How To Be Happy: 6 Steps To Living A Happier Life
Happiness is a choice, and so is being happy. It’s not about meeting the right person or finding the perfect job or getting that expensive car. At the end of the day, happiness lies in your hands alone. You need to first believe that you are worthy of happiness before you can go out and find it. The key to living a happier life lies in small things that we often take for granted. Here is how you can be happy every single day and make this wonderful feeling last forever.
Start your day with gratitude and end with forgiveness
The morning pages, as a daily practice, can help you be happier. The pages are a stream-of-consciousness writing exercise where you write about whatever’s on your mind — without judging or editing as you go. It has been shown to improve mental health, reduce stress, and increase self-awareness. The pages have also been shown to increase happiness by allowing you to express gratitude, which can improve sleep, reduce anxiety, and increase optimism. Research shows that spending just a few minutes each day writing down three things you’re grateful for is enough to significantly increase your long-term happiness. Forgiveness is another one of the steps to be happy. Holding a grudge hurts you and not the other person. Forgiving allows you to become free and happy. When you hold on to negative feelings, you’re actually impeding your ability to move forward.
Be grateful for what you have, not what you don’t have
You may be thinking that chasing what you don’t have is a quick way to achieve happiness, but that’s far from the truth. Being grateful for what you have is a proven way to increase happiness. Studies show that people who keep gratitude journals (i.e., write down three things they are grateful for each day) are happier than those who don’t. It’s easy to fall into the trap of always wanting more and more, but being grateful for what you have makes you appreciate what you have in the present and boosts your overall happiness. So take a few minutes every day to sit and write down the things that you’re grateful for.
Make time for yourself — Just breathe
We are all so caught up in our daily schedules that we forget to make time for ourselves. Just one hour of quiet time would be enough to rejuvenate your mind and help you be happy. Silence is the best medicine. Research shows that spending just 10 minutes in silence every day can lower your blood pressure, reduce stress and improve your mental health. Silence is non-negotiable. You can’t just ‘fit it in’ whenever you feel like it. You have to make it a priority because it will only have positive effects on your health and happiness. Silence is the best antidote for a busy, stressed-out mind and is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and increase creativity.
Exercise regularly to be happy and healthy
Exercising is a proven way to reduce stress and be happy. At the same time, it has been shown to also reduce anxiety, improve sleep, increase self-esteem and increase optimism. So, not only does it make you happy, but it also keeps you healthy and fit too. Exercising regularly is one of the best ways to increase your happiness and improve your overall health. It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you do, as long as it gets your heart rate going. The key is to do it regularly. Even a small amount of exercise each day can significantly improve your mental health, happiness, and overall well-being.
Don’t compare yourself to others
Comparison leads to negative feelings. It’s important to remember that everyone’s life is different and everyone’s journey is different too. What works for you may not work for someone else. Don’t compare yourself to others — that will only make you unhappy. Remember that everyone has their own problems and flaws. There is no such thing as a perfect person. Everyone is coping with something in their lives. It’s just that some people have learned to cope better than others. So, don’t compare yourself to others, and don’t let their achievements or happiness get you down.
Learn from your past mistakes and forgive yourself
We’ve all made mistakes in our lives, but nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes, but what makes the difference between a happy person and an unhappy person is how they deal with their mistakes. Happy people learn from their mistakes and don’t dwell on them. They forgive themselves and move on. Forgiveness is necessary to live a happy life. It’s important to forgive yourself for your mistakes because if you don’t forgive yourself, you will keep holding on to that guilt and it will only make you more unhappy. So, learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself so that you can move on and be happy.
Conclusion
As you can see, being happy is all about making conscious choices. You can’t expect to be happy if you keep doing the same things and the same old habits that aren’t making you happy. It’s important to make changes to your daily life and to your mindset to be happy. The good news is that you don’t have to make drastic changes, even small changes can make a big difference. So, go ahead and make the changes that will help you be happy.
