Tuesday 7 December 2010

10 EASY STEPS TO HAPPINESS.

                                                       Picture by DevilShark.
    While people out there have versatile goals that they would love to follow,  there is this universal  fundamental goal to nearly all pursuits  ; the goal to happiness.  Very few people stop and ask themselves "What do I really want?" and when they do, everyone comes back to the same wish. To be happy .   Even though happiness is ephemeral, and I am not suggesting that we can reach a permanent state called happiness, and stay there, but how would it feel if you spend most of your time being happy?  People spend most of their lives making or wanting to make money and generally do so because they believe that maybe money will make them happy.  Or maybe money would ward them from what can make them unhappy. We spend too much time straining for that perfect relationship.. The perfect friend.. The perfect house.. The  perfect body.. The perfect appearance.. All in an effort to be happy.
                Sometimes it seems like life is throwing too many obstructions in our way. Too many, that we can't seem to handle them anymore. However, you can stand in the face of the most disputing challenges easily if you are happy.
    Here are some starting points to happiness.
  1. LAUGH OUT LOUD AND SMILE!
  2. I know what you are probably thinking right now. "Seriously? That's too obvious". Well guess what? Yes it's obvious, but 70 % of people don't smile when there's nothing to make them do so. But, sometimes we have to fake it until we make it! As Phyllis Diller said "A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. " I am not suggesting that we should be fake, but sometimes putting a happy face on and moving forward is all what we need! In the last 30 years, social psychologists have proven that the actions we take, or the actions we do, or the actions we act like we're doing, leave a mark and remainder inside of us. Smiling doesn't take a lot of effort, and standing in front of a mirror and smiling will make your day a lot better. I promise.
    In addition this, laughing out loud, at something you think is funny drops the stress hormones significantly!
  3. SLEEP EARLY!
  4. Nothing is worse than waking up early EVERY MORNING feeling horrible. You keep delaying the alarm clock, and then you realize that you are late and jump out from bed. OR, you actually do wake up when the alarm clock rings, but you helplessly try to reach out for anything so you can see the way in front of you. This affects your mood greatly. There is no better way to start your day than waking up totally rejuvenated.
    I know that we have become a sleep deprived generation, with all of the work, essays, quizes, tests, going out, etc etc. Therefore, taking power naps would definitely  help (minimum 30 minutes)
  5. POSITIVE THINKING.
  6. It's time to monitor your thoughts! A substantial piece of the happiness equation is one's attitude towards life and how you think. Delete every negative thought in your mind. You will pretty much go far in asserting a positive point of view. It's obvious that optimists are happier people, and optimism doesn't only mean "putting your happy face on"  I once read that being optimistic means "believing that you are the chief of fate, not the dupe of circumstances"
    Want to know if you are optimistic or not? Go to the Optimism Test.
  7. LISTEN TO MUSIC.
  8. Seriously, music here is the universal language. There are songs that make us happy, songs that make us cry, songs that make us dance, and songs that relax us. Try to make a playlist with the songs that make you feel genuinely good, deep down inside. Whenever you are feeling down, just listen to one of them.
    Two of my favorites are "Good Life - OneRepublic" and "Downtown - Petula Clark "
  9. SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
  10. There's nothing better than spending time with people who care about you and make you feel happy. Make sure that you are associated with positive people. Exuberance is contagious, so make sure to spend your time with upbeat people. A person shouldn't, and MUSN'T have to deal with negativity on a daily basis. It will drag  even the most positive people down.
  11. DANCE LIGHTLY WITH LIFE.
  12. Life does not have to be a serious undertaking. You will make mistakes, you will feel regrets, and eventually, you will die - so what? Happiness comes from dancing lightly with life - playing hopscotch on the river of life - leaping gracefully from joy to joy while laughing at the threats of calamity - even laughing hysterically at our human frailness when we do fall into the muddy torrent. " - Jonathan Lockwood Huie
    Need I say more?
  13. GIVE SOME TIME TO YOURSELF.
  14. Although being surrounded by people IS a stress reliever, sometimes you need to give some time to your self too. You need some time to recharge and reflect. To think. Spend some time a lone by nature, or in quiet room to allow your mind to be still. Savor the moment, and hear the sound of your breath.  You will notice a more elated point of view as an outcome.
  15. EXERCISE/DANCE.
  16. By exercising, I don't mean spending hours at the gym just tiring yourself out. Dedicate 30 minutes to dancing to your favorite song, or doing exercising. It relieves your anger and gets you out of a bad mood.
  17. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS.
  18. To experience a heightened sense of well being, think about the things you have that other people don't have. NOT VICE VERSA. You have a house, you have friends, you have a family, you can walk, talk, see, smell..etc. These things might seem stupid, but we only know what those things are worth when we lose them.
  19. FOLLOW YOUR INNER CHILD.
  20. Remember when we were children? We saw the world through simple hopeful eyes. We knew what we wanted and we had no biases or concealed agendas. We liked people who smiled, and we avoided people who frowned. And that's how simple things were. THINK LIKE A CHILD! And I am not saying be immature, but don't over analyze situations, and just go with the flow.







    "Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. " - Groucho Marx 

6 comments:

  1. Nice advice. I think it’s actually proven that even a fake smile releases certain bodily chemicals which do make you happy.

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  2. Nice Dalia

    i told you before that you are a great blogger :)

    M.salem

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  3. Great post...love the Groucho Marx quote at the end.

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  4. Nive advice, I agree on all of them. Completely true

    xoxo

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  5. Hey there, I'm a new follower.

    Great post on happiness!!

    I'd love it if you'd stop by and follow me back.

    Have a great day.

    ~Steph
    http://fortheluvofsanity.blogspot.com
    http://thispainsux.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete