The question, " How can I learn to be happier? " can be answered through the following strategies by David Myers, author of The Pursuit of Happiness. These are small things you can do everyday to live an overall happier life.
* as stated in Lopez, et. al, 2015
1. Realize consistent happiness doesn't come from success; the absence of wealth and health means less happiness, but having wealth and health doesn't guarantee happiness.
2. Control your time. Set goals broken down into daily achievable tasks. People often overestimate what can get done in a day, but imagine what you can accomplish in a year with a little work each day.
3. Fake it! Acting happy and smiling can trick our brain to actually being happy. Talk as though you had high self-esteem, are optimistic, and outgoing. Go through the motions because it can cause the desired emotions.
4. Seek work and activities that engage your strengths. This balance of personal strengths and challenge will promote flow which is a perfect state of engagement.
5. SLEEP as much as your body needs! Lack of sleep will only cause a gloomy mood, lack of alertness, fatigue, when instead you could be live a more active life when given proper rest.
6. Get active and stay mobile. Aerobic exercise promotes health and energy AND is can aid with mild depression and anxiety. The mind and body really do operate together, taking care of one helps the other.
7. Focus on your closest relationships. Intimate friends and family that care and love you will help you get through hard times. Nurture these relationships, give back what you want them to put in, and do not take them for granted.
8. Go beyond yourself. Happy people often help others, but helping others can also promote happiness.
9. Keep a gratitude journal. Find things throughout the day to be thankful for and reflect on them. Think about positives with friends, family, freedom, education, health, surroundings and so on.
10. Nurture your spiritual self. Faith in religion or just spiritual lifestyles can provide a supportive community, a reason to focus outside of the self, and hope and purpose.
Source:
Positive Psychology: The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human Strengths
Book by Charles R. Snyder, Jennifer Teramoto Pedrotti, and Shane J. Lopez
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