3 Happiness Shortcuts
It doesn’t take a whole new routine to inject happiness into your day. With a little self-awareness and commitment, you can feel a big shift in a short time
1. Be Grateful for the Good & the Bad
Research shows grateful people are happy people. It’s important to understand that happiness is not the absence of negative feelings. Gratitude is a focus on the present and an appreciation for what we have now, rather than wanting more.
Embracing gratitude as a state of mind can have a positive effect on all aspects of life, including our feelings of happiness and overall satisfaction.
Up your mood by taking a moment everyday to think of your world with gratitude:
Start a gratitude journal
Take a walk in nature paying attention to all the gifts around us
Think of a person that helps you on a daily or weekly basis – a spouse, parent, friend, pet, teacher, cleaner, or babysitter.
2. Flex Your Creativity Muscles
Do you have a passion or hobby? It doesn’t have to be a formal activity; simply engaging in creative thinking can enhance well-being, cognitive flexibility, and problem-solving abilities.
A recent study from New Zealand, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology explains that creative activities can trigger an ‘upward spiral’ of well-being.
“Practicing an art—no matter how well or badly—is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”
Make some space in your day to create, even if it’s just for the sake of it. Try exploring unique textures or natural and recycled materials to make something for your home or a friend.
Want to add
more creativity
to your day?
Check out this list!
3. Get Connected and Stay Connected
Being a part of something larger than yourself can help bring perspective as well as give you a sense of belonging.
Scientific evidence strongly suggests that feeling like you belong and generally feeling close to other people is a core psychological need. It’s essential to feeling satisfied with your life. The pleasures of social life register in our brains much the same way physical pleasure does.
Try these low-tech ways to feel that vital sense of connection:
Take the time to nurture a friendship that’s important to you
Send a ‘thinking of you’ card via snail mail
Make a date to share lunch
Call a friend and then really listen to them
Answer authentically when a friend asks how your day is going
Smile and say hello to a stranger
Struggling and need support?
Join a support group and talk to others who can relate.
Check out TherapyTribe’s FREE online wellness support community.
