Happiness is not something
that happens to us, or something we are born with. Happiness is a choice we
make, no matter what life throws at you.
Much as beauty is in the eyes
of the beholder, happiness is a state of mind. And like all things mental,
happiness is subtle and delicate. Despite being the ultimate motivation behind
all our actions in this world, only a few people genuinely experience happiness
in today's hectic and fast-paced world.
The true happiness does not
reside in the external world, but it is a matter of the internal world which
needs to be discovered.
If you are not happy by
yourself, there are no material object, bank balance, power, fame or other
people that can make you happy. So to discover happiness you need to divert
your attention from the outer world to the inner world rather than keeping
yourself engaged to search it outside.
Once you discover happiness
inside you and are able to maintain the happy state of mind, you can make an
effort to increase the level of your happiness quotient manifold. Although the
pursuit of happiness is the personal matter, here are some secrets that can
help you to increase your happiness quotient:
1. Find joy in the little
things.
For most people, life consists
of an accumulation of small moments. It is in the little things that you can
find your joy and boost feelings of happiness. When you allow yourself to be
joyful, it’s easier to find joy. While that may sound too good to be true, it
works. Feel the deliciousness of descending into cool water in a lake on a hot
day. Savor the aroma and taste of a favourite meal and enjoy the presence of
loving family. These are the little things that are too often taken for
granted, yet they are great contributors to happiness.
2. Start each day with a smile
and laugh often
When we smile, there are some
biological processes that somehow trick our brain into thinking we’re happy.
For this reason, our moods are lifted reflexively.
Laughter yoga is a new rage.
People from all walks of life are indulging in it.
It’s almost impossible to see
someone else laugh and not be affected by it. Indeed, laughter is not only
contagious, it also constitutes a big part of play. What is playing? It is the act of doing what
gives you pleasure, engaging in discovery, letting your creativity flow. Laughter
can reduce levels of stress and inflammation and benefit heart functioning.
3. Exercise compassion
How you respond to other
people largely dictates how they will respond to you. If you believe that the
quality of relationships in your life can make you happier, try empathizing
with people before you jump to conclusions. Practice a “soft start up” when you
confront a misdeed. Try to understand and have compassion for what another may
be enduring. I predict they will respond in kind.
4. Choose to be positive and
see the best in every situation
A positive attitude is
scientifically proven to increase happiness and well-being. How can you develop
a positive attitude and learn to see the best in everything? It does take
practice and a willingness to confront your fears and reject their power to
control you..
5. Cultivate Acceptance
The situation in your life is
not in your control, but your reactions towards them are. So when you cannot
change the situations, it would be wise to cultivate a habit to accept the
situations as they are. By cultivating the habit of acceptance, you prevent
yourself from the extra burden of disappointment, frustration, anger, and
sadness. The good thing about acceptance is that it neutralises the experience
of unpleasant situations and increases your level of happiness.
6. Be Determined To Stay Happy
Happiness is a state of mind,
and it is your determination to stay in happy help you to maintain a happy
state of mind. Happiness is a personal choice not a chance dependent on people
or situations. If you are determined to stay happy even in the challenging
phase of your life, you can figure out an appropriate way to respond to the
situations and at the same time discover the reasons to stay happy. So to enjoy
everlasting happiness is life, be determined to stay happy.
7. Reflect on your blessings
and be grateful
Everyone has something in
their life to be grateful for. Most of us have many, many blessings. A simple
ritual of daily reflection is enough to center in on them and allows us to take
a few moments to express personal gratitude for all that we have been given in
life. Good health, loving family, satisfying relationships, an enjoyable career
– the list is endless and highly personal. There’s also a scientific basis for
the statement that gratitude helps increase happiness, demonstrating that it
also helps protect you from negativity, stress, depression, and anxiety.
8. Create a gratitude journal
Create a gratitude journal and
write down five things daily for which you are grateful.
9. Do random acts of kindness
Make it a point to perform a
random act of kindness every day. This can be as simple as holding the door,
paying for coffee for the next in line, helping a co-worker bring in boxes, or
saying “thank you” to the clerk at the office supply store. This simple act not
only makes someone else’s day, it brightens yours as well.
10. Get physical
Exercise makes us feel better,
look better and sleep better by releasing dopamine into the brain, easing
stress and anxiety and increasing energy. Physical activity can also boost
happiness, and significantly decrease depression. Even moderate exercise done
three times a week for 30 minutes can have major effects on one’s happiness,
cites another study. So get up and get moving to stimulate your mind and shake
up a normally cubicle-centric daily life.
Start by taking a 30-minute
walk three times a week.
11. Preserve Your Faith
It is very much natural to
feel tensed or worried when you have to face the challenges of life. But if you
are able to preserve your faith in face of challenges, it will come to your
rescue and help you to stay happy. Your faith can enable you to see the silver
lining in the difficulties and motivate you to discover new opportunity to have
a happy and enriching life. So to get over the challenges of life smoothly and
raise your happiness quotient, you need to preserve your faith in tough phase
of your life.
12. Do what you love and most
passionate about
Pursuing your passions is
highly conducive to increased happiness and, contrary to a mistaken notion that
to do so is selfish, when you do what you’re most passionate about, you’re
helping develop your potential, broadening your horizons and contributing to
higher self-esteem and overall well-being.
