Are you finding yourself not so happy even after opting for the things you wanted? Here are 20 helpful and simple practices that can show you the path for it.
A lot of people among us have asked themselves whether they are really happy or not. Is happiness overrated in this harsh world? That is also a question that pops into many individuals’ minds. Well, happiness is not a materialistic belonging, but rather a feeling or state of mind that makes you feel great about life, rather than being sad, stressed, and depressed. Philosophers have often compared happiness to the butterfly that keeps flying away the more we try to chase it.
In this modern world with increasing issues of stress, depression, and anxiety, people often find it difficult to cope. You can easily find overflowing sources of “happiness hacks” and many other elements that make ‘Happiness’ feel like an elusive prize that you are unable to achieve. Throughout our whole lives, we are taught to feel happy only when we get some achievement or acquisition. Yet, even after acquiring everything, a person can find happiness beyond their reach.
The Idea of Happiness
Happiness is often and mainly rooted in the small and consistent actions that we take each day. While change and transformations are important in life, happiness does not require a grand transformation or strict routine to feel it. The true form of joy often reveals itself in the simplest moments.
The Science of Happiness
If seen from a psychological perspective, happiness is stated as well-being along with good feelings, a sense of satisfaction in life, and a sense of purpose or belonging. According to the psychologists, there are two primary parts of happiness.
- Hedonic well-being is connected with positive emotions and pleasure, which is explained as a state of contentment that comes by avoiding pain and having pleasure.
- Eudaimonic well-being can be pursued through fulfillment, purpose, and meaning in life.
According to medical studies, happiness is a combination of physical and mental well-being. It is proven that people who are able to handle stress better are more likely to have lower cortisol levels. Positive emotions are capable of reducing inflammation levels, which allows reducing risk for chronic diseases and even cardiac issues.
20 Effective Habits for a Happy Life
Every person lives a different life from another, and it tends to overlap in this fast-paced, digital world of today. Instead of following the same old practices of happiness that are overhyped among all, we need to focus on the habits that actually work effectively in this world and lifestyle of ours that is evolving rapidly with global influences and advancements.
- Micro-disconnect: Now and Then And Often
A lot of people feel like they are zoning out in their daily lives, and it is a symptom that life is getting too overwhelming and our minds are trying to cut ties now and then. Everybody needs a little ‘me-time’ in their lives to look at their own selves and reflect. Checking inwardly allows us to self-contemplate, which is important for all kinds of people to find more room for improvement. Spending more time with yourself can help to fight your inner battles that we do not speak about. It can help to comprehend your thoughts and allows you to be honest and authentic about yourself. This is what helps to pave the way for happiness to appear from within.
- Reduce Your Screen Time in the Digital Age
Yes, we are living in a digitally advanced age where professional and personal needs can be taken care of with the help of a digital device and internet. Starting from work to entertainment after work, everything takes place through a digital screen, and people spend a lot of time on the screens of mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and others. According to a recent report, a person spends around 6 to 7 hours on digital screens on a daily basis. That’s a lot of screen time and it can bring more stress to your body, mind, and eyes. That is why you need to set a little tech-free zone or time daily, which allows reconnecting with yourself. You can set hours for no-phone or no-screen to keep yourself away from the loop. Try not to use your phone before bedtime as it can potentially hamper your sleep.
- “Kintsugi”: Japanese Thinking
Kintsugi is a Japanese method of Art where the artists repair old broken ceramics with gold. This vision is appreciated as it helps to find beauty in the flaws. It is a human tendency to try to mend things that are not even broken. The current culture is hyper-consumer-oriented, and there is a solution for every kind of problem. We are already preoccupied with a lot of imperfections, and it is time to embrace them. The acceptance of your own flaws and follies is more important in this world where everybody is after perfection. It is not just about physical imperfections but also the setbacks of life. Remember to treat it as a learning experience rather than considering it as failure. These meaningful parts of your life help to grow and add more depth to your personality.
- Daily Gratitude Glance
Every day in the morning after you wake up, just take 30 seconds and acknowledge three things that you are truly thankful for. Think of this from mental perception of satisfaction rather than a materialistic belonging. Staring from having your family around to staying connected with your childhood friends or doing a job that you always wanted to do; even the smallest things in life can bring you more happiness. Life is only going to get tougher, and practicing daily gratitude can help you cling on to the good parts of life that mean much to you.
