Everyone has a different definition of what it means to be happy. That is normal. Different events and small moments have a certain meaning to each individual person. That is what makes life so amazing; we find happiness anywhere and everywhere.
Unfortunately, life gets in the way. At our age we are busier than ever. We are students, club members, employees, socialites, dreamers, givers, chefs, philanthropists, etc. We try to do everything – whether we want to or not. Because of our long to-do lists it is hard to really focus on our inner selves, who happens to be the most important person in our lives. Our souls need attention just as much as everything else.
It is important to take time out of each day to have purely YOU time to relax and take a breather. I personally didn’t realize how much I needed this until it was almost too late. No matter how much fruit we eat or the number of sweaty hours we spend at the gym, if that isn’t what makes us happy or calm, then it isn’t keeping our inner selves healthy.
Not only is this to help all collegiettes be well, but it is for me, too. I have been reading books and doing yoga and anything you can think of that helps with calming our souls. This article will list and explain ways to simply stay happy. As I said before, we are all different. So use this information as guidelines and use it to help discover “you.”
Book Suggestion: Happiness- Practical Steps for All-Round Well Beingby Dr. Nick Baylis. This is the book I used the most to experiment my happiness with. Most of my tips and information comes from the pages of this amazing book.
Concentration One: Our Environment
Our environment can consist of multiple spaces, such as our college campus, our bedroom or even our desk at work. So how do we change the energy in these places? Personally, at work I have tried to create the best desk space I can. Cleanliness is the main focus. Keep all papers organized so you never have to stress where to find them, keep all relations work appropriate so personal lives are not involved. Also, take 10 minutes every two hours to not do anything. Just sit, relax and reflect. It also always helps to sip hot tea throughout the workday. That relaxes me, at least.
Concentration Two: Our Bodies
This area probably needs the most attention due to the fact that if our own bodies aren’t happy, then nothing is. The way to keep our inner selves happy is easy; we all know what to do. Eat healthy, exercise regularly, stay hydrated and get enough sleep. It’s just a matter of making time for all of that in our day. With our busy lives, time management is hard to do. It’s basically unheard of to have a full 8-hour night’s sleep. But at least attempt to wake up 20 minutes early to stretch or do yoga. Take time to walk your dog when home from work. In the book I mentioned earlier it states, “We shouldn’t wait for things to get better before changing what we do; we should first set in motion the changes because it’s these that help things to get better.” So do not wait to change your routine until you’re forced to; live life day to day, that way it’s the way you want it to be.
Concentration Three: Our Minds
Making major improvements in our day-to-day lives obviously takes plenty of concentration, and that concentration can cause serious strain on the brain. Usually, what causes such strain is while we are talking on the phone with our friends we’re making a mental grocery list while doing the dishes. Multitasking is a helpful skill to have, but sometimes it can backfire by causes serious brain farts. Professor Christopher Andrew has studied how a WWII cryptanalyst was able to have his mind think laterally while also intensely at the same time. Meaning that while relaxing, in his case it was taking a hot bath, he got his best work done. On the other hand, scientists like Darwin and Newton could focus all their attention for days at a time. They just needed the same amount of time afterwards to rest. So this shows that all brains work differently, we just have to learn how to figure out when and how we work the best.
Putting These Concepts into Action
- Always be open to learning new things. Having a broad horizon of knowledge and abilities make us feel fulfilled and able. There are an endless amount of benefits to having a range of skills and thoughts.
- Use all of your physical abilities, goals, and brainpower to help pursue your passions. Once that passion is fulfilled, we feel satisfied.
- Be one with nature. Even though nature gives us bad hair days sometimes, she provides us with happiness. Weather has been proven to control moods, so on sunny days take a walk or catch some rays. Always do what you can to keep our environment clean.
- Keep your life rich with positive relationships and partnerships. Refrain from holding on to negative feelings about people because positive relations have much more to offer. We can achieve more when in a group, which makes succeeding much more rewarding because we are sharing it with others.
For more on what makes people happy and on the documentary Happy: A Documentary that will Lift and Enlighten You please refer to Samantha Henry’s articles.