What do your pooping habits say about you? A recent study from Yale University claims they say a lot. Yale researchers found that happy people take a lot more time and care with their bowel movements. “Happier people were found to spend more time pooping on average,” says Associate Professor Wanda Liederman. “They took greater pleasure in pooping, prioritized it, and had a greater recall of their pooping experiences.”
Here are some steps that some of the happiest people have used to improve your pooping habits and as a result, your overall happiness:
Make time to poop.
The happiest people in the study were found to be waking up early to poop, sometimes getting up as early as 5:30 AM just to poop. They also spent more time on the toilet. Happy people spent an average of 45 minutes pooping every morning, and the happiest subject was found to poop for over an hour.
Be present in the moment of pooping.
Happy people didn’t read or look at their iPads to distract them from pooping. Instead they focused exclusively on the task and relished in it.
Keep a poop journal.
Happy people remembered their poos. Some even photographed them for later. Chronicling your poop experience (color, texture, consistency, and effort of elimination) can lead you to better pooping experiences in the future. Writing down what foods or behaviors affected your poop and in what way, can have a massive influence on the quality of poop down the road. And better poops equals greater overall happiness.
Share your poop with others.
Happy people were twice as likely to show other people their poops, both in person and in photos. This makes everyone happier!
Take Accountability for your poop.
Happy people do not apologize or make excuses for their failures. They know they are 100% responsible for their poop and everything that comes with it. They are first to admit when they’ve made a terrible, terrible mistake.
Check back for more pooping habits of exuberantly happy people. And remember: a happy pooper is a happy person. Happy pooping!