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Steal these 4 questions a 36-year-old happiness researcher asks himself before worrying

“If I’m not feeling better, then it’s quite serious.”

Photo credit: Canva

Dr. Michael Plant developed a checklist for wellbeing.

Whether you’re stuck in a slump or having trouble finding motivation at work, when melancholy strikes, there’s nothing in the world that more appealing than lying in bed for hours. But what if there were a simple tool, like a checklist, that could help pinpoint the reason you’re feeling so glum?

Meet Michael Plant, a 36-year-old global happiness researcher at the Happier Lives Institute, a unique nonprofit that “connects people and organizations together to fund happiness and improve wellbeing around the world.” He’s also a postdoctoral research fellow at Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre, which is responsible for publishing the world’s foremost annual publication on wellbeing, the World Happiness Report. To put it plainly, the man knows how to feel good.

During an interview with CNBC, Plant shared his wisdom: “I have this mental checklist I run through that I write down. So if I’m in a bad mood, I check it,” he explained.


“Have I eaten something? Have I left the house? Have I spoken to someone? And have I exercised? Once I’ve run through those four, if I’m not feeling better, then it’s quite serious.”

Could finding joy really be that simple? The beauty of his checklist lies in its simplicity: by addressing the basic physical and social needs of our bodies first, we might be able to bypass the rushed, hasty conclusions that almost always lead to nowhere. Let’s breakdown each question and why they’re so essential to overall wellbeing.


Question #1: Have I eaten something?

eating well, nutritional psychiatry, diner, meals, foodEating the right foods is crucial for mental health. media3.giphy.com

Our bodies need fuel. A statement that may feel as obvious as “the sky is blue,” but hunger has an enormous impact on our moods and cognitive function. There’s even an entire discipline dedicated to researching the link between what we eat and mood disorders, like depression and anxiety, called “nutritional psychiatry."

In a study published in the Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association, researchers found that several nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12, B9, and zinc, can cause depression and dementia-like symptoms, including low mood, fatigue, cognitive decline, and irritability.

“Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress... which can damage cells.”
- Dr. Eva Selhub for Harvard Health.

Luckily, you don’t need to seek out expensive supplements or fancy treatments to get back on track.

Vitamin B9, also known as folate or folic acid, naturally occurs in “super” foods like dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard greens), legumes (lentils and beans), and nuts and seeds, Similar to B9, zinc-rich foods include shellfish, eggs, red meat, and dairy products.

For an extra bump in Vitamin B12, look to animal products like red meat, chicken, milk, eggs, dairy, and fish. Vegans, however, must be extra vigilant: Stephen Walsh, a Vegan Society Trustee, warns that to avoid deficiencies, vegans must eat fortified foods found in select plant milks and breakfast cereal or take supplements.


beans, legumes, healthy, vitamins, B9Legumes, like beans and lentils, are super foods and chockful of Vitamin B9. Photo credit: Canva


Question #2: Have I left the house?

Exposure to the outdoors is central to Plant’s daily routine. And for good reason: a groundbreaking study published in Scientific Reports indicated that a growing number of epidemiologists are encouraging people to embrace natural environments (think beaches, parks, and woods) on a more regular basis, due to their massive health benefits.

The same study found that spending at least 120 minutes per week in natural environments–just two hours!–significantly lowered cortisol levels, blood pressure, and mental fatigue, while also improving overall mood and cognitive performance: a true win/win.

woman, walking, outdoors, nature, moodSpending time in nature for at least two hours a week is great for overall wellbeing. media4.giphy.com

If you, like many others, struggle with getting outside enough, start small. Try eating lunch outside, or take a phone call while walking around the neighborhood. Every moment counts, and even a short five-minute stroll outside could help elevate your mood and reduce stress.

jeff goldblum, talking, social interaction, connectionThere's an innate need for human connection.media0.giphy.com

Question #3: Have I spoken with someone?

