3 ways to be happier today
Who wants to be happier?Why wouldn’t you want to be happier? Happiness is the most common goal around the world. Every job we try, every relationship we enter, every hobby we try was started from seeking happiness in some form.
The truth is, a satisfying job, a healthy relationship and an enjoyable hobby won’t bring about happiness. Sure these things all help at the start however they aren’t sustainable. The buzz of a new job wears off. Exciting new relationships die down. Hobbies become chores.
Happiness needs to come from within. Happiness needs to be a choice. The more you chase happiness the less satisfied you will feel. That’s because happiness isn’t found, happiness is chosen. Here are 3 ways to choose happiness:
- Take care of yourself in the small ways
If you find yourself living your dream life in your dream job in your dream city yet waking up feeling groggy, the problem might not be your life choices – it might be your lifestyle. We often think early morning exercise and a healthier diet will make us happy, and while these things are all well and good, we have overcomplicated happiness.
Happiness can’t stem from five hours of sleep. Go to bed early. Save enough time for breakfast. Having enough sleep and eating enough have been proven to make you happier. It seems intuitive, but most people aren’t sleeping or eating enough.
“Smile! Happiness looks gorgeous on you!”
- Spend time with your loved ones
This answer is also the typical sort of answer you would expect from any blog on happiness. Social time is incredibly valuable when it comes to improving our happiness.
George Vaillant directed a 72-year study on the lives of 268 men. In an interview in the March 2008 newsletter to his study subjects, Vaillant was asked “What have you learned from the Grant Study Men?” Vaillant answered “The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people.”
- Cultivate Gratitude
Don’t worry, be thankful. Listing things that make you thankful gives you a greater appreciation for life and in return more happiness. Gratitude shifts you away from feeling bitter and towards feeling happy.
Try this: next time someone you love does something that annoys you, think back to something kind they did for you recently. Did they surprise you with a gift? Give you a thoughtful compliment? People make mistakes. Choose to focus on the good rather than the bad.
