Happiness in a nutshell is something that everyone strives for. While happiness isn’t an emotion that we can elicit at will, there’s no shortage of advice out there for how to be happy.
While some often yield results and give us what we’re looking for, a lot of it are just temporary means to dull the boredom and mundaneness in our lives.
A lot of us drudge away at work, day after day, week after week, doing the same things over and over. We go home and do the same things 5 days a week.
Then on the weekends, maybe we get a break and are able to catch up on sleep, responsibilities, family and friends, etc. Once in a while, we might even be able to take a vacation and kick back a bit.
A lot of this leads to eventual unhappiness. As discussed in this article, the opposite of unhappiness isn’t necessarily sadness as a lot of people would suggest.
And that’s why unhappiness is so pervasive when it’s introduced into our lives in this form. It’s not something we consciously realize but it’s very much there.
In that article I linked to, we know that having goals and motivation toward those goals are one of the keys to happiness.
It’s time we talk about what else there is to lasting happiness.
Learning From Our Elders
- Engage In Meaningful Activity
According to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, having moments in our lives when time just seems to fly, or “flow” as he puts it, allows us to enjoy life more.
This is the opposite of having a strict and tough schedule. Of course, having a routine is good. But sometimes just losing ourselves in some type of activity that we enjoy so much that we lose track of time can do wonders for our state of mind and well-being.
How many of us have ever felt the hours just fly by, almost literally, because we were so busy with something we were engaged in?
I’m sure many of us can relate to that feeling.
2. Keep a Journal
The art of writing down something on a physical piece of paper has lost its popularity over the years with the takeover of laptops and smartphones.
But there’s nothing like having a physical piece of paper in front of us with our thoughts and notes written on it.
This journal isn’t limited to any particular topic like our day and significant events. It can be how we’re feeling, what our aspirations are, or even just the thoughts racing through our minds at the moment.
The art of writing things down helps us keep a record and preserve memories of our past, which has to do with another way to preserve our happiness.
Besides, writing things down doesn’t require us staring into a computer screen, which is what a lot of us have to do on a daily basis already.
3. Don’t Obsess With Food
This is going to sound hypocritical coming from me, but don’t get too obsessed with every detail with nutrition.
Sure, we all want to be as healthy as we can be. And it’s easy to get caught up with the latest scientific discovery on this new food or a study results on the latest eating fad.
While all this info is cool and quite frankly, my job to provide to you guys, part of staying healthy means moderation.
Superfoods and supplements like Goji Berries, Eleuthero Root, Ashwagandha, Brazil Nuts, Nascent Iodine, etc. are all great. They can do wonders for our health.
But take them for what they are, food and supplements. Getting overly obsessed with how to get the most out of every one of them is only going to eat away at your precious time.
Again, leave that stuff to me to present this to you in an easy to understand manner and just simply use it how you will.
4. Sleep Enough
One of the if not the one thing that most of us don’t get enough of today.
I’ve talked extensively about the importance of sleep in various articles. I wouldn’t be using the best sleep mask on a regular basis if that weren’t the case!
Sleeping enough not only brightens our mood, we get to enjoy the things in life in more alert state than if we were sleep-deprived.
If we’re lacking sleep and feeling tired, it’s usually during the day time while others are awake. We’d be missing out on the fun activities going on if we catch up on our sleep debt then.
Of course, I take naps every day myself, so you can say I’m missing something out on my day as well. But my naps lasts no more than 30 minutes and the trade-off in alertness and energy vs the time, I think it’s well worth it.
But a lack of sleep does more damage than a lot of us think. Our hormones are greatly affected, which can throw a series of other bodily functions out of whack.
All of this combined with the irritation coming from being tired and fatigued creates the perfect recipe for an unhappy camper.
If you have trouble with alarms in general, maybe they’re either too loud, or not loud enough to wake you, definitely try out this awesome lamp alarm.