Plant’s third question on his mental checklist recognizes the innate, human need for social connection. In the longest-running study on happiness to date, over 700 people from across the world allowed scientists to monitor and examine their lives and health records for 85 years. It was the Harvard Study of Adult Development, and researchers found that the key to living a long, happy, and healthy life is lies in nurturing your relationships: spouses, family members, friends, and even your acquaintances.

"The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health. Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.” - Dr. Waldinger, the psychiatrist who directed the Harvard study.

Plant echoes this, recommending: “Branch out: Do you have weaker ties with people who you see every now and then, who make you feel like part of a community? You have to actively work to form social bonds.”


Question #4: And have I exercised?

Why is Plant’s final question about exercise? It’s because the link between your physical health and mental health are inextricably tied. If one falters, so does the other.

Research on the relationship between exercise and depression found that regular physical activity “releases endorphins, boosts neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine), and can match the efficacy of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for mild-to-moderate depression.”

Hikes, people walking, mental health, outdoors, exerciseEven a simple hike, no matter what the pace, is effective when combatting feeling bad. Photo credit: Canva

That doesn’t mean you have to be Michael Phelps or do Olympic-level training just to feel good. A slow-paced hike on your favorite trail is just as effective as training for a triathlon when it comes to mental wellbeing.

Even just 11 minutes of moderate exercise per day can change your life: it reduces all-cause mortality (death in general) by 23% and lowers the risk of cancer by 7%.

Feel like an impossible task? Try incorporating a few low-effort strategies into your daily life:

  • Taking the stairs when possible
  • Intentionally park further away, or get off the train or bus a stop early
  • Walk during your lunch break
  • Use a step tracker to stay aware, either with an app or a physical pedometer, like this vintage digital one that fits in your pocket.


Walking, pedometer, mental health, physical health, wellnessTracking your steps can help motivate you and keep you motivated. media0.giphy.com

Dr. Michael Plant’s four-part checklist may be simple, but aren’t many of the best things in life? This useful blueprint maximizes daily happiness—and quells any fears that something might be seriously wrong with us.

"I don’t think that’s reasonable," he says at the end of the interview regarding “good vibes only” culture. “We should try for good vibes, mostly.” Straightforward and practical, the next time you’re feeling out of control, consider Dr. Plant’s sage four-question checklist.

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Simple ways to stay healthy even when you’re insanely busy

Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris via couponsnake.com on Unsplash
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Now that life is returning to normal (sort of!), people are finding it hard to fit in healthy meals amid a busy schedule. While the easiest solution may seem like grabbing fast food at a drive-thru or vending machine, that’s certainly not the healthiest choice.

Albertsons makes it easy to avoid falling into the fast food trap by offering O Organics® snacks and easy-to-prepare on-the-go meals, keeping bodies fueled and ready to run. But first? You have to make some sort of a plan, and then actually stick to it. Depending on your schedule and how many people live in your household, it may be beneficial to meal plan every week, making one large grocery list to prep lunches and dinners ahead of time.

If you don’t have time to walk the aisles of the grocery store, there’s the option of grocery pickup and/or delivery, the single most amazing invention of all time. Albertsons offers the option to create a profile based on your location, build shopping lists based on meal plans and recipes (both are available on their website), and a few clicks later, VOILA. Your order is ready for pickup!

Photo courtesy of Albertsons

For days when you know you won’t have much time between appointments to eat an actual meal, keep items in your bag or car like O Organics® mixed nuts, O Organics popcorn, O Organics fresh fruit, or protein bars. That will prevent you from getting hangry and whipping into the closest fast food chain. Items that need to be refrigerated, like string cheese, O Organics yogurt, and frozen meals, can be stowed in a refrigerator at work or school, or an insulated lunchbox.

Baby carrots with individually packaged containers of hummus or veggie dip is a great choice if you’re too busy to cook but also not behind the wheel of a car, because that particular snack requires both hands. Personally, I like to pack crackers and cheese, cucumber slices, and cherry tomatoes to snack on if I’m waiting in a parking lot (I find myself doing this a lot) or sitting at my desk, waiting for a Zoom call to start.

