Resolve to keep happy, and your joy, and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.
Helen Keller
What is the ultimate goal or rather what should be the ultimate goal of one’s life? What is everyone running behind? Isn’t it happiness? Happiness might have a different meaning for different people; the route to achieving this happiness also differs from person to person.
Our whole lives, we believe that happiness grows with growing success, and so, we keep running behind achieving that kind of success. But does the hunger for success ever get over? Is one ever satisfied? Maybe our route to achieving happiness isn’t really the right one. Perhaps we have got it all wrong. Research suggests that by following a few things or by bringing in a few lifestyle changes, the happiness quotient in your life can increase by up to 43%. Let’s read about several Science-Backed Strategies for More Happiness!
7 Science-Backed ways to be happy:
Exercise and Meditate.
When you spend some time working out, your body releases Endorphins, also called feel-good hormones. These hormones reduce your stress levels and boost your mood, which makes you happier. Exercising will also improve your creativity, concentration, willpower and, most importantly, help you sleep better.
Meditation is a magical way of keeping your mind balanced and in control. Just 10-15 minutes of meditating every day will work wonders for your mind and body!
Reconnect with nature.
Take some time off the hustle of the world to reconnect with yourself and nature. 30-minute brisk walks or jogs improved clinical depression recovery, according to a research team. Yes, major depression. Studies employing medicine or exercise plus medication had stronger results than those using only exercise alone.
Try to disconnect with technology while connecting with nature. This will help you with many clear things in your head and give you the clarity you have always needed.
Also, trees emit phytoncides, which have been demonstrated to help lower cortisol levels. Other perks? Lower blood pressure increased parasympathetic nerve activity and decreased sympathetic nerve activity linked with “fight or flight” responses.
Acts of Kindness.
This may sound cliche, but it does help. Try doing 4-5 acts of kindness every week and watch how happy it makes you. It could be as small as feeding a dog or as big as sponsoring a poor child’s education. Kindness is free, and you should use it to make the other person happy and be a reason for you to experience inner happiness.
For a week, an author conducted a study where he asked Stanford undergraduates to commit five random acts of kindness. They reported significantly higher levels of happiness than the control group, which was not surprising. Why? He and his friends were feeling confident. They were well-liked by the general population.
Eat well.
Honestly, you become what you eat. It is much more common to feel down and melancholy if you consume nothing but sugar throughout the day. Because food has a huge impact on your mood and energy levels, it is important to eat well and regularly.
According to one study, the self-reported food habits of around 12,000 patients with depressive symptoms were compared to a control group. People who ate fruits and vegetables largely, according to the findings, showed fewer signs of depression than those who did not. Try to get rid of junk food slowly because it only ruins your body and mind. Opt for healthier alternatives instead.
Maintain a Journal.
One of the best ways to understand your inner self is to maintain a journal. Start by writing your feelings each day and anything you are grateful for on that particular day. Once you pour out your heart on the piece of paper, you will experience that you feel much calmer and less anxious. You do not have to be a good writer to start journaling, neither do you have to worry about neatness, handwriting, or punctuations. The only person who needs to understand the written material is you!
Patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, for example, were given writing assignments in one research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Patients were required to write about an assigned topic for 20 minutes every day, three days a week, for the next four months, which took place over four months. Eighty-one of them shared their thoughts on stressful situations, while the remaining 37 shared thoughts on daily routines.
A clinical; neither study revealed that 70 out of 71 members of the stress-writing group had improved. They had significantly improved in terms of health, with lower levels of stress and degradation than the general population.
Instead of little talk, choose thoughtful conversations.
According to the study, having meaningful conversations rather than small talk is another factor in being satisfied with your life.
According to the research, it has been discovered that happier people spend less time alone and more time having intellectual talks than unhappier people.
Consequently, even if you are an introvert who dislikes socializing, you may want to explore stepping outside of your comfort zone to have some more profound talks. This assists you in uncovering the significance of the things that are most important to you in your life.
Be good to yourself.
Be kind to yourself. If you are not happy, you cannot make anybody else happy. If you are comfortable and peaceful from within, you can make better choices and decisions. Instead of being hard on yourself, try to be compassionate with yourself rather. In this way, you will strengthen your ability to flourish in the face of adversity and increase your likelihood of learning from mistakes.
Being a cheerful person does not need much effort. Keep in mind that these behaviors often necessitate a significant investment of time and energy. It may take a few weeks for these actions to develop habits ingrained in your daily routine as second nature. It is worthwhile to do a little bit of everything on this list every day to improve your quality of life, mood, and overall health.