But if you really want something that helps you go to sleep when you want, tracks your sleep, wakes you up in the freshest state possible, gives you data so you can understand and learn much more about your sleep, and make lifestyle suggestions based on your personal data, the Hello Sense And Sleep Pill is exactly what you’re looking for.
5. Stick With The Family
Humans by nature are social creatures. Even the most introverted and secluded need relationships with others to have some spark in their lives.
And there’s nothing closer than our own family is there? Developing and maintaining healthy relationships with our family members and friends is a vital part of living a happy life.
Who else shares our fondest memories with us than our parents, long-term friends, and siblings? Visiting memory lane and embracing nostalgia can actually beat loneliness, increase one’s generosity, and even ease anxiety according to one UK research study.
Remember Point #1 about engaging in meaningful activity? Doing these activities with family and friends makes it exponentially more enjoyable.
So enjoy the small talk that comes after the family dinner. Embrace and savor the little moments during the family cookouts and picnics.
Those memories that we preserved in our journal from Point #2? Sharing some of these with the family is bound to bring lots of feelings of nostalgia and happiness (how much all depends on you).
It’s those things that we do with our family that can really add to our overall happiness and well-being.
6. Surround Yourself With The Happy Ones
“You are your friends.”
This isn’t the first time you’ve seen me write this in my articles. That’s because it’s so true that I can’t stop saying it haha.
But like our family, we want to be around those that are happy as well. The saying “Misery loves company” goes both ways, so keeping the happy and jolly around us has its positive effects.
Their happiness and upbeat attitude can easily become contagious. So much so that sometimes we might not be sure why we’re in such a good mood.
More than just having their happiness rub off on us, we get to see what it is that makes these ones happy. Maybe their are things they do personally that we could benefit from.
Or we can ask them about their outlook and perspective on matters that we have trouble with. Happy people are usually more than willing to offer their opinion if it means potentially helping someone out.
7. Check Your Senses
Along the lines of maintaining our health is the maintenance of our 5 senses. If either our sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste is in anyway compromised, we’re not able to enjoy life as much.
While a lot of us with compromised senses are inflicted with conditions that aren’t curable right now, there are some that may be able to do something about the deficiencies they have.
If we have trouble seeing, glasses, contact lenses, or possible surgery may be in order. Hearing problems? An ear specialist can give insight on that.
Don’t hold off on symptoms that seems minor just because we don’t think they’ll get worse.
One study performed by researchers at John Hopkins found those with hearing loss were 57% more likely to develop stress, depression, and bad mood compared to those without such hearing loss.
It’s easy to understand why once we think about it. If our senses are compromised, we can’t sense what others are sensing. This takes those little moments out of life when everyone laughs at a funny experience being told, or sees a funny incident happening, etc.
So do our due diligence in taking care of our senses while they’re still in good shape.
Our moods and sense of well-being will thank us later.
Wrapping It Up
So these are just some quick points on taking the proven path to happiness. These are all ways that many that came before us vouch for in terms of bringing them the most enjoyment and satisfaction out of life.
To summarize these 7 points even more, simply find something you love to do and get lost in that activity with family, friends, and other happy people. In the meantime, keep a journal of these memories, keep up with your health, and just let loose once in a while without a worry in the world.
It all sounds like common sense but in today’s hectic world, it’s very easy to get lost in the rules and assumptions that society has set out for people.
So keep these in mind, put them to use, and enjoy life as it’s only going to get better!
So what tips do you have for attaining happiness?
Stay healthy,
-Wing
References:
- http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/health/body-soul-daily/our-oldest-are-our-happiest-so-steal-their-secrets-and-be-at-your-best/news-story/8705ae2fa0764c5838e4ccf11828bf35
- http://www.belmarrahealth.com/boost-happiness-fixing-one-thing/
- http://www.therepublic.com/2016/10/22/happiness_at_work_its_an_inside_personal_job/