- Start Saving No Matter How Much
It goes without saying that monetary issues and financial problems are the main cause of dissatisfaction for most people. While you cannot drastically change your bank balance, you can always try to save some from your income. A lot of people are not sure how to save their money, and the modern capitalist world of inflation makes us spend and consume more than we make in savings. Saving money can be harder than imagined, and that is why you should start saving a small portion from your income that you can spare or forget. Monthly savings can lead to a bigger amount, which can be further diversified through mutual funds, FDs, or other cases of investment with great ROI. It is important to invest in medical insurance as it can become helpful for your parents as well as yourself. You never know when a medical emergency arrives.
- Focus on Creating a ‘Yes’ List
We are more likely to create huge wishlists on e-commerce platforms or a watchlist on the OTT that you subscribed to. But what you really need to do is create a ‘Yes’ list. Treat it as a bucket list for every month where you say ‘yes’ to small and new experiences in life, which offers a break from your regular monotonous life. Whether it is trying out a new cuisine or accepting a social invitation by actually going there, you should explore yourself by exposing yourself to different experiences and situations of life. A ‘yes’ list is important to embrace novelty. Sometimes it can shake you up and put yourself out of your comfort zone, but that is also important to enjoy fresh energy through small moments of joy that you have declined all your life.
- Now, Create a ‘No’ List
The ‘no’ list is the counterbalance to your ‘yes’ list, which helps you not to get overboard. Try to figure out the things that you want to avoid this month or for any month and then focus on following them. This helps to create boundaries and allows you to have more control over yourself. It can be anything, starting from reducing your alcohol consumption or unnecessary spending habits that you do on quick commerce platforms. Even if you are trying not to indulge yourself in gossip, that should be put on the list as well. Boundaries can help to avoid distractions and save your time to focus on the activities that you truly love to do or matters to you. With the commitment of saying ‘no’, you actually make time for things that bring your peace and happiness.
- Micro-meditation Sessions
Meditation looks simple but is actually not that easy. Humans have a monkey mind that jumps from one thought to another pretty quickly. Chronic over-thinkers can relate to this even more, and so, it is not possible to sit for a long meditative session in this fast-paced modern world. Instead, you can try micro-meditation time-outs where you can give yourself a quick mental refresh through easy and short breathing exercises. Just make 1 to 2 minutes of gap between the tasks, sit quietly, close yourself, and breathe deeply without thinking of anything or anyone. Emptying your mind for a while can help to calm yourself and ease your stress levels. And then, you can bring yourself back to the present. These tiny pauses are good for creating more mental space, which helps to get a quick reset and allows staying focused for the whole day.
- Time to Change Complaints into Curiosity
After we are born, no one prepares us for living a life. Even our parents just show us the mandatory stuff for survival, such as studying, cooking, or the activities that allow us to make a living. However, there is a slight difference between being alive and living a life fully, and when you are not living well enough, complaints about life occur. We are mainly raised in a very protected environment where no worries can touch us, but when we grow up, we are exposed to the harsh side of life with a lot of surprises. Those who are unable to cope with the changes are more likely to complain about life endlessly, and that can also make a person bitter towards everything with hefty frustration. Therefore, every time you face some uncertainty, try to treat it as an opportunity for growth. Instead of complaining, try to find what you can learn from that incident.
- Try ‘Something New’ Every Week
Sometimes, boredom can also be a crucial reason for lack of happiness as monotonous life obstructs the opportunities for growth. You can learn a lot of things, and when you are done learning them, it often gets mundane since you already know it. It is very important to expose yourself to new things and learn more, which makes your lifestyle fresh and unique. Try to commit to learning a new experience every week, whether it is going out in the wild or in a gallery exhibition.
- Single-task in the World of Multitask
With this modern and fast-paced digital age, many of us are forced to multitask from a young age, as life is no longer as slow as it was before. We are forgetting how to single-task and getting accustomed to multitasking in every aspect of life, whether professional or personal needs. We should also learn how to focus on a single task at a time, and so, you should engage yourself in a single something every day. It can be any activity, and you should keep a separate time slot for this. Whether it is eating your food without scrolling on your phone or watching a movie without talking to someone, single-tasking can help you to fully immerse yourself in the action and make the results even better. Churn out the moment before it passes away.
