Abraham Lincoln once said- “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
Things that make you happy-Research suggests that we are already born with some happiness which is pretty innate. Some are born less happy than others.
So the grumpy people around you cut them some slack!
To make you a happier person, there are some validated ways.
Let’s get in!
Ten things that make you happy! Let’s look at it.
Meditate
Meditation is the number one for staying happy.
The author of The Happiness Advantage says :
“After a few minutes of meditation, we experience calm and content, and we are better aware and empathized. Regularly meditating can rewire the brain and take up the levels of happiness.”
Scientists have compared the brain before and after patients who have tried an eight-week meditation. There was considerable growth in the brain regions linked to self-awareness and compassion.
Short Commute
Move closer to your workplace or a new place to work. There is no point of having a better paying job if you have to trek till there. The overall negative effect of commuting excessively outweighs the benefits of having a big house or a nice job.
Also, driving in traffic is a different kind of hell.
Help others
Everything today revolves around me and I. You could often see that the happiest people are often very generous.
Try the five-minute favor suggested by Adam Grant, who is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Try finding a few minutes to help someone out is one of the best things that make you happy, it could be something small to you but could be large to them!
Get yourself some time
Using funds to purchase some time is the greatest things that make you happy more than simply purchasing things.
The researchers from Harvard and British Colombia surveyed around 6 thousand people and just asked this straightforward question.
“How much money do you spend every month to increase your free time? How often, in a month?
People who spent beyond average were highly satisfied, in comparison.
The income earned by these participants didn’t influence the results.
Get appropriate sleep
You probably know this.
So in an experiment,
Sleep-deprived students were asked to memorize a list of words. They were able to remember words wi=hich had a negative connotation whereas online 31% words were positive, e.g. sunshine.
The hippocampus is responsible for processing neutral and positive memories.
30 seconds
If you see someone struggling with something you know, you could give them a hand. Taking 30 seconds to help someone will flood your head with feel-good hormones and you will feel good all day!
Practice gratitude
Those who are involved in regular practice are :
Happier and less depressed
Have better sleep
Engage in healthy behaviours.
Accept all adversities
People who have faced adversities in life are happier than the ones who haven’t. The benefits gained are:
Reinforcing one’s identity
Coping with any stressful situations
Increases resilience
Makes one optimistic
Understand the true meaning of happiness
Happiness is based on how satisfied you are with life and how good you feel on a daily basis.
We learn to adapt with time, and hence circumstances don’t play an important role in our happiness levels.
50% of the happiness is genetically determined, 40% is controlled by actions, behaviours and thoughts and only 10% by various circumstances.
Happiness can be hardwired
You can be a happier person, beginning from this very moment. Don’t stress with the percentages mentioned above.
Happiness is not about being smiley always. It is about not having all the money in the world or being saved from troubles. Happiness is being contented and satisfied.
You deserved happiness, every piece of it. It is your birthright.
Claim it!
