Here are some short tips on how to be happier. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments.
Table of Contents
Get outside.
One of the easiest ways to boost your mood is to get fresh air. It’s also one of the best forms of exercise. Even if you’re not in the mood to take a walk or a run, just sitting outdoors can have a major impact on your mood. Staring at your phone will not.
Set an alarm clock and sleep in for a bit on weekends.
Habits make our lives easier. It’s natural to want to spend as much time as possible in bed and sleep in on weekends, but sleeping in isn’t worth the burden you might put on your body.
Being well rested helps with mental clarity, so try setting an alarm for the morning and then sleeping in for a bit on weekends.
This will free up a lot of time in your week and give you a chance to get in some extra shut-eye.
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Get moving.
Moving is a positive stress buster and works wonders on the immune system. It releases endorphins and gives you a natural lift, making you more likely to meet your goals.
Even just 20-30 minutes of exercise will make you happier and more optimistic. But just as importantly, it also improves your focus, makes you feel more accomplished, and gives you a sense of well-being.
If you’re not used to physical activity, start with baby steps. Start with a 30-minute walk or a simple yoga session.
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Change up your routine.
Research has shown that change in routine is the most effective way to create new and lasting happiness. Give yourself new goals, follow a different path every day, or start a new, smaller task every week.
If you’re in the habit of eating the same, boring, unhealthy foods, get over it. Change it up by swapping out those snacks for healthy foods and choosing healthy options.
Get moving more.
You don’t have to get hitched to the elliptical to get your daily dose of exercise. Even a little bit of movement can be beneficial to your body and mind.
You can even get a more intense workout by doing high-intensity interval training. That means you’ll break a sweat while you’re working out, but then you’ll cool down and relax after.
When you switch up your exercise routine, your body produces more endorphins. That’s why you feel so much better after you get your heart rate up and sweat out some stress.
Get more sleep.
Getting enough sleep has a long list of benefits. Even getting eight hours of sleep can make you less irritable, more creative, and more upbeat.
Make sure you’re getting the right amount of sleep. Sometime one or two hours less of sleep can cause major problems.
Make sure you’re getting in at least seven to nine hours per night.
Take time to decompress.
When you feel stressed or overwhelmed, it’s easy to think you’re stuck in a cycle. You can’t go anywhere else but down. But that’s actually a key part of breaking through.
Take some time to decompress. Take a walk in the woods, read a book, watch a movie, take a nap, or even play some video games.
Everything helps to calm down and think positively. Take a few minutes to “detox” before you head into the next part of your day.
Keep an eye out for a new challenge.
Some of us have a natural tendency to climb up the ladder of success, instead of climbing out.
While some people have the natural talent for excelling, many of us don’t, and we can learn how to.
If you’re finding your progress plateauing or feeling like you aren’t making as much progress as you’d like, something might be holding you back.
Think about what you could do to challenge yourself a little bit more. Consider a new habit you can start. If you get busy at work, try getting up a half hour earlier to get some extra exercise.
This could be just what you need to push you to make more progress in your life.
Take a note from the preachers of the prosperity gospel. They don’t necessarily want you to make more money. They want you to make more money because you have more money.
The more you make, the more you can give.
As long as you put money into savings and get out of debt, you’re on the right path. But even if you don’t have a lot of money in the bank, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most of what you have.
There are tons of ways to make your money work for you. There are also simple ways to live on a budget. If you want to increase your income, there are ways you can work on that too.
Create more income.
If you’re not generating income, you’re not going anywhere. Consider your current situation. What could you start doing to increase your income, either by freelancing or by doing something else you do for free?
Even something as simple as putting up some free content online can bring in some money. You don’t have to charge a lot, or even to get paid at all. You just have to give people a free taste of what you have to offer.
This creates a positive feedback loop. People who enjoy the content you give them will share it with their friends, and they’ll get money out of the process.
Use your time to invest in other people.
This one is another tough one. After you’ve done your part to help out your family, friends, and community, you don’t always get the response you’d hoped for.
But there are ways to make a difference. If you’re willing to be the first to give your time and skills, you might just be able to help someone else in return.
Pick something that means a lot to you, and then work on it every single day.
Spend time helping others and looking for ways to help them.
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