No matter how you define happiness, you can improve your life and experience greater joy. Modifying your daily routine to include more sleep and exercise can help you achieve your goals. Consistency in behaviour is crucial. You know how difficult it is to stop a terrible habit if you’ve ever tried to do so. The same can be said for positive behaviours. Why not make an effort to include healthy practises into your daily life?
You can begin your journey by adopting the following behaviours on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis. Remember that happiness and the ways to achieve it are both relative concepts. If they aren’t helpful or are causing you stress, get rid of them. You will find out what works best for you by trying different things.
Regular Routines
You might find more joy in life if you adopt some of the following practises.
1. Smile
A smile almost usually appears when you’re feeling optimistic. Yet this is a two-way street, not one way.
When we’re happy, we smile, and when our brain releases dopamine, we feel even better.
The “facial feedback theory” suggests that facial expressions may have a small influence on emotions, and this may help explain the correlation between smiling and being happy.
That doesn’t mean you should always walk around with a fake smile on your face. If you’re feeling down, try putting on a smile and see what happens. You could also try greeting yourself with a smile every morning.
Also, Read- Discover the Power of Meditation for Stress Relief
2. Workouts
Working out has many other benefits as well. Exercising regularly has been shown to improve mental health by decreasing stress, anxiety, and sadness and increasing feelings of well-being.
Some exercise is better than none at all. You don’t have to join a triathlon or climb a mountain if those things don’t make you happy.
The key is to keep your exertion levels reasonable. The results of a rapid, rigorous exercise regimen are often less than satisfying (and sore).
Start your workout with the following:
- After supper, take a stroll around the neighbourhood every day.
- Join a yoga or tai chi class geared towards newcomers.
- Stretch for five minutes to kick off your day.
- Think about the things you used to enjoy doing but no longer do. You may also start doing things like dancing, golf, and bowling that have always interested you.
3. Get a good night’s rest
A reliable source says that most people need at least 7 hours of sleep every night. If you have to fight the urge to take a nap during the day or feel tired all the time, your body may be trying to tell you that it needs more sleep.
In spite of the fact that our fast-paced modern lives encourage us to get less shut-eye, we all know that getting a good night’s rest is critical to our physical and mental health, as well as our ability to handle the stresses of daily life. Having a good night’s rest also lowers your chance of acquiring serious conditions like diabetes, depression, and heart disease.
If you want to improve your sleeping habits, consider the following:
- Write down when you go to bed and how rested you feel. In one week, you will have a much clearer picture of your progress. A sleep tracking app is another option.
- Even on the weekends, stick to the same time to go to bed and wake up.
- Before bed, give yourself an hour of peace and quiet. Try taking a bath or reading a book to calm yourself down. Try eating and drinking as little as you can.
- Do not let any light or noise into your bedroom.
- Get some nice sheets.
- Try to restrict your snooze time to no more than 20 minutes.
- Go to a doctor if you have trouble sleeping night after night. You might have a treatable sleep issue.
4. Eat with mood in mind
You probably already know that the foods you eat can have a significant effect on how you feel physically. Yet, eating certain foods might also alter one’s mood. Credible Source
For example:
- Consuming carbohydrates causes the body to produce serotonin. Simply limit your intake of sugary and starchy foods because the energy they provide is temporary. To get your carbs without the crash, go for complex carbs like veggies, beans, and whole grains.
- Protein-rich foods include lean meat, poultry, beans, and dairy products. Dopamine and norepinephrine, which are both released by protein-rich diets, increase vigour and focus.
- The anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in fatty fish, have been shown to extend to brain health, according to a reliable source. See your doctor about supplementing if you don’t consume fish regularly.
- Eating foods that have been highly processed or deep-fried, or going without meals, might lower your mood.
- To begin eating for your mood, try tailoring just one of your daily food selections.
Consider swapping your morning doughnut for a Greek yoghurt and fruit parfait. You may still indulge your sweet taste, and the protein will keep you going until lunch. You could try switching out one meal per week.
5. Show your appreciation
One of the many benefits of practising gratitude is an improvement in one’s mood. One two-part study indicated that expressing appreciation often increased both optimism and happiness.
You may begin each day by naming something you’re thankful for. Do it as you wait for your snoozed alarm to go off or while you’re brushing your teeth.
Throughout the day, keep an eye out for the good things happening to you. Knowing someone loves you or obtaining a promotion are two examples of big things in life.
Small acts of kindness, like a coworker offering you a cup of coffee or a neighbour waving, can go a long way. Maybe it’s as easy as feeling the sun on your skin.
The more you do it, the more likely you are to start noticing the good things in your life.
6. Compliment someone.
Studies have shown that helping others can have positive effects on your own health.
Complimenting someone sincerely is a simple method to lift their spirits and your own.
Look them in the eye and say it with a grin on your face to convey your sincerity. It could leave you feeling pleasantly delighted.
Make sure you are being polite if you want to congratulate someone on their appearance.
7. Breathe deeply
With your shoulders hunched and your body stiff, you feel like you’re about to “lose it.” It’s a feeling that we all know.
A natural reaction to stress is to take a few deep breaths.
It seems that first impression was correct. Breathing exercises that emphasise slow, deep breathing have been shown to be effective for combating stress, according to credible research.
The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or pressured, try going through these steps:
- Defog your vision. Imagine a pleasant time or place in your past.
- Inhale deeply and hold the breath for a few seconds via your nose.
- Take a few deep, slow breaths out of your nose or mouth.
- Do this numerous times until you feel the stress melting away.
- If you find it difficult to breathe slowly and deliberately, counting to five as you inhale and exhale can help.
8. Acknowledge the unhappy moments
It’s best to keep a sunny disposition, although everyone has hardships at some point. It’s inevitable in any case.
Don’t force yourself to act cheerful if you’re feeling down because of something external (bad news, error, etc.).
Recognize and allow yourself to briefly experience your sadness. The next step is to consider what triggered these negative emotions and what it might take to overcome them.
Could you try taking some deep breaths? Much time spent in the fresh air? Have you discussed it with anyone?
Put this behind you and focus on your health. Keep in mind that no one is ever truly happy.
9. Write in a diary
Keeping a journal can help you get your ideas, feelings, and plans in order. And you don’t have to be a wordsmith or produce massive amounts of writing to reap the rewards.
A good place to start is to write down your ideas before you go to sleep. When you’re done writing something scary, you can always throw it away. How things are done is what’s important.
Confused about what to do with all the emotions you write down? This is a guide to help you sort out your emotions.