13. Connect with others to reap
the benefits of Sharing
The secret to increase the
happiness quotient is about sharing it with others. By sharing your happiness
with others, you strengthen the bond of your relationship and that in turn increases
the level of your happiness quotient. Having a healthy relationship with near
and dear one is very much essential for happiness because relationship not only
provides social security but emotional support as well in time of need.
Go to dinner parties. Host
dinner parties. Meet a friend for coffee. Eat lunch with your son at school. If
you do nothing else to boost your happiness, do this. Connectedness pays out
dividends in happiness.
14. Volunteer
Volunteering offers vital help
to people in need but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer.
Volunteering and helping others can help you reduce stress, combat depression,
keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose. Giving of
yourself can help others in need and improve your health and happiness.
15. Take steps to enrich your
life.
Seeking knowledge, exploring
unknown areas, pushing yourself to go beyond your current skill set or
experience, striving to learn something new — these are steps each of us can
take to not only enrich our life but also maximise personal joy and happiness.
16. Create goals and plans to
achieve what you want most
If you expect or desire to
achieve a certain standard of living, aspire to earn a college degree, receive
a promotion, buy a house, marry and have children or any other goal you find
meaningful and purposeful, you must identify the goal first and then create
action plans to help you achieve what you want.
17. Live in the moment
Worry about the past or
anxiety over the future are both counterproductive and a waste of time. Instead,
to add to your happiness quotient, change your mindset so that you live in the
present. Another way of saying this is to be present. When you focus on now,
this moment, you are more aware of your surroundings, your breath, how you
feel, what’s going on with your loved ones, family, friends, co-workers, other
drivers and everything in your immediate environment. You’re alive and fully
aware of it. Being present is a proactive way to increase your happiness and
something anyone can do.
18. Be good to yourself
Overeating, drinking too much,
staying up all hours and other bad habits aren’t good for you physically or
mentally. Instead, embark on a lifestyle that includes healthy behaviors: eat
nutritious foods, cut down or cut out alcoholic intake, get sufficient and
restful sleep, hydrate well, exercise regularly and take frequent breaks so
that you give yourself breathing time between tasks. You’ll be healthier and
happier because of being good to yourself.
19. Practice mindfulness
Spirituality is nothing but
the science that postulates the wisdom, techniques and processes of fostering
happiness. Spirituality does provide a tool to calm the mind and cope with the
stresses of life. It does empower one to face realities of life and deal with
them happily with care, compassion and courage.
20. Walk in nature
The benefits of getting
outside and walking in nature have long been documented as easy, convenient
ways to increase happiness. For one thing, the physical act of exercise
releases endorphins in your brain that elevate mood and make you feel better.
Walking in nature also highlights other aspects of joyful, happy living such as
a greater appreciation of natural beauty, thankfulness that you’re alive and
healthy enough to be physically active, helping to tone your body and improve
cardiovascular, lung and other vital bodily functions.
21. Have enough quality sleep
Considering how the lack of
sleep can negatively affect our mood the following day, it perhaps makes more
sense to get enough of it every day, become happier, and consequently increase
our productivity at work.
22. Buy some experience
Aside from strengthening
social relationships, the experience also becomes more and more memorable as
time passes. Our minds naturally reinterpret our experiences retrospectively
and holistically in a positive manner.
For instance, each time we
revisit our cherished memories of the last vacation trip we took with family or
friends, the hassles and frustrations experienced during the trip are
conveniently forgotten.
23. Cut down on travelling time
You can’t adapt to commuting,
because it’s entirely unpredictable. Driving in traffic is a different kind of
hell every day.
Before accepting a new job
offer, take into account how much time you need to take to get to work each
day. If, however, you’re already stuck in one which requires you to drive for
an hour or more each day, you might want to consider other available means of
commute.
In Portland, Oregon, it was
found that bicycle commuters are the happiest lot, followed by people who walk
to work. Lone drivers are the least happy of all.
24. Get a pet
Most pet owners would agree
that their pets have brought them joy and good memories. Amazingly, pet owners
tend to have greater self-esteem, are less depressed and less lonely and they
even exercise more!
25. Spend Time With Happy
People.
We are the average of the five
people we spend the most time with. We are greatly influenced by our social
networks. Those closest to us affect our thinking self-esteem and decisions.
Everyone is their own person, but research indicates that we are more affected
by our environment than we think.
Happiness is contagious, so
make sure you are surrounded by shiny happy people.
Happiness is a choice. If you
actively and consciously take charge of your happiness by choosing to divide your
time judiciously in these activities, then you are sure to up your
"Happiness Quotient!"
Finally, happiness is not a destination; it does not exist at particular destination. Happiness needs to be created and increased on the way of the journey of life. The secret to increase the happiness quotient is not only in obtaining but also in sharing. The onus to increase the happiness quotient is on you, and the secret is longer a secret for you so what are you waiting for. It is your birthright to have a happy life, and it is you who are responsible for your happiness. So do not hold yourself back from enjoying a happy life. Make an effort not only to create but increase your happiness quotient.
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Posts
Happiness can be gained by too tiny efforts
ReplyDeleteThrow out the negativity of yours
Bring positivity
So simple ๐๐๐๐