrease in “social connectedness,” we tend to move more, change jobs, participate less in civic organizations, and we are less likely to participate in religious communities. People are far less likely to get married, more likely to delay getting married, and more likely to live alone. All of these factors can contribute to worry, uncertainty, anxiety and depression.

Certain religious practices lower stress.

“The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Mood Disorders” shows that people who engage in meditation and prayer religiously are less stressed out.

Money does buy happiness, but only up to $75,000 a year.

The study, which analyzed Gallup surveys of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009, suggested that there were two forms of happiness: day-to-day contentment (emotional well-being) and overall “life assessment,” which means broader satisfaction with one’s place in the world. While a higher income didn’t have much impact on day-to-day contentment, it did boost people’s “life assessment.”

Now we have more details from the study, conducted by the Princeton economist Angus Deaton and famed psychologist Daniel Kahneman; it turns out there is a specific dollar number, or income plateau, after which more money has no measurable effect on day-to-day contentment.

The magic income: $75,000 a year. As people earn more money, their day-to-day happiness rises. Until you hit $75,000. After that, it is just more stuff, with no gain in happiness.

Being with happy people makes you happier.

This should come as no surprise.

18 to 33 year olds are the most stressed out people on earth.

Family, education, work, it can all be pretty stressful.

Convincing yourself you slept well tricks your brain into thinking it did.

This creates more energy. They called it “placebo sleep”.

When you remember a past event, you’re actually remembering the last time you remembered it.

This one blew my mind. This is why our memories fade and distort over time.

Your decisions are more rational when thought in another language.

A university of Chicago study showed that Korean citizens who thought in foreign languages reduced their overall bias.

If you announce your goals, you’re less likely to succeed.

Tests since the 1930’s have pretty well proven it. You might then want to set goals, and keep them “close to the vest.”

Hear Marriage and Family Therapist David McMillian on Strategies for Living on www.strategiesforliving.com and Sundays 9:05am to 10:00am on NEWSRADIO 710 KEEL. E-mail your questions to deardavid@ live.com.