Do you want to be happy every day? who doesn’t, right? We all want to live a life filled with happiness and joy. A life free of stresses, worries, and troubles. But seems like none of us is living that ideal life. The question is, why? Why we are all seeking happiness and no one finds it? Is it that it’s impossible to experience sustainable happiness, or is it because we are turning the wrong stones?
Well, it is, of course, possible to be happy all the time. And yes, we are turning the wrong stones to look for it. Before we talk about the things that have the potential to make us sustainably happy, let’s understand what happiness actually is.
We all know happiness is a state of mind. It is based on our ability to control our thoughts. It is a state of mind that is independent of external conditions. We are what we think.
Happiness is not the absence of problems. It is the ability to deal with them. Happiness is not the end of the road either. It is the journey. Happiness is a place where there is no fear. It is a place where you can be you. Where you can be free. Free to be yourself. Free to say what you want. Free to live life the way you want to live it.
If you want happiness in your life, you have to make it happen. Happiness is a choice. It is a decision that you make. You have to decide that you are going to be happy.
That being said, there are a couple of simple things you can do to become happy. Here are the 10 magic ones.
1. Proper Sleep
It has been proven that adequate sleep is essential for your health and wellbeing. Sleep deprivation can cause physical and mental problems and can also affect your job performance.
Not only that, but it can also have a negative impact on your emotional well-being.
Sleep is important because it helps your body recover from the stress of the day, it is when the body repairs, and also when the body and mind detoxify from the day’s toxins.
Proper sleep also promotes creativity, which is important for problem solving and productivity at work. It is recommended to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Related: Sleeping On The Side is Healthy: Left or Right, Which is Better?
2. Regular Exercise
According to a study from the University of Bristol in the UK, the more active you are, the happier you will be.
The study showed that people who increased their physical activity from low levels to moderate or high levels reported greater happiness.
Yes, happiness comes from exercise. It’s not just any kind of exercise, though. You have to do it regularly.
According to the study, exercise lowers your risk of depression, boosts endorphins, and improves self-esteem. So try to do at least 2 hours of exercise a week, but if you can do more, that’s even better.
Additionally, you don’t need to hit the gym to be happy, start with simple no equipment workouts that don’t take more than 5 minutes.
3. Acts of Kindness
Acts of kindness are simple things that you can do to help you experience happiness. If you want to be happy, help others. If you want to be happy, help others.
When you help others, you actually produce a hormone called oxytocin, which is also known as the love hormone, which is what you feel when you fall in love.
Oxytocin not only promotes happiness in the brain but also lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and even helps you sleep better.
Try to spend at least 2 hours a week helping others. It can be simple acts like helping an elderly person cross the road, helping a grieving friend with his/her work, or even volunteering in a charity organization.
4. Consume Less Social Media
Frequent social media use may be a sign of loneliness, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.
While social media can be used to keep you in touch with your loved ones, it can also be used to isolate yourself from the real world, causing you to be stressed out and unhappy.
On top of that, social media can also cause us to compare ourselves with others, which is never a good thing.
In fact, a study by researchers at the University of Michigan suggests that social media users may be prone to anxiety and depression.
So if you are often engaging with social media, it might be a good idea to unplug yourself once in a while.
5. Eat Your Way to Happiness
The best way to achieve happiness in your life is to eat a balanced diet. Do not forget to include foods that can help you experience happiness in your diet. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, sardines, and walnuts are essential for our brain’s optimal functioning.
This is because omega-3 fatty acids are also known as brain foods, as they play a role in the development and maintenance of the brain cells, especially the neurons.
Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can also help you achieve happiness because they are known to boost your mood, reduce anxiety, improve memory, relieve depression, and even prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
It is very important to include these foods in your diet because they provide the building blocks that are needed to produce brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF).
BDNF is a type of protein that plays a role in the formation of new brain cells, which helps to improve your memory and prevent mental decline.
6. Find Your Passion
Everybody is born with their own unique talents and passions that are meant to be enjoyed.
Discovering your passion can help you experience happiness because when you do what you love, you will most likely be happy.
For example, if you are passionate about fitness, you will always be happy to work out and stay fit. On the other hand, if you are a very creative person, you can use your passion to create a career out of it.
For instance, if you love to sing, you can try to be a singer. If you love to paint, you can be an artist. The list is endless.
7. Be Grateful for What You Have
Be grateful for what you have in life and be thankful to those who are part of your journey.
When you are grateful for what you have, you become more appreciative of the place you are at now.
When you appreciate the place you are at now, you will be more eager to work towards your goals and be more satisfied with the progress you have made.
It is important to be grateful for what you have because this will help you appreciate what you have, and it will reduce the chances of you being unhappy.
If you are unhappy with your current situation, it is fine to dream of a better life, as long as you remain grateful for what you have.
8. Laugh More Often
Laughing is a very healthy practice that can help you experience happiness.
Scientists from the University of Maryland Medical Center suggest that laughing and smiling can help you experience happiness because the muscular contractions that occur when you laugh or smile are similar to the muscle contractions that occur during an orgasm, which releases endorphins that make you feel happy.
It is found out that smiling can boost your mood. In addition, it is also found that laughing can increase your heart’s health. Guess what? Laughing can also reduce pain. So, not only does laughing make you happy, but it also makes you healthier and more relaxed!
9. Be a Good Listener
Be a good listener to those around you. When you are a good listener, you become more empathetic and understanding.
When you are empathetic and understanding, you become better at reading the needs and wants of others. Remember, you are not perfect, and no one expects you to be. But being a great listener will help you understand where others are coming from.
Listening to others can also help you understand yourself better. Being a good listener is one of the keys to happiness because when you listen to others, you become more aware of yourself, and you become more tolerant of others.
As you listen to others, you learn to accept people for who they are, and you learn to eventually love them for who they are.
10. Be Grateful for Your Past
Be grateful for the past because it is what has shaped you to be who you are today. Do not regret your past actions and decisions. Instead, learn to move on from your past, and be grateful for your past because it has helped you become who you are today.
The past is a part of you. Without your past, you will not be who you are today. Be grateful for your past because it has made you who you are. Be grateful for your past because it has made you who you are.