No matter how positive you are, there is always room to be a happier person.
- Our attitude is reflected in our social life, business manners.
- Our attitude affects everyone around us from our boss at the office, to the barista at Starbucks who delivers us coffee with our name on it.
- Everyone has bad days, and it’s how you react to those bad days that really defines your character.
Here are some ways to keep yourself level throughout all days - good or bad - and have a more balanced character to be proud of.
Our concept of bad luck is always benchmarked against our idea of a good day or a high point in our life - if we are not reaching that point, our day is worse off than it could be, or we feel like we deserve better - and these are eight scientifically proven ways in which we can make ourselves feel better nonetheless.
1. Try new things.
Your life needs spice! Even if you are an ironed chef, you know that there are still new foods to try.
But “new things,” doesn’t necessarily refer to palpable objects. Step One here aims to disrupt your routine and give you a fresher take on your surroundings.
Even if you live in New York City or some sprawling metropolis, your life will still be characterized by your path to work, the foods you eat throughout the day, and the people you interact with and see constantly. Trying a new route to work for example will let you see the city in a different way, discover new restaurants, talk to different people, or the worst case scenario is that you just get frustrated with new traffic jams and get lost. That’s ok!
Look at all the new things that just happened because you took a different road.
Whatever happens, anything you do to break your habit is opening your future for new energy to come in.
2. Give more.
During our twenties we go through a bit of a selfish phase that is not necessarily a bad thing, but that our lives are typified by hard schoolwork, debt repayment, job hunting, and trying to meet and connect with new people all the time.
In all this cacophony we may enter our thirties short of a few human mannerisms that we haven’t practiced in a while
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Don’t forget to give more. It doesn’t mean buying a car for your boyfriend; but even the smallest gestures have proven to put smiles on more than just the receiver's face.
Give gifts when people least expect it - small flowers, chocolate, tools or even a friendly note! You’d be surprised how far the tiniest effort can go.
3. Don’t buy things - buy experiences.
It has been shown time and time again that people who invest more time in experiences rather than material items are happier in the long run.
When you purchase something, you are satisfying your present cravings immediately with instant gratification, but over time the feelings quickly pass as you become accustomed to your new toy; eventually, it breaks, becomes in disrepair or loses all its lustre.
Experiences on the other hand never get lost on you.
- A famous example might be a family trip to the cottage - except it rains the whole time.
- While you’re there, you might be upset that you had to spend the whole time indoors, chatting, playing board games and cooking makeshift meals.
- It might not have been the intentions for your vacation, but when it’s all over with, you will still look back and be able to enjoy the memories you did have.
If you travel a lot, the experience is multiplied. A month like trip might eat up your finances, but the memories will last a lifetime.
4. Meditate more often.
Meditating doesn’t mean sitting in a designated room in yoga pants for thirty minutes in pure silence. It’s as easy as closing your eyes and getting some alone time - in fact, you can meditate anywhere! The definition of meditate, to...
“think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation”
...is fortunately completely open to interpretation, and meditators everywhere take full use of it to increase their happiness. Remember, you don’t have to be good at it, you don’t have to do it for a long time, you don’t have to pray - meditating is simply about having some time for yourself to think and clear your mind.
And you can listen to any of our guided meditations for free!
5. Exercise.
This is a no brainer, but as they say, common sense is not always so common.
Human beings are animals, and animals are designed to exercise regularly, whether to catch prey or build shelter. We are fortunate enough as an advanced species to not have to do any of this anymore, but unfortunately it has lead many to a state of atrophy and laziness.
Exercise has proven to be able to create happiness by the simple virtue that hard work and exercise releases dopamine into your brain, which is a neurotransmitter that provides happiness and pleasure, the same experience you have during sex or a good laugh.
Exercise makes you feel energized, better about your body, and therefore better about your mind. So the next time you need to smile, get a good sweat on in your home or at the gym, learn how to enjoy that exercise routine and start feeling better!
6. Get a good night’s sleep.
We all grew up with the notion that getting 8 hours of sleep was essential for proper health and growth, but as we have now aged and matured we realize that that statistic may be a little unattainable for some people.
How many times a week do you run on just 5 or 6 hours a night, or dare I say 4? The average person these days is getting about 5 to 7 hours during the work week, and it makes us feel as though that is appropriate.
Be that it may, regardless of how much sleep you get, just make sure that you get enough quality sleep.
- Force yourself to go to bed earlier if you feel awful in the mornings.
- Establish a routine with the sun and moon and re-engage your natural instincts.
- There really is nothing like waking up in the morning with plenty of time to enjoy the day.
7. Enjoy the small things.
- Get off your phone and stop to smell the flowers. Really, smell them.
- Spend a few minutes on the porch and observe your neighbourhood. Notice things you didn’t see before.
- Find something funny in everyday happenings.
- Read your old favourite book, passages from a book of scripture, or listen to some old music you haven’t heard since college.
It only takes five minutes, but enjoying the small things makes a world of difference.
8. Choose a healthy diet.
In a Big Mac world, we are tempted to adapt to a Big Mac diet. It’s easy to rush through, grab some donuts, takeout, or munchies from a bag to eat at night after work.
Fortunately for our generation even large corporations are finding ways to slip healthier options into their deep fried menus. Find it in your budget to include fresher vegetables, better quality meats, or local produce. You are what you eat, so don’t become a Big Mac!
Afterwards, say goodbye to bad food hangovers and pizza stained boxes in your house. Take pride in your diet and enjoy every bite of healthy food you have knowing that you are doing well for your body.
