Happiness extends both your healthspan and lifespan. Studies show that people with a positive disposition live longer and are healthier.
Happiness releases substances like endorphins, brain growth factors, and serotonin, which all positively affects your health.
Also, by avoiding stress and negative thoughts, you lower your levels of unhealthy substances, like the stress hormone cortisol or adrenaline.
Here’s the thing: being happy is something that can be learned.
So let’s look at 33 tips I’ve gathered to improve your happiness! They are in no particular order. I’m presenting the first 16 to you today and the rest next month.
See if you agree, disagree, or can add some tips of your own 🙂
1. Be grateful
Gratitude is a powerful positive feeling. Plan moments every day (just before you go to sleep, for example) to think of three things to be grateful for. Or even better: write down these three things. These can be small or simple things, like a nice conversation, a delicious breakfast, or the sight of beautiful clouds in the sky for which you are grateful.
2. Accept that you cannot control everything
We have the urge to want to control everything, yet we know this is impossible. More often than not, try to let go. Accept that it’s impossible to control everything. This leads to finding joy in knowing you may live longer for letting go!
3. Do not compare yourself to others
Research shows that people who compare themselves to others are often unhappier. No matter how beautiful, rich, or successful you are, there will always be people who are even more beautiful, rich or successful. It’s a never ending game! Stop comparing yourself with others who are better off. If you are happy with what you have, you already have everything.
4. Avoid negative people
Surround yourself with happy, cheerful, optimistic people. Happiness is contagious.
5. Say NO more often
The more things you put on your plate, the more stressed and unhappy you feel. Try to understand why you say ‘yes’ so often: is it to please people? Is it because you have too little self-confidence? Is it because you are a perfectionist? Don’t be afraid to say no more often. When you do, you often get more respect and people will be more careful with your time.
6. Put things into perspective
Don’t take life too seriously. Including yourself.
7. Meditate
Meditation increases happiness. Take a meditation course either online or in real-life, use meditation apps on your smartphone, or search for free meditation sessions on YouTube. Treat yourself to a meditation retreat.
8. Give
Do a good deed every day: give someone a little gift, treat someone, compliment your colleague, help someone, or become a volunteer. Giving makes us happy. Believe that the more you give in life, the more you get.
9. Have a purpose
People need goals to be happy. Become better at sports, learn a new language, create a beautiful garden, set up a company, become an expert in Mesopotamian art history, be a good parent. Have a reason to get out of bed every day. What is your goal? Start with small steps to integrate that purpose into your life.
10. Learn to think positively
Have you noticed we are hardwired to think negatively? Our brain defaults to thinking the worst. This was and continues to be a human survival mechanism.
How to deal with this never-ending flood of negative thoughts?
Learn to quickly recognize your own negative thoughts. Then, as soon as you become aware of one, immediately replace it with a positive thought. Think “I am loved!”, “I am valuable!”, “I am very good at what I do!”.
If you keep repeating this enough, you will reprogram or “brainwash” your brain so that you will actually believe it. Whether it’s true or not does not matter! You have to repeat this to yourself over and over again so you really rewire these positive thoughts into your brain, and eventually into reality.
11. Collect experiences instead of stuff
This tip for happiness is one of my favorites because I’ve never been one for having much stuff. I lean into the experiential slices of life.
Scientific studies show that in the long run material things do not make us happy. Experiences do.
If you buy something material, you get a quick rush of endorphins and your happiness peaks for a short while, all which often subsides rather quickly. Then you get used to your material possession.
Experiences, on the other hand, you enjoy your whole life. So maybe consider that instead of a new piece of furniture or a car, treat yourself to a journey that you will remember, and fondly look back on for the rest of your life.
12. Be aware of the status trap
This is a very big evolutionary trap which entangles many people. It’s the idea that status and possessions will make us feel happy and fulfilled. Yet that’s not really the case. Studies show lottery winners are just as happy or unhappy two years after winning as they were before winning the lottery.
Our brain has been programmed to make us believe that more status, success, and stuff will ultimately make us happier. We keep striving for more and more, until we realize, sadly at life’s end, what really matters: love, friendship, compassion, giving, sharing, creativity, or contributing to society, to name a few.
13. Less social media: that means less Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or whatever social media you use
Stop feeding your ego. Stop browsing on social media where everyone is apparently continuously happy and on vacation. That gives us the feeling that our own life is much less interesting. Everyone has setbacks, problems, fears, insecurities and secrets, but almost nobody shares that on Facebook or Instagram.
14. Smile and laugh as often as possible
It’s funny, but research shows that when you smile, even when you are not happy, your brain will still automatically make you feel happier. Smart brain, right? It is a feedback system: even if you do not feel happy, smiling will make you more cheerful. Try this and see for yourself!
15. Avoid multitasking
Trying to do too many tasks at once creates stress or makes you feel inadequate. And really, multitasking is impossible anyway. It’s a myth. It makes us unhappy. Pick one goal, project or task at a time and put your heart and focus into it.
16. Be playful
Never really grow up. Stay playful, curious, open-minded. Question the status quo.
See you next month with the other tips!
Until then, enjoy life and topping off your happiness tank 🙂
shelli
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