What is it that makes you happy and contented? Although happiness and life satisfaction are relatively new areas of psychology study, research suggests that it’s not external objects like cars, luxury homes, and all the must-have gadgets money can buy that makes people happy, but rather internal factors like good health and an optimistic, hopeful outlook.
It doesn’t matter your age, how much money you have in your bank account, your marital status or what you do for a living, we all want to be happier in our lives.
What does it take for you to feel that things are going well and that you are flourishing? These are ideas worth examining, for the answers reveal how you can have a happier life. If you want to find happiness and add years to your life, think happy thoughts.
When you choose positive thoughts over negative ones, you are more likely to develop an optimistic outlook on life. Here are 29 simple tips and tricks to brighten your day. Bookmark this page and come to it whenever you need a quick pick me up.
29 Simple Tips And Tricks To Brighten Your Day
1. Change the Way You Think: If you want to find happiness and add years to your life, think happy thoughts.
2. Smile, Even if You Don’t Want To: Force yourself to smile. Try it; it’s not that difficult. Now hold it for a count of ten and deepen it.
3. Chill Out Before Your Day Begins: Take ten minutes before you even get out of bed doing a mental check-in. Take deep breaths and be aware of your entire body.
4. Make Your Own Space: Create an area in your home that can serve as a sanctuary for yoga, prayer, writing in your journal, sipping tea, reading, and reflecting. Check out how to create a meditation room on a budget.
5. Create Your Own Mission Statement: Your mission statement is a blueprint of your vision for your life. When thinking about writing a mission statement, be specific. If you want to have a happy, meaningful life, ask yourself what actions you will need to take and what values and purposes you must have to drive those actions.
6. Establish New Family Traditions: Brainstorm with your children and spouse about making a new family tradition.
7. Write a Love Note to Your Partner: Leave love to its own devices or take some action to evoke a response from your lover. Write a simple “I love you” note and tuck it under your partner’s pillow to be found when it’s time for bed or after you have already left for the day.
8. Set Clear Boundaries: Sometimes the answer is a simple no, especially when you are trying to hold firm a boundary that someone is trying to push across.
9. Be the Friend You Want to Have: If you are seeking loyalty and trust in your friendships or the romantic relationship you hope to have, first cultivate those qualities within yourself and then demonstrate them to others.
10. Assign Chef Duty to the Family: Ever too tired to cook? Encourage each family member to choose one day each week to prepare the family meal. Be graceful and supportive if you’re presented with a stack of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
11. Schedule One-on-One Time: Some days, it seems that everybody is clamoring for your attention. But when it comes to family members, it’s important that you give it to them. Ten minutes often is not enough to really get started talking, but it shows your loved ones that you care deeply about what troubles them and that you want to help.
12. Mix It Up in the Bedroom Ever tire of sex the same way? Try some new positions. Experiment imaginatively before, during, and after sex. You can get in plenty of stretches and a decent cardio workout as well, not to mention all those pleasurable endorphins flowing.
13. Practice Deep Breathing Throughout the Day: Calm the mind by breathing deeply five times from your belly like you naturally did when you were a baby. Stop the mental thought chatter and just “be.”
14. Let Your Imagination Run Wild for 20 Minutes: Daydreaming can stimulate your mind in creative ways, reduce stress, elevate your mood, organize your thinking, stimulate ideas for solutions to problems, and help you gain new perspectives on troubling issues.
15. Pamper Yourself at a Spa: When you feel like life has become a treadmill and you just need to step off for a respite, treat yourself to a day at the spa. Get a manicure, pedicure, or skin rejuvenation facial. Trying to save money? Try these DIY at Home Spa Ideas.
16. Use the Law of Attraction Before Bed: The work you do is satisfying, but you want recognition for those big accomplishments and milestones. Use the law of attraction to draw to yourself the fame you desire.
17. Think of Three Ways to Improve Your Job: Think of three things you could do to make yourself happier on the job. Would listening to your favorite music lift your spirits? Would checking your e-mail at noon instead of when you first arrive keep your mood elevated throughout the morning? Find ways to be happy while at work and your creativity and productivity are likely to rise along with your mood.
18. Calm Down Before You Go to Sleep: Release stress before you go to sleep and you may find that you are able to fall asleep more quickly, have a better quality of sleep, and wake up more rested and refreshed. There are many ways to do this, you can rearrange furniture to create a calmer mind, meditate, do breathing exercises, or try sleep enhancers.
19. Scream it Out: If you are ever so overcome with emotion that you can’t seem to hold it inside, scream into a pillow. This technique releases the pent-up energy holding those negative feelings inside and works especially well for anger or grief.
20. Uncork and Unwind: Unwind with a glass of your favorite wine at the end of an exhausting day or difficult period. According to a number of research findings, wine is good for you if you drink it in moderation and as part of a healthy diet.
21. Spend 5 Minutes Every Day on Your Passion: Isn’t your dream worth thirty minutes of your time? If you think you can’t squeeze thirty minutes out of a twenty-four-hour day, think again. Check out these strategies to improve your skills and reach your goals.
22. Leave with a Clean Desk: Time management experts say that a clean desk is important for several reasons. You work more efficiently when you know where documents and tools are at all times rather than having to search through piles of disorganized material on your desktop.
23. Take Time to De-Stress at Work: If you often feel drained, totally stressed out, and in a bad mood, try to find a few moments throughout the day to de-stress and relax. Try getting in a little workout going up and down some stairs. Step outside for fresh air and sunlight. Sit somewhere for five minutes and close your eyes. Just breathe in an out, mindful of the breaths. Feel relaxed.
24. Boogie While You Brew: Start your day with a little salsa, mambo, cha-cha, or your favorite dance steps as you make your way over to measure the coffee, add the water, and turn on the pot.
25. Bake for Your Pet: Instead of buying dog biscuits or other cat treats, consider making some healthy treats. Look for recipes or make up your own using natural ingredients including wholesome and healthy grains, vegetables, and proteins.
26. Donate Your Loose Change: For a quick dose of happiness, gather up that loose change lying around the house and give it to a good cause.
27. Be Nice or Be Quiet: With a little effort, you can retrain your impulse to blurt out commonly used negative words and phrases in your speech in favor of using positive words that are carefully chosen and thoughtfully.
28. Brainstorm Three Helpful Actions: Think of three things you can do that don’t cost money but that can benefit the world.
29. Spread Some Virtual Cheer: When you find a happiness quote that you love, put it at the bottom of your e-mail so it will be read by everyone you correspond with throughout your day.