22/03/2014
Happy people accomplish more. 10 ways to be happier;
1. Get the exercise buz: Think exercise is something you don't have time for? Think again.
2. Sleep more: We know that sleep helps our body recover from the day and repair itself and that it helps us focus and be more productive.
3. Spend more time with family and friends: Social time is highly valuable when it comes to improving our happiness, even for introverts. Several studies have found that time spent with friends and family makes a big difference to how happy we feel.
4. Get outside more: Making time to go outside on a nice day also delivers a huge advantage; one study found that spending 20 minutes outside in good weather not only boosted positive mood, but broadened thinking and improved working memory.
5. Help others: One of the most counterintuitive pieces of advice is that to make yourself feel happier, you should help others.
6. Practice smiling: Of course it's important to practice "real smiles" where you use your eye sockets.There's a huge difference in a fake smile and a genuine smile.
7. Plan a trip: As opposed to actually taking a holiday, simply planning a vacation or break from work can improve our happiness.
8. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness is often touted as an important habit for improving focus, clarity, and attention span, as well as helping to keep you calm. The fact that we can actually alter our brain structure through mindfulness is somewhat reassuring that however we feel and think today isn't permanent.
9. Move closer to work: Our commute to work can have a surprisingly powerful impact on our happiness. The fact that we tend to commute twice a day at least five days a week makes it unsurprising that the effect would build up over time and make us less and less happy.
10. Practice gratitude: This is a seemingly simple strategy but can make a huge difference to your outlook. There are lots of ways to practice gratitude, from keeping a journal of things you're grateful for, sharing three good things that happen each day with a friend or partner, and going out of your way to show gratitude when others help you.
One final positive thought...
As we get older, particularly past middle age, we tend to naturally grow happier. Researchers have found that older people shown pictures of faces or situations tend to focus on and remember the happier ones more and the negative ones less.
Other studies have discovered that as people age, they seek out situations that will lift their moods--for instance, pruning social circles of friends or acquaintances who might bring them down. Still other work finds that older adults learn to let go of loss and disappointment over unachieved goals, and focus their goals on greater well being.
So if you thought getting old will make you miserable, it's likely you'll develop a more positive outlook than you probably have now.
William Montgomery
CEO of TEN