Photo courtesy of Albertsons

Another, more industrious option is to make a double batch of fiber-filled chewy chocolate chip cookies. This particular recipe includes quinoa and applesauce, so obviously they’re healthy. These cookies are delicious fresh out of the oven or for several days afterwards—you can even freeze them!

Main Ingredients

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375º. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of the oats about 7-8 times to a finer consistency.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips. Mix well. Add chocolate chips and evenly incorporate.

Step 3

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Drop by rounded tablespoon full drops onto baking sheet. Use spoon to slightly flatten the top of the cookies.

Step 4

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet for 1 minute before placing on a baking rack to cool.

Hydration! Don’t forget hydration. I have a terrible habit of grabbing a cup of coffee when I feel worn out, when I’m actually on the struggle bus because my body needs water. Keep a refillable water bottle handy—and use it!

In review: the first key to staying healthy when you feel like you’re way too busy to stay healthy is always being prepared with nutritious snacks within reach, both in and out of your home. The second is having items on hand to whip together a homemade meal quickly, and the third key to staying on track is to bake plenty of cookies.

Lucky for you, O Organics, only available at Albertsons and their sister stores— Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb, Randalls and Pavilions, can help with with every single one of these, so you can be merrily on your way to your next meeting with a bounce in your step.

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How an earthquake and a farmers market brought the San Francisco community together.

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Kroger

In 1989, a large earthquake destroyed part of a San Francisco freeway that ran by the ocean.

The local community, however, managed to find a silver lining in the rubble — all thanks to a seemingly unassuming development: a farmers market.

Just a few years after the quake, they took what had once been a roadway in front of the historic Ferry Building and turned it into the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Today, it's one of the top farmers markets in the country.

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. All photos via CUESA, used with permission.

Aside from that, what makes the market particularly special is the organization that backs it — the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture. They're all about cultivating a sustainable food system through community-based events, such as farmers markets and educational events.

And these local efforts are addressing a major, lesser-known challenge: food accessibility, particularly for those living in food deserts.

A boy grating a lemon at the farmers market.

Farmers markets like the one at Ferry Plaza bolster communities by bringing together those who actually make and grow food and the people who buy it. That, in turn, helps us learn more about where our food comes from and what it takes to keep it coming.  

These markets also offer Market Match, which helps make fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable for low-income families by doubling their food stamp benefits at the farmers market. This may act as extra incentive for families living in food deserts to make the trip for healthier, locally sourced food.

But for CUESA, saving the planet starts with educating the next generation about sustainability.

A kid in the Foodwise Kids Program.

"Education is at the heart of our work," writes communications director Brie Mazurek in an email. "We aim to inspire and empower people of all ages to become informed eaters and co-creators in a healthy food system."

They offer market-to-table demonstrations at their markets as well as farm tours where people can learn from the growers themselves and discover cool new recipes.

And if you're a kid, you can get even more involved with two awesome programs.

Students in the Schoolyard to Market program.

Foodwise Kids is a free experience for elementary students where they go on a field trip to a farmers market. They get to meet farmers, taste local foods, and prepare a meal together, picking up basic kitchen skills along the way.

Meanwhile, high schoolers have Schoolyard to Market — a semester-long garden and youth entrepreneurship program. They start a garden at their school, learning about the importance of sustainability and nutrition and how to run a successful food business. At the end of the semester, they actually sell their garden produce at a farmers market.

Kids leave the program with a much better understanding of how food systems work, and growing their own produce reminds them that fruits and vegetables can actually be delicious.

Sellers at one of CUESA's food markets.

CUESA's certainly done their part for sustainable food systems over the last 25 years. Now it's time for every one of us to step up.

