by Adams Media
Drink Water
Staying hydrated gives you more energy, improves your skin’s texture and color, and gives your body what it needs to function properly. Even mild dehydration can have cognitive effects on your mood, decrease your memory, and impact brain function. In fact, many people mistake symptoms of dehydration for symptoms of depression! If you are feeling lethargic, have difficulty concentrating, or have trouble remembering things, you may need to drink more water. When you get enough water, your body will feel healthier and happier.
Write Down What You Dream of Doing
Are you feeling a little lost and lacking direction in your life? Try sitting down in a quiet place and thinking about what you really want to do. Write it down. Maybe there’s a place you’ve always wanted to visit or a job you’ve always wanted to try or a food you’ve always wanted to cook. Your goals can be anything. Look at your list and think about how you can accomplish those things. You know that doing those things will make you happy, so why not finally do them?
Ask “Do You Got a Problem?”
This is an almost immediate happiness technique that comes from several two-bit New York movie gangsters (just kidding, it’s from author Eckhart Tolle) that asks you to think if you’ve got a problem. Here’s what you do, simply ask yourself, “Do I have a problem right now at this moment?” When you really think on this matter the answer is usually no. Most problems are things you imagine coming down the road or things that happened in your past. When you think about this present moment and realize you don’t have a problem right now, you’ll give yourself a little mood boost.
Connect with Old Friends
Having a network of longtime connected friends is a proven stress-buster. If you haven’t seen your old friends in a while, it’s time to reconnect with them. Sure, you may have grown and changed since you last spent time together, but the new experiences you’ve all had will give you plenty to talk about. Don’t fret about how things used to be—just find new ways to connect with your longtime friends. You’ve gone through a lot together! Remember the good times and keep your ties strong.
Clean Your Space
Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but it usually isn’t high on most people’s happiness scale. Decluttering your home, however, will help you declutter your life—when your home is clean and organized, your mind feels organized too. A clean home environment brings less stress and helps you feel calmer and in turn happier. If you are facing a big mess and feeling overwhelmed, try throwing away/donating five items every day.
Wear More Color
Studies have shown that color can enhance your mood and make you feel better about yourself. The takeaway? While black may be slimming for your body, it isn’t doing much for your mind. Get out of your black clothing rut and add a little color to your wardrobe! You’ll notice an improved sense of confidence, and happiness will follow.
Eat Something Spicy
The hot burn you get when you eat something spicy is not technically a taste but a sensation of pain. Capsaicin, the chemical in spicy food, binds to pain receptors in the body when you eat it, causing your body to interpret the feeling as pain and your brain to release feel-good endorphins to offset your body’s reactions. That means you’ll get a rush of good feelings when you eat spicy food.
Give an Extra 10 Percent
Everyone gets to a point where it seems like it’s time to give up on something, whether it’s a project or a relationship. When you reach that point, before you give up, give another 10 percent of your effort. If you were already all in, then ratchet up to 110 percent and try again. Even if the endeavor doesn’t work out in the end, you’ll know you gave it all you had, and that in and of itself will make you feel happier. Often, we regret something most when we feel like we could have put in a little more effort. Don’t let that happen to you!
Don’t Take It Personally
We all do it: when someone is rude to us, we tend to get offended even if we don’t even know the person. Instinctively, we think we did something wrong to make that person act like a jerk to us. Usually, though, that’s not the case—the other person is really the one with the problem. People tend to take out their pent-up anger and deep-rooted issues on those around them. Try to realize that and stop taking everything so personally. The next time somebody calls you a name or says you aren’t good enough, don’t take it personally. It’s not about you. When you internalize that, you’ll let go of the need to be perfect for others, and you’ll start to see yourself more clearly (and be more happy).
Don’t Care What Others Think of You
We constantly seek acceptance from those around us and try to find satisfaction from the approval of others, but in the end, we still feel empty. You may dress a certain way or do certain things to fit in with those around you, but all you achieve is changing yourself. The secret to becoming a happier person is to relinquish the need to impress others and to realize that the only person who needs your approval is you. Sure, it’s nice to be praised for your work and it’s nice to make your parents proud, but those shouldn’t be the main reasons you do what you do. Everything you are and everything you achieve should be only for you! Pleasing others is an added bonus.
Stop Thinking You Are Missing Something
People always say “I’ll be happier when I lose ten pounds” or “I’ll be happier when I get that job” or “I’ll be happier when I go on my dream vacation,” but none of those statements are true. Happiness comes from living in the moment, not from some future abstract event. If you put your happiness on hold for a future event, you are robbing yourself of having happiness now.
