Tips for increasing happiness in your life!
Wintertime can be a difficult time of year for anyone: it gets dark earlier, it’s cold, etc. Now add on a pandemic. Many individuals find it difficult to get motivated in the morning. With everything that is going on in our world today, it can be easy to succumb to negative emotions and negative thinking styles. When we are vulnerable (say hungry or cold), we can be much more sensitive to events that prompt painful emotions. When we shift our way of thinking and focus on the positives, we can increase our resilience to these painful emotions.
In fact, we can increase our resilience RIGHT NOW by thinking about and doing things that make us happy!
1. Brainstorm a list of 10 things that make you happy. They can be big events like celebrating a birthday or an anniversary, or something as small as your first sip of coffee (or tea) in the morning. Being mindful of things that make you happy can increase your overall mood.
2. Write down three things you’re grateful for. Identifying things that you value can help change your perspective and increase optimism.
3. Get outside! Take a nature walk or sit outside in the sun. Research shows that being in nature can reduce stress and negative thinking and exposure to some vitamin D can increase positive attitudes.
4. Write down your feelings. If you’re feeling distressed, recording your feelings can help you solve problems, clarify your thoughts and relieve stress.
5. Listen to music. Many people tie emotions to their favorite songs. Play some songs that make you happy.
When you notice yourself thinking negatively or feeling down, take a step back and think of this list.
Try to do at least one thing each day that makes you feel happy.
Here’s a video that offers more tips on how to increase happiness in your life: