Look Up, Literally

Though it may be useful to avoid stepping in things, regularly looking

down actually affects our mood. When we look down, we are in a
defensive orientation that reinforces a feeling that bad things are likely to
happen.
IF YOU WANT to earn a spot on the lifeguard squad in Wrightsville Beach,
North Carolina, you have to start with a race against your competitors
and the elements. Prospective lifeguards run a mile, then swim half a
mile, then swim out and back in two simulated rescues.
“You might think it looks easy, but it’s a real challenge, especially
when the ocean’s not cooperating,” says Bud, the chief lifeguard. Applicants
are judged by their time and by their ability to properly respond
to rescue situations.
The lifeguard competition often attracts people with medical backgrounds,
including paramedics. “It’s a chance to help people, and it
doesn’t take place in the back of an ambulance or in an emergency
room. It’s on the sand and on the water,” Bud says.
“This is a job about looking out and looking up. You never stop
watching, because you never know when the crucial moment will
come,” Bud adds. Even if he doesn’t have to stir from his guard’s chair
all day, he says, “I just feel good when I’m out here. I feel more alive.”
Looking up as you walk increases the likelihood of being in a good mood
by 11 percent. (Meier 2005)