No matter how you define happiness, you can improve your life and experience greater joy. Modifying your daily routine to include more sleep and exercise can help you achieve your goals.
The same can be said for positive behaviors. Developing good habits should be a priority. To get you started on your journey, here are some behaviors you can adopt daily, monthly, and annually. It’s important to remember that contentment and how it’s attained are relative concepts. Get rid of the ones that don’t work for you or cause unnecessary tension. Time and effort will help you determine what works best for you.
Smile
When you’re happy, you almost always have a grin. However, this is not a one-way street. When we’re happy, we smile, and when our brain releases dopamine, we feel even better. Researchers have concluded that the “facial feedback hypothesis,” which suggests that facial expressions may have a moderate influence on emotions, may account for the correlation between a pleasant facial expression and feelings of happiness.
That’s not to say you should walk around with a permanent grin. Instead, if you’re feeling down, try smiling and seeing what happens. You may also try greeting yourself with a grin every morning.
Exercise
Exercise has many benefits beyond the physical. Exercising regularly has been shown to improve mental health by lowering cortisol levels (the stress hormone), reducing anxiety, and alleviating depression. Getting even a little bit of exercise can help. You don’t have to sign up for a triathlon or climb a cliff unless doing so would bring you joy. The key is to maintain a reasonable level of effort. You can get discouraged (and sore) if you suddenly try to start an extreme exercise regimen.
Take up a new hobby
Let your freak flag fly! Put down on paper all the things you’ve always wanted to try. Don’t put restrictions on yourself or wonder if they’re feasible; we’ll get to that part later. Have a good time by learning skills, and don’t limit yourself. Now that you have your list, you can go back over and start highlighting what strikes you. Watch for any repeating trends.
When deciding between several potential hobbies, it can help to ask oneself, “What do you want to accomplish with this new hobby?” Would you like to have a more physically demanding lifestyle? Want to improve your imagination in 2018? Want to know more? In search of new social connections? Aim for the heart of the matter.
Once you identify a potential new hobby, like making handcrafted jewelry, it’s a good idea to seek out resources for the new hobby. Regarding handcrafted jewelry, it’s always a good idea to rely on a dependable jewelry-making supplies store.
Starting with the ambitious goal of waking up at 6:00 am daily is unrealistic. If you expect too much of yourself in your new pastime, you will become disheartened and give up. Instead, think about what you can accomplish. Maybe you should commit to scrapbooking on Saturday afternoons, take an online lettering class for an hour once a week, or schedule weekly tennis lessons. Make good time by writing these activities down in a calendar. See if any of your pals are into it, too, by asking around. When you have a friend along for the ride, trying anything new is much easier. Plus, you’ll have someone to keep you on track and ensure you make it on time.
Rest thoughtfully and thoroughly
Most adults require a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night. Your body will try to inform you that it needs more sleep if you feel groggy or are urged to nap during the day. Even though our current culture encourages less sleep, we all know its importance—a reliable Path to Physical and Mental Health and Happiness. Inadequate sleep has been linked to an increased risk of acquiring numerous chronic diseases.
Learn to compliment others more
Studies have shown that helping others can positively affect your health. A genuine compliment is a simple technique to lift someone’s spirits and your mood at the same time. Make sure they know you mean it by making eye contact and saying it with a grin. It could leave you feeling pleasantly delighted. Ensure you are polite if you want to congratulate someone on their appearance.
Express your appreciation for life (and people!)
Simply practicing gratitude has been shown to have positive psychological and physiological effects. Gratitude, for instance, was found in a two-part study to affect optimism and happiness substantially. So you might start your days by naming one thing you’re thankful for. You can get this done while waiting for your snoozed alarm to go off or brushing your teeth.
Think about looking for good things as you go about your day. Knowing someone loves you or obtaining a promotion are two examples of big things in life. Small acts of kindness, such as being offered a cup of coffee by a coworker or being waved at by a neighbor, can go a long way. Perhaps it’s as simple as feeling the sun’s rays on your skin. The more you do it, the more likely you will start noticing the good things in your life.
Accept past painful experiences as valid
Keeping a positive outlook is recommended, but everyone experiences setbacks eventually. Just accept it as inevitable. Don’t force yourself to act cheerful if you’re feeling down because of something external (terrible news, error, etc.). Instead, recognize and allow yourself to experience your sadness briefly. Then, consider the causes of your distress and the steps you might need to take to feel better. Could you try taking some deep breaths? Should we go on a hike? Discussing with a friend? Put the situation in perspective and tend to your needs. Never forget that no one is ever wholly content.