The source of happiness may vary as per your age, gender, financial and physical condition.
Of course, the source of happiness for a person and their dog may be completely different. All your dog may want is food, sleep, and your love and attention.
While you could be working hard, trying to make more money, buying a house, getting promoted at the office, or building a decent retirement fund — all to get happier.
Now, if the source of your happiness is oriented toward material possessions, then you may as well stay starved for lasting happiness for the rest of your life.
But if you want to be happy and healthy, first love yourself, accept the changes you need to make, and work on your dreams.
Find out how to get rid of a bad habit permanently.
10 Habits To Make You Happier In Life
You may be a slave to certain unhelpful and unproductive behaviors that you want to break before forming some positive ones.
Here are ten habit changes for more happiness in life:
1. Get Up Early
An early start makes things that come later in the day easier to handle.
Some religions hold that waking up before sunrise is a good habit and beneficial for overall health. Even our ancestors were early risers; thus, you can say that the habit of waking up early is in our genes.
You may have multiple reasons for not waking up early in the morning:
- Strengthens your digestive system
- Makes your brain to function properly
- Boosts immunity and productivity
- Gives you more time for your morning tasks and exercises
2. Exercise Daily
Exercise has multiple health benefits and it is a must-to-do thing for everybody.
But if you want to see positive results from exercising, you have to be consistent. This is one of the easiest habit changes for happiness.
There are countless benefits to exercising. Most importantly, it makes you feel better.
Just 30 minutes of exercise can decrease depression, stress, and anxiety and improve your mood. Regular exercise benefits both your physical and mental health.
The science behind the relation between exercise and happiness: It’s more than a simple release of “endorphins.”
Check out the article link to learn how exercise makes you happy: The Brain Science Behind Exercise And Happiness.
3. Sleep Better
You can make money by working through many sleepless nights, but you can’t buy good health at any supermarket.
In the end, it doesn’t appear to be a great idea to jeopardize your health for making money.
You are not going to take a single penny with you at your death.
Want to know how to improve your sleep habit? We know sleep is important, but we don’t bother to think about what that actually means, or how to get more of it. If you suffer from disturbed sleep, here’s our well-researched post on sleep science hacks here: Six Scientific Sleep Hacks.
A few health benefits of better sleep:
- Makes you feel good, reduces stress, boosts brain functioning
- Improves memory
- Reduces inflammation
- Increases creativity
- Boost immunity and improves digestion
- Helps you in achieving weight loss goals
- Heals your body and mind
4. Meditate Ritually
Meditation is the key to peace of mind.
Physical activity increases physical strength and immunity, but meditation restores the brain, enhances memory, and increases empathy. Make meditation a daily ritual for increased happiness.
Yoga can also bring inner peace and make you calmer. Yoga and meditation are practiced for eons in hundreds of forms. Need reasons to start practicing meditation and yoga? Here they are:
- Heals your mind and reduces stress and anxiety
- Increases focus
- Boost memory and brain power
- Reduces blood pressure
- It makes you better at dealing with stressful conditions
- Regular meditation and yoga make you emotionally strong
- Happiness increases
Check out this beginner-level guide to mindfulness meditation: Mindfulness In 7 Steps.
5. Embrace Change
Change is the universal rule of nature.
So, if you want to live happier, then you have to accept the changes.
Don’t feel sorry for whatever isn’t in your control. Instead, while making efforts to complete your goals, take care that you don’t feel bogged down or stressed out when you lose.
Don’t waste time blaming yourself, other people, or outside circumstances. Move on. There is much to explore in life from that point on. Remember, it’s never the end of the world.
6. Find Yourself A Pet
If you feel down, overwhelmed, and obsessed all the time, then having a pet can make you feel happier. Getting a pet could be a life-changing experience for you.
Why do humans feel so attached to pets, especially dogs? The greatest reason is the “unselfish love” of that four-legged creature. Dogs are not just adorable, they are more loyal to their owners than humans.
Here you go – know about the health benefits of having a pet:
- Reduce stress and improve mood
- Can be your perfect companion for morning exercises
- Help you socialize
- Your pet will never betray you as humans do
7. Laugh More
A person who can’t laugh at himself, can’t make others laugh too.
Look for ways to laugh more. There are several health benefits of laughing:
- Laughing helps in better oxygenation of the blood
- It reduces stress hormones
- Laughing releases endorphins – your body’s feel-good chemicals
- Brings a positive state of mind
- A smiling face looks more attractive
- Good for skin health and reduces dark circles
- Laughter enhances the healing process
And here are a few ways to laugh more:
- Spend more time with your lovable
- Make friends with someone who has a good sense of humor
- Watch comedy shows and laughter gags
- Follow funny people on social media
- Spend time with kids
- Play fun games
8. Accept And Love Yourself
The worst part of this life is that we don’t accept ourselves. Nobody knows you better than you, my friend. It is possible that you may have failed to complete your goals, but it doesn’t mean you should blame yourself for that for the rest of your life.
When you accept yourself, you develop self-confidence. When you develop self-confidence, you start valuing yourself and your role in the world.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches us to be psychologically flexible. It helps us win the inner battle that is based on our past experiences.
9. Eat Good Food
You become what you eat.
Whatever you eat or drink affects both your body and mind. Eating nutrient-rich food can play a positive role in developing a fit body as well as a great mind.
If you want to be happy and healthy, avoid junk food and those so-called energy drinks. Junk and fast foods can cause multiple diseases, while energy drinks can damage your vital organs. Junk food can also make you feel exhausted.
The heavily marketed energy drinks can cause migraines, anxiety, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure.
Do “Nootropics,” aka Brain-Boosters & Smart Pills, Work?
10. Stay Optimistic
How to make happiness a habit? Learn to be optimistic.
Father of Modern Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman lays out some strategies to override your inner pessimist:
- challenge your negative thought patterns,
- practice mindfulness,
- accept setbacks, and
- try to find out what could be alternative explanations for seemingly bad events.
There are hundreds of reasons for being sad and hundreds of reasons for being happy. Do what you love to do, and make yourself happy and others too.
Believe in yourself, love yourself, accept the changes, work hard, and move on from toxic relationships.
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Author Bio: Suraj Kumar is a blogger and social media expert.
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