Life is too short to be anything but happy. Wouldn’t you agree? Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is also an expression of success, but it’s almost impossible to make others happy if you’re not happy yourself.
With that in mind, here are ten habits that can immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:
1. Start each day with expectation
If there’s any big truth about life, it’s that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: “Something wonderful is going to happen today!” Guess what? You will most likely be right! It’s all about The Law Of Attraction!
2. Stay Positive
Any fear or worry you have are just thoughts. Any negativity is a figment of your imagination, so to speak. Which means if you apply yourself to think positively, your stressors will vanish. Think positively and live positively!
3. Be Active
Studies show that people who are more physically active have more pleasant-activated feelings than people who are less active. Even if it’s a brisk walk in the neighborhood, being active can boost your happiness!
4. Smile More
Did you know that smiling makes you happier? Yep, there’s a serious mind-body connection there, in your left frontal cortex to be exact, which is the area of your brain that registers happiness. Also, research shows that smiling is contagious. So by smiling more, you increase your happiness and the happiness of others!
5. Be Confident
Being confident about who you are is an important step to happiness. Recognizing what you love about yourself first will make you much happier to be in your own skin. Start by making a list of all of the things you love about yourself, whether it’s your free spirit, your work ethic, or your shiny hair. Confidence is happiness!
6. Recognize Your Flaws
Confidence is the key to happiness, but if you’re so confident that you don’t recognize where there’s room for improvement, you won’t be seeing your real self and may be an unpleasant person to be around. You don’t have to beat yourself, but simply recognize what can be improved.
7. Be Grateful
Never forget how lucky you are to be you. If you spend so much time obsessing about your flaws and things you want to change, you’ll never be fully happy just being yourself. Realize the good that you have and appreciate it. There’s always someone who is happy with less than what you have.
8. Manage Your Anger
Anger and upsetting feelings are often inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you have to give into those feelings. Accept anger if you must, but know when it’s time to move on. Harboring negative feelings can be detrimental. Access any situation that is upsetting, do what you can, and know when you can’t do anything. Know the necessary time to be upset and know when to move on.
9. Relationships
Relationships are the most important overall contributor to happiness. People with strong and broad social relationships are happier, healthier and live longer. Close relationships with family and friends provide love, meaning, support and increase our feelings of self worth.
10. End your day with gratitude
Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.
