With the warmer weather coming to Burlington, the UVM Thrive Guide is here to provide different dates and ideas you and your friends, family, and significant others could go on.
Spending time with one another is a vital part of feeling happy. According to Harvard professor Robert Putnam, we innately feel the need to do things with other people; however, society has pushed us to turn inwards. We lack a sense of community or friends we can count on in our culture. For decades, social scientists have studied how many confidants U.S. citizens have. At the start of their study, the average U.S. citizen said three. Flashforward to 2004, the average number was zero. The average U.S. citizen had zero friends they felt they could confide in (79).
We lack close, meaningful friendships, but we are also lacking spending quality time with our families. Robert's research showed overall family togetherness has dramatically declined over the last quarter of the twentieth century. Families eat less together, watch less T.V. together, and go on vacation less.
Having the opportunity to spend time with one another in person is a privilege these days. To take the stress off those who may be indecisive or need a quick idea, here are some different ways to connect in Vermont!
1. Suns out, Creemees out!
Science says: Scientists discovered that sinking your teeth into delicious ice cream activates the portion of the human brain known as the Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which indicates positive emotional pleasure and reward value of the ice cream (Adam, 2005).
Creemees are a Vermont fan favorite; keep an eye out as creemee stands reopen for the season.
2. Life is a Highway: Serotonin Induced Road trips
Science says: A study has found a direct link between filling your days with diverse, novel experiences, such as exploring a new neighborhood in your city to taking a cross-country road trip, and enhanced happiness and wellbeing (Sweet, 2020).
As UVM students, we are known to be explorers forever, so get out there and see all V.T. offers.
3. Grab a Cup of Joe
Science Says: Data from Yale University suggests that when two people drink hot coffee together, they think the other is more trustworthy since the insula part of the brain processes both physical and emotional warmth (Williams, 2008).
There are numerous coffee shops in the Burlington and Vermont area! Coffee hop around with your friends to find the best cup of Joe and comment below on what coffee shops you enjoy the most!
4. Vermont's Comedy Club
Science says: Comedy could help lower your stress levels. A study found that laughter could reduce the hormones in the body responsible for stress, such as cortisol and epinephrine (Yim, 2016).
Take a break from the study and enjoy some comedy downtown! The comedy club is always hosting.
5. Make a Meal, Share a Meal
Science says: Eating together can genuinely make us feel good. A study found that those who ate socially more often were more likely to feel happy and satisfied with life (Dunbar, 2017).
Grab some groceries from RallyCat's Cupboard and start cookin'!
6. Sunrise & Sunset
Science says: A study done by Northwestern University found that exposure to light helps reset our internal clock to sleep better (Reid et al., 2014).
There are many benefits of being outside (Check out the blogs under the nature section to discover what else you can do outside!)
UVM Thrive Guide's Top Spots: Burlington Waterfront, Redstone Green, Overlook Park, Mt. Philo
7. Play Together
Science says: Playing chess, completing puzzles, or pursuing other fun activities that challenge the brain can help prevent memory problems and improve brain function. The social interaction of playing with family and friends can also help ward off stress and depression. Stimulate the mind and boost creativity (Proyer, 2013)
Check out the Board Game Room in Winooski or Trivia Tuesdays downtown!
8. Waterfront Walk
Science says: Going for a walk is an excellent way to exercise, especially if you've been stuck all day indoors. It may help with the anxiety or depression that some people may be experiencing. Walking also releases our bodies' happy natural drug endorphins in our brain (Ducharme, 2019).
Enjoy the great Waterfront Park path right downtown.
9. Watch a Game Together
Science says: Watching a sports game can boost your mood. "When you feel part of a team and have a network around you, it's also great for making you happier." Your brain releases endorphins that help crush that stress chemical cortisol (Muska, 2018).
Check out our Instagram to see the upcoming UVM games!
10. Watch a Movie
Science says: Watching a movie can help boost your mood and is a great way to find connections with friends and family. If you're feeling anxious or stressed, taking time to watch a movie will help improve your mood and reduce symptoms of depression (Goodman et al., 2016)
Pick up free movie tickets from "Cats at the Movies" at UVM!
Take your pick, Catamounts!
Talia Seidman
The UVM Thrive Guide.
By Students, For Students.
References:
Adam, D. (2005, April 28). How ice cream tickles your brain. The Guardian.
Ducharme, J. (2019, Februaary 28). Spending just 20 minutes in a park makes you happier.
Here’s what else being outside can do for your health. Time. https://time.com/5539942/green-space-health-wellness/
Dunbar, R.I.M. (2017). Breaking bread: The functions of social eating. Adaptive Human
Behavior and Physiology, 3, 198–211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40750-017-0061-4
Goodman W.K., Geiger A.M., Wolf, J.M. (2016). Leisure activities are linked to mental health
benefits by providing time structure: comparing employed, unemployed and homemakers. J Epidemiol Community Health, (71), 4-11.
Hari, J. (2018). Lost connections: Why you’re depressed and how to find hope. Bloomsbury
Publishing.
Muska, S. (2018, February 4). What happens to your body and brain when you watch football.
Proyer, R. T. (2013). The well-being of playful adults: Adult playfulness, subjective well-being,
physical well-being, and the pursuit of enjoyable activities. The European Journal of Humour Research, 1(1), 84–98. https://doi.org/10.7592/EJHR2013.1.1.proyer
Reid, K.J., Santostasi, G., Baron, K.G, Wilson, J., Kang, K., Zee, P.C. (2014). Timing and intensity
of light correlate with body weight in adults. Plos One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092251
Sweet, J. (2020, May 22). Travel and exploration sparks happiness, study suggests. Forbes.
Williams, L. E., & Bargh, J. A. (2008). Experiencing physical warmth promotes interpersonal
warmth. Science (New York, N.Y.), 322(5901), 606–607. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1162548
Yim, J. (2016). Therapeutic benefits of laughter in mental health: A theoretical review. The
Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, 239(3), 243-249. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.239.243
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