In the haze of your January blues and all-important exam period, it may be difficult to find the motivation to embed true happiness into your everyday life.
Happiness is about perspective more than anything else. The media paint an ideological view of what should make you happy, overstating the importance of body image, relationships, money and possessions, but if you set all this aside and seek to find happiness from your own perspective, you will realise what makes you truly happy. The inevitable will happen and everybody has those “I hate life” days, but embracing the small things can go a long way in securing your long term happiness. So here are some straightforward, everyday triggers to bust those January blues:
1) Be selfless – A nearly immediate route to happiness and fulfilment is to do something for someone else. This can come in simple forms, such as opening a door or asking about someone’s day. Listening and taking interest in the happiness of others can give you a sense of perspective. This is what makes experiences rich. Do them daily.
2) Smile – Cliché, but smiling is as contagious as it gets. Do it everywhere. Be known as the person who’s always smiling, especially to those frowning. If someone is frustrated on the road or at a grocery store, just smile ear to ear!
3) Read – Set aside some time for non-academic reading. Reading can not only give you peace of mind and joy, but also exposes you to as many different perspectives as possible, bringing creative thoughts to light.
4) Saying ‘Hello’ to a stranger – You never know where it will take you!
5) Take joy in food – Perfectly poaching an egg or finally serving up a healthy dish for yourself at dinner and realise you’re that much closer to being a real adult! The impact of eating nourishing food is widely underestimated. It can have startling effects on your productivity, energy levels, health and most importantly your happiness. Even cooking can be an instant mood booster.
6) Music – Listening to music every day, perhaps whilst studying or after an arduous day of lectures, can not only boost productivity, but also your happiness. Stay focused with the use of your favourite music at hand.
7) Perspective – See those everyday difficulties as challenges to overcome that will make you a better person. This simple thought can transform what may seem like a catastrophe into a trivial matter.
8) Slowing down can have a considerable impact on the enjoyment on your day to day activities. Try driving, walking, eating, working or chewing slower.
9) Just start laughing – Research shows that laughing doesn’t just signal happiness, it produces it. When we laugh, our stress hormones decrease and our endorphins rise. Endorphins are the same brain chemicals associated with the “runner’s high” you get from exercise.
10) Before you go to sleep at night, find yourself lost in a happiness flood! Ask the questions, who and what are you thankful for? What people, experiences and things make life rich? Spend a few minutes thinking of all the bits of life that you are grateful for. The big and the small. What are you proud of? What’s made you smile recently? Think of the things that create an immediate smile.
Edited by Amelia Bauer
Sources:
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/19/health/finding-happiness/
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-simple-daily-happiness/
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