With so many things that the world has to offer, it’s easy to lose ourselves while we continue chasing our dreams. We tend to get consistently focused on what’s ahead in hopes to gain accomplishments in this lifetime. But whatever we may be pursuing, at the end of the day, it all comes down to one thing. We all desire to be happy.
Although happiness can be a somewhat vague or subjective concept to most people, you don’t need to go through such extensive lengths as Will Smith did in the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness” just to feel genuinely happy. The truth is, happiness is everywhere and everything can be a source of happiness. Sometimes, we’re just too caught up in chasing big dreams that we become unable to see those simple sources of happiness within easy reach.
What can make me feel happy? How can I uplift my mood? How can I boost my mood naturally?
The main purpose of this article is to answer these questions, help you improve your mood and overall happiness by using simple yet effective methods.
Our body houses a multitude of “happy hormones” that we can utilize to elevate our happiness levels and improve our mood. Happiness is already an innate feeling within us. Happiness can also come from external sources, all we need to do is to pay more attention and appreciation to those sources surrounding us.
Being happy can be as simple as tapping into your consciousness and utilizing your body’s natural way of feeling good. You don’t need to rely on success or accomplishment to feel genuine happiness. Nor should you treat happiness as a reward for your hard work. Rather than going big on your happiness level by accomplishing big achievements, why not give yourself a chance to be happy every day?
“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.”
–Earl Nightingale
Here are 8 simple things you can do every day to give yourself that daily dose of happiness you deserve:
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Coffee and chocolates both contain a wide variety of compounds and antioxidants that are known to stimulate your “happy hormones”.
Here are some hormones we have that promote happiness:
- Dopamine – The “feel good” hormone
- Oxytocin – The love hormone
- Endorphins – The pain-relieving hormone
- Serotonin – The mood-regulating hormone
Particular research on the effects of coffee has proven that the chemicals contained in coffee can activate almost every happy hormone in our brain. In a separate study on chocolates, researchers confirmed that chocolate also taps into a variety of happy hormones in a similar way to coffee.
When your body is happy, you are happy. The general idea for this comes down to taking care of your physical self.
Exercise being good for the body is a well-known fact. However, what some people fail to know is that exercise also helps manage stress levels and promotes the release of endorphins. It is not just for keeping your body in shape, but also for promoting emotional and mental health.
Having an insufficient amount of sleep has been proven to cause a hormonal imbalance within the body. This imbalance, in turn, can disrupt or even compromise the flow of the good hormones that promote your happiness.
Remember that physical wellness and emotional wellness always go hand-in-hand. Since the promotion of happy hormones happens to you physically, it is always a good idea to keep it healthy and free from distress.
Reaching within your inner consciousness may be the simplest way to boost your happiness.
Meditation is a proven stress-buster and has been known to keep negative emotions at bay. Continuous practice can also help rewire your brain and help you cope with possible future negativities that may come your way.
This could be as simple as conducting relaxed breathing exercises a few minutes a day. Just imagine how much benefit you would get from something you can do for free. Start bringing more peace to yourself and get in touch with the inner you.
Remember that time when you used to want something so badly and the amount of joy you felt when you obtained it? If you still have that particular thing in your life, how much happiness does it give you today?
When we become too focused looking for happiness from what we desire, we can end up taking other good things that we have for granted. Gratitude allows you to find happiness from potentially everything in your life. The things you had, you currently have, and what you aim to have in the future.
Constant practice of gratitude can also give you a better outlook in life and allow you to find happiness even in misfortunes.
Maintaining a constant level of happiness is just one of the benefits of gratitude. Take some time every day to count your blessings. You might be even surprised to discover new things within yourself, giving you more reason to be thankful.
Spending time surrounding yourself with nature has long been known to have therapeutic benefits. Since the beginning of time, Nature has always there to provide us with what we need to heal and grow. And the same still applies to this day.
Taking a short stroll and surrounding yourself with nature can bring more benefits than just elevating your happiness. Keeping a plant inside your living space can also help bring more happiness to you and your home.
“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
–Vincent Van Gogh
In this modern world, various technologies have affected our lifestyle and somewhat limited our interaction with nature. Regardless, no matter how much technology evolves, it can never truly compensate or replicate the connection we have with Mother Nature.
No one likes to laugh alone, or at least be seen while doing so. This is one reason why socialization with others brings more happiness to our lives.
Laughter is not a product of happiness. Rather, it is one way of our body to release the hormone “oxytocin”. In this sense, you can say that laughter comes first before happiness.
We can all agree that sharing a good laugh with other people can make that good time last longer. Although we won’t judge you if you prefer to laugh alone.
When we’re too focused on the lives of other people, we can’t help but start comparing ourselves with them at times. That they are better, or they have more or we are not as good. This, in turn, creates thoughts that feed your negative emotions.
Everyone has their share of challenges in life, even those people whom you wish you could switch places with. Most of the time, however, the good things we see about others are just the outer cover of the book. Therefore, it does not tell you the whole story.
The bottom line is: Nobody is perfect. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Rather than spending your time noticing the traits of others, it would be much constructive and productive if you use this time to appreciate your good qualities and find joy in appreciating all the wonderful things about yourself.
Following the principles of the “Law of Vibration”, elevating our vibrational frequency can be directly related to increasing happiness. Your vibration can also affect others, and in turn, can also be reciprocated back to you.
People will know whenever they are shown genuine kindness. Almost all of the time, the kindness that you show to others will be appreciated regardless of whether they say it or not. When others appreciate you, you will feel it. The positivity you feel from others in turn also raises your vibration frequency. Showing others kindness as simple as a smile can already go a long way.
“There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures, and feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort.”
–Charlotte Bronte
What small things do you do that makes you happy every day? We would love to hear it in the comments below?
