Most of us are constantly searching for happiness and sometimes end our days wishing we could just feel happier. It’s easy to believe that you’ll be happy once you achieve a certain milestone in your life, like graduating from university, getting married, or even when your child is finally potty trained. Unfortunately, once these things have happened, happiness doesn’t just appear for some. But you don’t have to wait until a specific day to feel happier, you can start today by implementing habits into your daily routine that can help you feel happy, no matter your lifestyle. Here are 8 simple habits that you can try daily that don’t require huge commitment or any financial investment.
1. Gratitude
Gratitude is simply being able to see the good throughout the bad and stressful things in life – it’s training your brain to notice the good in life that’s always there. Gratitude is fundamental to happiness. You can add this habit to your life by starting a gratitude journal. Write down 3 things you are grateful for in the morning when you wake up or in the evening just before bed. Go for a gratitude walk – turn off all distractions and take in the beauty around you. Be grateful for your body and the air you breathe.
2. Practice Acceptance
In life, things don’t always go according to plan. When your bus arrives late or when things you’ve scheduled change, try not to resist and become frustrated. Accepting things that happen even if they don’t go your way will save you from a lot of unnecessary suffering. Start practising acceptance, and adjust to changes in life and new situations without negative emotions taking over.
3. Minimise Social Media
The media is the best way to gather new information, but scrolling on social media every chance you get could be contributing to dissatisfaction and unhappiness in your life. Take a look at your social media habits and cut out anything that negatively affects your mood. If you’re unsure as to whether it will make a difference, just try cutting down one hour of social media use each day and you’ll see a difference in the way you feel. Experiment until you find a good balance.
4. Get Enough Sleep
The amount of sleep you get impacts your moods. It’s important to give yourself time to recharge, even if that means taking a power nap and having short breaks throughout the day. At night, you should aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep. And if you’re not a morning person, try to go to bed earlier at night.
5. Spend Time Outside
There is something about the atmosphere outside that automatically lifts your mood. Enjoy the beauty of nature and soak in vitamin D. Vitamin D has numerous benefits including lifting your mood and strengthening your immune system. Explore outdoors, take time to look at the beautiful plants, feel the fresh air and listen to the sounds of nature. Even if you just take a short walk around the block, you will feel better afterwards.
6. Take Care Of Your Body
It can be difficult to feel happy if your body is undernourished and not getting what it needs. Look after your body and try to drink at least 2 litres or half a gallon of water every day. Eat nutritious foods and try to exercise every day, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. You should also try to make and keep regular visits to your doctor.
7. Spend Time With The People You Love
Spending quality time with the people you love like family and friends, is an essential part of happiness. Even if you’re busy, set up some uninterrupted time for your family, kids, spouse, and beloved friends. Put your phone away, listen to things they have to say, play together. That quality time with loved ones will help you feel happier.
8. Work Hard And With Purpose
Hard work can yield great results. But working hard without a purpose can feel like it’s never-ending. Find purpose in your life and work hard to fulfil that purpose. Whether that means running marathons, teaching kids how to play sports, or volunteering at a local animal shelter, make sure it is something you love and enjoy, and then it’ll be easier to work hard at it.
Learning how to be happy is a choice you make every day; with the intention, you can create happiness in your life by sticking to these habits. Always try to show appreciation and live in the present moment. By implementing the habits discussed, you will live a happier life and these habits will become second nature. Remember, no one is responsible for your happiness except you.
