5 Ways To Shine And Stay Happy
Yes, staying happy is a constant effort. Notice we didn’t say it’s a struggle… it’s not. But we do have to stay conscious about it and continue to do what it takes to “keep the happy”. And what does it take?
Well, we suppose this might be a little different for everyone, but we have 10 suggestions, most of which on their own do shift people into happy.
The following are 5 Ways To Shine And Stay Happy.
Look to Your Own Happiness
This isn’t as selfish as it sounds. First and foremost, you need to want to be happy and willing to work toward that. Unhappy people rarely radiate, so choose right now to accept your right to be happy. If you’re the giver-type, ask yourself if that really makes you happy, or if you’re doing it for cultural, religious, or family reasons. Givers often feel they have to sacrifice their own happiness for others. Not true! What better gift to give someone than your joy?
Connect with your purpose in life,and learn to love what you do
Make time to do what you love – because that’s what lights the spark of your creative potential as well as your positivity and well-being.
“If you know the ‘why’ you can endure almost any ‘how’, says Dr Rowe. A lot of people feel they don’t have purpose or meaning in their lives – but doing something you love is a great way to bring a sense of purpose into your life. Ask yourself, he suggests: “In what way can what I am doing, serve and support others?”
Spend time with happy people
Each happy friend you have can increase your happiness by 9pc whereas each unhappy friend can reduce your happiness by 7pc. Positive emotion is contagious! So your friends, your friend’s friends and your friends’ friends’ friends – people you don’t even know- can actually impact on your happiness.
Take the anti-anxiety ‘vaccine’
“Exercise can be so good that you might consider it as an ‘anti-anxiety vaccine,” Rowe declares.
“It reduces the levels of your body’s natural stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, and it stimulates a number of brain endorphins, which are a kind of natural painkiller that allows you to feel calm, optimistic and energised, creating a pleasant, even mildly euphoric feeling.”
Exercise also promotes the release of dopamine which boosts motivation and increases the levels of serotonin, the brain’s own natural antidepressant.
Be kinder to others and to yourself
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Also remember that we never know what is going on in anyone’s life so don’t be so hard on others either. So stop judging and start practising Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs), he suggests:
“There is evidence from positive psychology that if we intentionally do five RAKs one day of the week, it makes us more tuned into what we are doing and why, and this boosts our sense of inner happiness and well-being.”