Some grocery retailers are already ahead of the curve. The Kroger Family of Companies, for example, makes it a priority to source locally, reducing their carbon footprint. They're also working on reducing waste with the Food Waste Reduction Alliance and helping improve the food supply chain, which has an overwhelmingly positive impact on the economy and environment.

And there are many ways that you can support the growth of this vital food movement, even if you don't own a grocery store or like digging in the dirt.

You can support local farmers and growers by doing your research and knowing where your food is coming from. Or you can go political and put pressure on your policymakers to support programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

SNAP brings nutrition assistance to millions of low-income individuals and families. It also provides economic benefits to communities and works with educators and state agencies to make sure people are aware of the food benefits available to them.  

Volunteers at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

If communities everywhere start supporting the sustainable food movement, our world's food future will look much brighter.

The next time you're planning a big dinner — or just a Tuesday night family dinner, for that matter — take a moment to consider where you're getting your food. Deciding to choose a place that supplies products from local farmers may not sound that heroic, but over time, it absolutely makes a difference.

Whether it's farmers markets or sustainability-conscious grocers that get your business, you'll be putting money toward better food for future generations and a better life for food producers today.

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These beautiful, haunting photos show how we might eat in the future.

Imagine you've been invited to a dinner party in the near future.

The place is a small home along the New England coastline. Not too many years have passed since today, but the world is noticeably different. The Earth is warmer. Sea levels have risen. Ecosystems have changed and society — and the way society feeds itself — has changed with them.

"Flooded" is a project by artist Allie Wist, with photographer Heami Lee, food stylist C.C. Buckley, and prop stylist Rebecca Bartoshesy. As part of the collection, the team combined predictions, scientific research, and art to create a near-future dinner.

This hypothetical dinner party might start with an appetizer: oysters with slippers.

‌All photos from Allie Wist, Heami Lee, C.C. Buckley, and Rebecca Bartoshesky.‌

The hosts might dip into the kitchen for soup — mollusks in a broth with mustard greens — and a seaweed and sea kale caesar salad.

Mollusks, which are a relatively easy and sustainable form of protein, might make up a much greater portion of our diet.

Then comes the main course:

‌

Burdock and dandelion root hummus with sunchoke chips...

...hen of the woods mushrooms...

...and jellyfish salad, dressed with mustard, chili, and pickled cucumbers.

It might be uncommon in the current American diet, but jellyfish, cut thin, tastes and feels a bit like noodles.

Throughout, there'd be wine — though not from the vineyards you're familiar with now — and desalinated water.

‌Two bowls, a stone, and plastic wrap placed in the sun is a simple way to desalinate ocean water.

As the world has become warmer, vineyards will either move north or grow different varietals.

Dessert would be a simple carob agar-agar pudding.

Agar-agar is a gelatin made from algae.

While the futuristic images of "Flooded" might seem dreamlike, there's a serious undertone to this project.

None of these dishes is preposterous. Jellyfish and seaweed are common ingredients in Asian cuisine, for instance, and while they may be a departure from our current mainstays, this is what adaptation could look like.

Red meat and large fish might be rare. Environmentally sensitive crops, like chocolate, might be replaced with hardier fare like carob. A focus on sustainable or restorative agriculture would see more clams, oysters, and seaweed on our tables.

And while certain changes to our diet would be out of our control, that doesn't mean "Flooded" is meant to be gloomy.

“It’s also about our ability to adapt and be creative," says Wist. It's an opportunity to imagine enthusiastic, proactive, and purposeful changes as well.

“Eating seaweed isn’t as terrible as someone might think," says Wist.

The story of how we eat is, in a large way, the story of who we are.

"Eating engages all of our senses, not to mention our memories, our culture, and our identity," says Wist. "We all eat every day, and the fact that it's a part of our daily lives makes us relate to it in a more personal way."

The futuristic dinner party in "Flooded" is only one piece of a larger project, which also includes location photography, writing, and recipes. More information and photos can be found on Allie Wist, Heami Lee, C. C. Buckley, and Rebecca Bartoshesky's websites.

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