Habits for Happiness
Monday is a day that many don't like for the obvious reason, going back to work. For a considerable period of my life, I was one of them, but now I love Mondays. Why? I changed my habits and became happier.
So today, I decided to write about that process and the 10 Habits for Happiness.
Smile
This one is natural for me. I smile all day, most of the day. So there was not a significant change for me, but I genuinely believe that this is the main reason to be happy. So try to smile more, and you will see that you will start to feel better.
Exercise
For this one, I start with the word endorphins. Let's try first to understand it, endorphins are hormones produced by the body to help relieve stress and pain, but they can also create a feeling of euphoria.
Doing exercise increases the level of endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline. These are all brain chemicals associated with feeling happy, confident, capable, less anxious, and less stressed.
Good Night Sleep
When you deprive your body of a good night of sleep, the risk of depression increases, and you are more likely to experience higher stress levels. We can all attest that our mood is terrible in the morning when we have a terrible night of sleep. And when we have a great night of sleep, we wake up with a smile.
Healthy Diet
A well-balanced diet can help your mood and your mind. Healthy foods are rich in nutrition and have a beneficial effect on your overall health.
A healthy diet will provide you more energy during the day, which will help you stay more focused and sharp and help you during your daily tasks. In Germany, a study from the University of Konstanz concluded that consuming more vegetables led to a higher level of happiness over time than sugar and unhealthy food. It was a study with 14 different food categories.
"Thus, the findings support the notion that fruit and vegetable consumption has beneficial effects on different indicators of well-being, such as happiness or general life satisfaction, across a broad range of periods," writes the Department of Psychology from the University of Konstanz.
Meditate
I've talked in several of my previous posts about mediation for several other problem-solving. Once again, I must say that this is one of the best ways to improve your life and happiness.
According to Psychology Today, meditation is the strongest mental practice that has the power to reset your happiness set point, thus turning you into a more joyful person and rewiring significant areas in your brain.
Be Kind
This one is so easy. Have you noticed how happy you feel after helping someone in need? Me, every time I do it, I say, "This made my day!" and why? Because I'm filled with colossal happiness feeling after it.
And several studies say that the act of kindness brings more happiness to the one that practices than the one who receives it. So, be even more kind, and you will be even happier.
See your Friends
This one is tricky for me since I live far from my best friends and don't see them that much. But I know exactly how I feel every time I talk to them or see them when lucky. Friendship is the pure act of happiness. No matter what happens and where they will be there for you or vice versa.
So don't forget, when you feel down, look for them and enjoy life for a bit. Your problems will go away for a moment, and life feels great again.
People that see their friends regularly tend to be happier.
Digital Detox
I left this one for last, but this is one we all suffer, and it's crucial. Studies show that we spend on average around 11h each day interacting with digital media. We use it for everything in our lives now, work, chat with our friends, Social Media, gaming or even look for a dinner recipe. This overuse can cause stress, anxiety, and sleep disorder.
This new digital era made us more alone than ever, and we tend to spend less time together with our friends and family. We keep our eyes all the time on our phones, even when we go out for dinner with our friends.
It's not normal or healthy, and we need to control it.
I decided to reduce my digital time during the weekends and spend more time with my family. I was stressed, looking at my phone, and not enjoying time with the family in the past. I could not forget work and then feel guilty at the end of the day.
My weekends are much more fun now, and the kids enjoy much more that mummy is playing with them and not attached to a screen.
Well, we reached the end. I hope these habits can help you improve your happiness as they did for me.
Lots of love