We can start creating our own happiness right now, just by practicing these 5 simple habits (backed by some awesome science-based facts because that’s how we roll) 😉
It is our mission to define and create our own happiness.
Life carries all kinds of moments, from happy, to sad, to exciting, to most of the time very mundane and ordinary (hello most weekday nights spent in sweats watching late night Hulu with the hubby and pup!)
We can’t allow ourselves to only be happy when we reach a milestone in our life or when we get great news, we need to see the beauty in our lives in the most ordinary of days. Because those are the kind of moments that will make up most of our life.
Some recent moments of pure joy lately happened while I sat across from my husband at the dinner table. I looked at him and just thought about how thankful and lucky I felt for the life we had built so far and how excited I was for what lies ahead.
Feeling happy takes a complete change of mindset. And that change can start in one moment and be carried on through the rest of your life.
Before we get to the 5 steps remember that the end goal isn’t to achieve some precise unmeasurable amount of happiness.
So as you read along, remember: practicing these habits will hopefully increase your overall levels of happiness in each and every day. But don’t think that from moment to moment, you must feel this extraordinary amount of happiness all the time. It’s not natural, and unfortunately a whole market exists and was created just for that belief.
Alright, now on to our steps:
1. Be Thankful
You can’t be happy with what you don’t have, if you’re not happy with what you have now!
Have you heard of the practice of writing things down that you are thankful for? I know it sounds cheesy, but there’s a reason why it works! You’re essentially training your brain to reverse the way its currently thinking. Just like we train our bodies to perform in the way we want them to, we have to train our brain!
And remember, we all go through very difficult moments in our lives. Without them, we wouldn’t grow. We wouldn’t be prepared or have the strength to handle whatever is thrown at us.
In these moments, we can be grateful for the support we have around us, the fact we have a safe place to call home, or that we found a surprising strength inside ourselves we never knew we had before to pull us through.
A pretty excellent study that was led by Martin E.P. Seligman (known for his work on positive psychology) at the University of Pennsylvania followed some people who were instructed to write a simple thank you letter and hand deliver it. The results? The participants immediately felt an increased sense of happiness and found that the benefits from it lasted for a month!
2. Be Kind
There’s a reason we feel happier and at ease when we are surrounded by kind people. They just seem to radiate positivity and a gentle demeanor that is so comforting to be around.
Kindness is one of the most important habits we can practice that will lead us to real and consistent happiness.
One pretty awesome science fact about kindness: It can also create neural pathways in our brain that enhance feelings of well-being! It causes our brain to releases certain neurotransmitters such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine, which create feelings of love and happiness.
source
3. Get Enough Sleep
I can’t recommend this one enough.
Probably because it’s really hard to accomplish any of the other habits we’re discussing without it. By not getting enough sleep, all your energy will be focused on carrying you from one task to the next. Your memory and focus are decreased, and your stress hormones levels in your body (yes that’s a thing!) are increased.
So just by getting enough sleep, we are immediately reducing our stress and in turn, reducing anxiety and increasing our happiness.
Bonus tip: Not getting enough sleep also ties in with our health and nutrition. It incorrectly signals to your body that you are in a state of starvation.
Let’s break this down.
The science:
A recent study found that a certain hormone Leptin that regulates our appetite is directly influenced by how long we sleep.
I promise to try and simplify it: Leptin is released by our fat cells to signal to our brain that we are full. When we don’t get enough sleep, the amount of leptin is decreased and thus not enough signal gets to our brain that we are full.
To add to that, grehlin (a peptide that is released from the stomach and stimulates our appetite) was increased. P.S. a fun fact. When your stomach is growling it’s producing grehlin! Now I wonder how they came up with that name…
4. Clear The Clutter
Is it really a surprise though? I KNOW I’m a much happier, calmer person when things around me are clear and tidy. It’s also why hotels are probably kept to such a minimalistic look. It envokes a sense of relaxation and peacefulness.
I have a whole series I will be posting about to help us de-clutter and simplify our lives. But for now, try to start getting rid of the easy stuff! This could be old kitchen gadgets that don’t work well, expired food, clothes you haven’t worn since high school (guilty) or even socks that sadly lost their buddy a long time ago (he’s not coming back, let them go, it’s okay!)
Sometimes it can feel like we are not in control of the stress in our lives. Decluttering, however, is a thing we have a total control over! Donating all the extra stuff you have will make it so there’s less stuff to clean up and each and every item in your home will have a designated spot. No more stuffing drawers and closets full of junk.
5. Be Active
If you search online, you will find countless articles and studies of the benefits of exercise. A recent University of Michigan study that shows that even 10 minutes a day of physical activity could improve people’s moods (but they showed that getting at least 30 minutes was optimal and increased feelings of happiness)
What I also love about this study, is that it shows how it doesn’t take a full gym membership to reap the benefits of being active. Some people walked, practiced yoga, jogged and some stretched.
I know taking a 20-minute walk may not seem like it would make much of a difference, but do that walk 3 times a week and you’ve done a whole hour of walking!
So there you have it. 5 simple steps that will have you on the road to a happier, healthier life. Let me know which steps you’ve already taken or are planning to take on!
Radiate joy and kindness in everything you do today.
-Sara