Take Charge of Your Own Happiness
You can select your mood for the day the same way you choose your clothes, so choose to be happy! No one else can make you happy—you are in charge of your own happiness. If you aren’t happy with yourself, you won’t feel happy. Don’t let anyone take your happiness away from you.
Accept What You Cannot Change
There are some things you cannot change: your height, your past, your upbringing. There is no sense in letting these things weigh you down. You need to keep moving forward and learning from the mistakes you’ve made. Spending your time worrying about things you cannot change will only rob you of happiness. Instead, focus on what you do have and be grateful.
Go Easy on Yourself
All too often, we are our own worst enemies. While it’s good to be aware of mistakes you’ve made in the past and improvements you can make in the future, beating yourself up on a regular basis is a surefire way to wind up singing the blues. In fact, self-criticism can just make you more miserable. So instead of dwelling on your past failures, focus on how and why you value yourself. This shift will make you stronger, more productive, less stressed . . . and, yes, happier.
Talk to Happy People
When you meet people who are positive thinkers and content with their lives, ask what makes them feel that way. Maybe ask if you can interview them as part of research you’re doing for an article about happy people. Pose questions in a way that will draw out their answers—rather than asking simple yes or no questions, ask the kind of questions that will prompt long and thoughtful responses. Encourage them to share their tips for cultivating a happy life. Afterward, if you are feeling ambitious, you really can write that article and pitch it to a local newspaper or neighborhood newsletter.
Take a Class
Is there something you’ve always been intrigued about doing but never had the knowledge to attempt? Maybe you’ve always wanted to create stained-glass art or cook a gourmet meal or create your own jewelry. Whatever it is, enroll in a hands-on class and learn about it. A class can walk you through an in-depth exploration of your interest, provide all the necessary materials needed for a project, and provide you with a knowledgeable instructor who can guide you along the path to success. You’ll meet new people in your class too. Who knows? One (or more) of them might become friends, and you might wind up spending many h
appy hours together creating works of art.
Give a Gift
Another way get some happiness is to perform a small act of kindness and give someone else a gift. Gifts can be anything. For example, you could buy someone’s coffee ahead of you in the coffee line. Just tell the cashier “That woman’s coffee is on me” and then smile at the person and tell her to have a great day. Or maybe you could pick some flowers from your garden and take them to a neighbor, or offer someone your seat on the bus. You’ll be surprised at how good you’ll feel after giving someone else a gift.
The gift-giving experience can be a way to find deeper meaning in life. Think of gifts that do not cost any money: a smile for a stranger, holding a door open for someone, or helping someone put groceries in their car. In just a few minutes, you could give a gift for no reason at all that could have a profound impact on someone else’s life.
Write Three Things You Love about Yourself
Do you have an inner critic who constantly reminds you that your nose is too big or your hips are too wide or your chest is too flat? Think of three wonderful things you love about yourself and write them on a card. They don’t have to be physical attributes—they could include things like “I love my compassionate nature” or “I love my ability to immediately put other people at ease” or “I love the fact that I have great inner strength.” Tape the card to your mirror, computer, refrigerator, or any other place where you’ll be frequently reminded of the gifts that are uniquely yours.
Start a New Tradition
Remember when you and your friends went on that impromptu road trip that turned into a crazy adventure? Perhaps something wonderful and spontaneous occurred as you were preparing to leave for summer break. Maybe you had a memorable time on the night before Thanksgiving or during the afternoon of the first snowfall of the year. Or maybe you had a pillow fight that ended with everyone making popcorn and s’mores and watching old movies in their pajamas. Whatever may have happened, if the event still evokes powerful memories for everyone involved, make it a tradition! Brainstorm with your friends or family about making a new tradition that you’ll be able to reminisce about and reenact in the future. Traditions are all about happy times and bonding, so why not start a new one today?
Binge Watch Your Favorite Show
Experts say that too much TV is not good for you, but who can deny the pleasure of sitting down with some popcorn and a few drinks and watching the full story arc of your favorite show in one night? From the first introductions to the last goodbyes, sit on a comfy couch and envelop yourself in your favorite TV world for a night.
Treat Yourself
Your apartment needs dusting, the dishes are still standing in the sink, the floor needs mopping, and you haven’t even gotten around to doing the laundry . . . but just for today, leave it all alone. Take the time to indulge in something that makes you feel peaceful and relaxed. For example, go to your favorite coffee shop and order your favorite brew. Or sit on your porch and gaze out into your backyard and enjoy the greenness. Go to the beach and just feel the wind on your face, the sun on your back, the calmness of the moment.
Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
If doing hands-on, helpful construction work appeals to your social conscience, swing a hammer, carry some lumber, and otherwise help build a home for a poor family. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that works in tandem with volunteers in communities worldwide to build houses for low-income people. (Former president Jimmy Carter and his wife spend a week every year swinging hammers to help erect affordable shelters for the poor on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.) If you believe you could be doing more to help the less fortunate, then grab your hammer and work up a sweat working with Habitat for Humanity alongside people like yourself.
