It's just about everyone's life goal to be happy. But how do we
achieve it? Life is a journey and finding happiness is generally the
goal for most people. Don't turn to drugs and alcohol though; here are 5
tips to be naturally happier.
Food
Food can be a tricky pattern to break. Those fast food chains are usually easier to turn to than cooking at home. But the cliché "you are what you eat" is definitely true. Instead of eating fatty, non-nutritious foods, you want to be eating fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables and lean meats. This kind of diet will leave you feeling lighter, more energized and believe it or not, happier.
Meal prepping (where you make all your meals for the week in one day) can make this kind of diet much easier to achieve. But everyone is different, for some cooking alone can be a fun hobby that will also increase your happiness factor.
Achieving something
A sense of achievement is definitely a happiness factor in life. We want to be moving forward, getting things done and reaching goals. For some this can come from their work life, but for others you will need to step out of the office to reach that sense of achievement.
So what can you do to get that good feeling of achievement? Here are a few ideas:
Food
Food can be a tricky pattern to break. Those fast food chains are usually easier to turn to than cooking at home. But the cliché "you are what you eat" is definitely true. Instead of eating fatty, non-nutritious foods, you want to be eating fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables and lean meats. This kind of diet will leave you feeling lighter, more energized and believe it or not, happier.
Meal prepping (where you make all your meals for the week in one day) can make this kind of diet much easier to achieve. But everyone is different, for some cooking alone can be a fun hobby that will also increase your happiness factor.
Achieving something
A sense of achievement is definitely a happiness factor in life. We want to be moving forward, getting things done and reaching goals. For some this can come from their work life, but for others you will need to step out of the office to reach that sense of achievement.
So what can you do to get that good feeling of achievement? Here are a few ideas:
- Volunteer at a local kids group/soup kitchen/animal shelter
- Help out a stranger if the opportunity arises
- Make a goal like losing weight and seeing it through
- Save money and then spoil yourself with something you have always wanted
- Start a new project like a YouTube channel or website
- Pay off debts like credit cards or personal loans.
Working out
Exercise is a brilliant way to naturally boost your happiness. Doctors will recommend that people do at the very least 20 minutes of exercise 5 times a week, but you can do more than that if you feel so inclined. When you work out the body naturally produces endorphins, which make us feel good and even reduces your perception of pain. You have maybe heard from your running/jogging friends that when they go for a run they naturally experience what they call a "runners high"; this is due to the endorphins pumping through their brain. Some have even compared this to a morphine like euphoria (that's non-addictive) so how can you beat something as powerful as that!
Continuous working out also has mental effects such as improving sleep, reducing stress, boosting self-esteem and very importantly reducing things like anxiety and depression. That's not even including the other physical effects of working out like strengthening your heart, weight loss, increasing your energy levels and even lowering your blood pressure.
There are many types of exercise out there, so why not start with a simple walk around the block and you will already naturally feel happier.
Find something fun to occupy your time
Finding a hobby is a great way to unwind after work and on weekends. Instead of just watching TV or playing on your phone, why not find something more rewarding to do with your time? Don't get me wrong, a bit of down time is integral for happiness, but too much of it isn't the best either.
If we listen to Google, it defines a hobby as "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure". Think about that for a moment, particularly the word "pleasure".
Old school hobbies can still be rewarding, things like knitting (very good for anxiety too), writing a journal, flying a drone, collecting stuff (like trading cards, video games etc.), making a garden, catching up with friends; the sky is the limit with what your choice of hobby may be. Whatever you choose to do will definitely help with your happiness.
Get Active
Wait a minute, didn't we already cover working out and exercise? This isn't that kind of active we are talking about. Increasing one's activity is a sure fire way to increasing happiness. The simplest way to do this is to just say "yes" to things. If someone invites you to go camping, say yes. If someone invites you out to go rock climbing, say yes. If someone invites you out to the zoo, say yes. You get the picture, say yes to things! This can be daunting to some people as it can take you out of your comfort zone, but this is a good thing. In fact magic happens when you step outside of your comfort zone.
Don't be afraid to instigate events with your friends either. If they are busy then refer back to your hobbies or join a club of some description.
And there you have it folks, 5 ways to simply and naturally increase your happiness factor. Life can be fun, take part in it. The more you expose yourself and the more activities you take part in the better (and happier) your life will be.
Exercise is a brilliant way to naturally boost your happiness. Doctors will recommend that people do at the very least 20 minutes of exercise 5 times a week, but you can do more than that if you feel so inclined. When you work out the body naturally produces endorphins, which make us feel good and even reduces your perception of pain. You have maybe heard from your running/jogging friends that when they go for a run they naturally experience what they call a "runners high"; this is due to the endorphins pumping through their brain. Some have even compared this to a morphine like euphoria (that's non-addictive) so how can you beat something as powerful as that!
Continuous working out also has mental effects such as improving sleep, reducing stress, boosting self-esteem and very importantly reducing things like anxiety and depression. That's not even including the other physical effects of working out like strengthening your heart, weight loss, increasing your energy levels and even lowering your blood pressure.
There are many types of exercise out there, so why not start with a simple walk around the block and you will already naturally feel happier.
Find something fun to occupy your time
Finding a hobby is a great way to unwind after work and on weekends. Instead of just watching TV or playing on your phone, why not find something more rewarding to do with your time? Don't get me wrong, a bit of down time is integral for happiness, but too much of it isn't the best either.
If we listen to Google, it defines a hobby as "an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure". Think about that for a moment, particularly the word "pleasure".
Old school hobbies can still be rewarding, things like knitting (very good for anxiety too), writing a journal, flying a drone, collecting stuff (like trading cards, video games etc.), making a garden, catching up with friends; the sky is the limit with what your choice of hobby may be. Whatever you choose to do will definitely help with your happiness.
Get Active
Wait a minute, didn't we already cover working out and exercise? This isn't that kind of active we are talking about. Increasing one's activity is a sure fire way to increasing happiness. The simplest way to do this is to just say "yes" to things. If someone invites you to go camping, say yes. If someone invites you out to go rock climbing, say yes. If someone invites you out to the zoo, say yes. You get the picture, say yes to things! This can be daunting to some people as it can take you out of your comfort zone, but this is a good thing. In fact magic happens when you step outside of your comfort zone.
Don't be afraid to instigate events with your friends either. If they are busy then refer back to your hobbies or join a club of some description.
And there you have it folks, 5 ways to simply and naturally increase your happiness factor. Life can be fun, take part in it. The more you expose yourself and the more activities you take part in the better (and happier) your life will be.
If you are interested in more ways to feel happy make sure you check out Life and Mind Matters. It's all about lifestyle, mental health, gadgets, books and more!
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Timothy_Augst/438295
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