In today’s modern world you are are continuously bombarded with what’s good, how it increases your happiness and why you absolutely must have this product or that service.
Marketers tell you that the key to happiness is spending or consuming more, associating positivity with ownership and fame.
Politicians tell you that a strong economy can help create more happiness and contentment.
But the question is; do these things really play a role in bringing eternal happiness?
For many years, people have turned to religion, philosophy and even science to answer this question
And scientists have found that what you feel depends on the negative characteristics you genetically inherit from your family and relatives: for example, inheriting depressive symptoms from your mother. Other than genes, circumstances, too, affect the way you feel about life.
Scientists concluded that individuals have power over what they choose to feel in their lives; regardless of the negative circumstances they face.
So here are 4 simple, but incredibly effective ways to increase your happiness by bringing a positive change into your life.
Work to your strengths
Knowing your own strengths, what you can do and what you hope to achieve, will allow you to perform well on a personal level. Being aware of your strengths is, however, not enough. Try putting them into practice and you’ll feel, and eventually, see a change.
Using your strengths means recognizing your potential and allowing it to do its job. It feels energizing to use the body and mind to the best of their ability.A study by US psychologists has found that people who used their strengths in new ways each week, became less depressed and much happier six months later.
Keep in mind that using your potential does not mean ignoring your weak areas. Work on the weaker links while emphasizing on the strengths.
Solitude is not a necessity
Human beings need to feel wanted and connect to other living persons. Psychologists suggest that loneliness, a universal human emotion, is a person’s worst enemy. It is a ‘damaging state of mind’ that could form the basis for depression and other psychological disorders.
John Cacioppo, a social psychologist at the University of Chicago, found in a study, that loneliness not only becomes the cause for depressive symptoms, but also other health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, increased stress, impaired memory and learning, addiction towards drug abuse and many more.
To avoid this, it is important to relate to the positive aspects of life rather than the negative. For instance:
Listen to happy songs: People prefer listening to sad, depressing music just because they can ‘relate’ to it. However, this is because sad music feeds on human negativity, glorifies solitude, making you believe that the only human emotion worth feeling is in fact, sadness.
Replace the sad numbers on your list with upbeat ones and you’ll be able to change your ‘state’ instantly.
Balance it out: The need to live happily and independently, for an educated, intelligent individual is humanely natural. For many of us, large gatherings may bring thrill and excitement, but solitude brings peace. It helps us recharge and get ready to take on the world. Loneliness may be the basis for pain and sadness, but some ‘alone time’ is necessary.
Increasing your happiness comes with being around people you can talk and listen to, as well as tending to your need for solitude.
Lessen technological influence: Heavy technological influence, in modern day and age, is another reason why people are miserable. Obsession with social media has led us to embrace the world with open arms while paying no heed to the loved ones near us. Prioritize your life.
Step away from technology and go device-free from time to time. It’s the solution for eternal well-being.
Go easy and meditate
It is completely acceptable to go easy on yourself sometimes. Overworking yourself will lead to exhaustion; affecting your mental and physical health.
Meditation is great tool to slow down and relax, while combating stress at the same time. It fosters physical health and assures a happier, more peaceful sleep at night.It also helps relieve anxiety and depression, and improve attention, concentration, and overall psychological well-being.
If you’re new to the activity, build your base and move up gradually. Do not rush, since being able to work with the barrage of thoughts is not easy. Keep full focus onto your posture that best suits you.
Yoga: Unlike hard-core cardio or strength training, yoga is a gentle form of physical exercise that not only soothes the muscles in your body but also does wonders for your mental health. Yoga allows its practitioners to find stillness in a world that’s consumed with chaos.
If you haven’t already tried yoga, go for a yoga retreat at an exotic location and you’ll come back wanting more.
Focus on the positive & increase your happiness
Staying positive in a relentlessly negative world is a difficult thing to do. People constantly try to bring you down with their depressed, cynical demeanor.
Scientifically speaking, not everybody is born with positive genes. However, people can work on themselves, to see the world in a different light. Even positive-minded people have no guarantee of waking up to happy thoughts. They have conditioned themselves to taking things positively, no matter where they are.
Try starting your day on a happy note, even if it’s with something small.
Accept negativity for what it is, while fighting for your right to be positive. This world is full of people who will do anything to bring you down; and the sooner we let the thought sink in, the better.
As humans, we cannot control the amount of time we spend on this planet. What we can control, however, is our contribution to make it a better place to live in, and the quality of life we choose for ourselves.
So exercise that choice and choose to increase your happiness right now.
Author Bio: Audrey Throne is a mother and a professional blogger by choice. She has completed her masters in English literature from university of Birmingham. As a blogger she wrote quite a few posts on health, technology as well as management. She loves to discover new places and share experiences in words.
Find her on Twitter: @audrey_throne.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
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