Forgive Someone
No doubt you’ve heard the saying that when you refuse to forgive someone, you are just continuing to let that person hurt you. Why do that to yourself? Try and forgive. Forgiveness leaves your memories intact but removes and even transforms the emotional stings—it’s an effective way to diminish painful feelings so that you can create more pleasurable ones. Forgiveness is not an erasure of the past; rather, it’s a great way to change the emotional projections that a memory carries (because you attached deep meaning to what happened when it occurred). Forgiveness reduces the energy you’d be spending to maintain your anger toward someone who has offended and hurt you. Forgiveness is good for your body and soul.
Give to a Stranger
It’s as simple as this: giving feels good. Effort spent identifying what another person can really benefit from in a lasting way stirs feelings of empathy and love. Giving without knowing the other person can be even more rewarding. Giving anonymously—and spontaneously—can feel extremely gratifying. This manner of giving means not expecting something in return, and that’s the true meaning of altruism. Giving from your heart connects you with mankind, expands and fulfills that you in you (some call that your soul), and boosts serotonin levels.
Play
Playing stimulates your brain’s pleasure centers: your basal ganglia (the part that coordinates movement and feeling) and your deep limbic system (home of your emotional intensity and passion). The combined stimulation alerts your prefrontal cortex (the thinking part) to tell you that you’re having fun! To maximize your enjoyment and to reinforce these good feelings, your brain starts pumping out that neurotransmitter we love so much: dopamine. The upshot is that your brain goes on a happy holiday. The more pleasurable experiences you create through play, the happier you’ll be.
Break a Bad Habit
You can train your brain to abandon negative habits by teaching your brain to associate them with neutral or even bad circumstances (the latter as a punishment). For example, instead of getting yourself worked up over the fact that you smoke one cigarette a day, remove all thought from the act of smoking that one cigarette. Don’t attach any negative or positive actions, thoughts, or emotions to it. Neutralize any associations. Once you’ve taken the pleasure away from smoking, it will be less appealing. If that tactic doesn’t work for you, try following up the act of smoking that cigarette with something unpleasant, such as scrubbing your toilet, paying bills, or listening to heavy metal music at a ridiculously high volume. Whatever it is, it should be something that you genuinely dislike, and you should force yourself to do it every time you have that cigarette (or, if you can’t bring yourself to do that, enlist someone else to help with the punishment, such as a close friend). Soon enough, the cigarette will probably not seem worth the hassle, and you will abandon the habit.
Laugh—A Lot
Laughing is the cure for what ails you. Laughing has amazing benefits, including beating back a tide of stress hormones (cortisol, in particular), giving your body a healthy break, lowering your blood pressure, strengthening your immune system, and generating the release of endorphins (those wonderful happiness hormones). Laughter also provides a physical and emotional release, making you feel cleansed afterward. And it’s a great internal workout for your body!
Ditch the Sugar
While your body requires a pretty constant supply of glucose (i.e., blood sugar) in order to function properly, constantly eating refined sugars and slurping down sodas is not the best way to maintain healthy glucose levels. On the contrary, researchers at the Salk Institute in California found that high glucose levels resulting from quick, easily digested sugars slowly but surely damage cells everywhere in the body, especially in the brain. In addition to the unneeded extra calories that these sources of refined sugar provide, sugar can also depress your immune system, depress your mood, and lead to feeling fatigued.
Get Some B12, Baby
In a recent study, it was shown that people who were deficient in vitamin B12 were twice as likely to suffer from severe depression compared to those without a deficiency. The lack of B12 seemed to cause a buildup of serotonin in the brain that led to the neurons having trouble releasing the serotonin as the
y normally would. To get more B12 and to naturally boost your happiness, try eating foods rich in B12: eggs, milk, clams, beef, oysters, crab, and tuna. If you’re a vegan or vegetarian or are just not a fan of those foods, you could also take a supplemental B12 vitamin.
Be Positive
Every thought releases brain chemicals. Being focused on negative thoughts effectively saps the brain of its positive forcefulness and slows it down. Negative thoughts can even dim your brain’s ability to function, resulting in depression. On the flip side, focusing on positive, happy, hopeful thoughts produces chemicals that create a sense of well-being. These chemicals help your brain function at peak capacity. There are hundreds of benefits to being positive, among them the fact that being positive— especially around friends and family—will make it easier for others to be positive too. So turn that frown upside down! Give your brain the juice it needs to function at its peak capacity so that you—and your brain—can feel good about life.