- Daily Dose of Kindness
A kind person will be a happier person as they can see through the pain of others. Change often comes through small and consistent actions in life, and acts of kindness are also part of it. If your simple gesture can help to make someone’s day better, you should do it regardless. When you commit some act of kindness, that helps to boost your morale and also your sense of happiness. It is important to be kind to others without expecting anything in return. When you see them happy for you, it offers a great deal of joy which cannot be explained. Whether you feed a homeless person, hold the elevator door for someone, or compliment someone for their great outfit, everything can be considered an act of kindness as it can make others happy. The key here is to do things selflessly without seeking a good return, as it offers a positive energy and embraces your humane values.
- Visualizing an Ideal Day
Visualization is a powerful tool that every human has, and it can help to keep your goals aligned on your path. It can also be considered a manifestation as it can help to get the work done with success. While vision boards are mainly associated with the overachievers, they can help any individual to stay on their path of happiness and stay in check. It offers clarity and direction towards your goal along with a clear sense of purpose. Going with the flow is good, but it is even better when you are able to create your own flow. Instead of handling things under pressure, you should prioritize what truly matters to you. Think of your ideal day and visualize what you will do, how you will talk, where you will spend time, and what you are trying to achieve. This effective practice can help to streamline your actions while reducing your anxiety levels. It offers a sense of confidence and control to win the day.
- Clean-up in 10 Minutes
Our surrounding environment can affect your health and well-being. Your mood can be ruined in a dirty place, and so, you should focus on cleanliness too. Cluttered rooms can be a big downer, and if you are someone who easily gets affected by the surrounding mess, you should opt for a 10-minute clean-up routine daily. 10-15 minutes is enough to declutter your room and keep things organized. You do not have to clean the whole room every day, but you can opt for different spots. You can clean the desk someday and the floor some other day. It does not always have to be perfect, and basic cleaning can also lift your mood and welcome the positive emotions.
- Find Out More ‘Slow Hobbies’
In this fast-paced world of AI, everyone is looking forward to getting things done as soon as possible. People have become quite impatient, and they are more likely to engage in the actions that get done quickly. When it takes a little more time to learn something, modern people are more likely to quit it. They want to master a skill overnight, and that is not possible. Try to get rid of this mentality and focus on slow hobbies like knitting, crochet, reading, painting, etc, to name some. Try to stick to the hobby consistently, and you will be able to fully utilize your time. Slowing down can actually help you focus better and take your time for a better execution of the task. It offers a mental break and helps to create calm moments throughout the whole day.
- Ever talked to a Stranger?
Human interactions can work like therapy, and brief moments of interaction can easily boost your mood. Having a human conversation is quite uplifting for everyone, especially for the lonely individuals who do not find a lot of people to talk to. You might believe, but studies have proven that small and friendly chats with strangers can help you feel happier and content. This practice can also help to break your regular routine and find some peace. For example, you can complement them for their outfit or talk about the weather or anything that you think has a common ground here. These small gestures and interactions with people offer a ripple effect of positivity for you as well as the stranger.
- Bursts of Light Exercise
Well, this might appear hard to many, but once you start a daily routine of exercise, you will see the changes within a few days. Promise yourself that you will engage in some kind of light exercise routine where you work out for a few days in a week or an hour every day. The hardest part is not doing it on the first day, but doing it repeatedly and consistently every day. Your workout routine does not have to be intense, but it has to be regular. Physical activities help to trigger endorphins, which are considered to be the mood boosters for your mind and body. You are not even required to hit the gym for this as you can also get it by cardio activities like running, jogging, hiking, swimming, and many others.
- Learn to Communicate Clearly
Clear communication is also an important practice that should be followed by everyone. It is important to be straightforward while communicating with anyone, whether it is someone from your workplace or your family. Most people struggle to say the bitter truth to their loved ones. It might be ugly, but those are necessary things that you need to talk about. This is a classic practice that people have been doing for years, and now, it is becoming a struggle for many as they are not able to create proper boundaries throughout their lives. Boundaries are important to protect your mental health, and communication is the key here. Try to communicate with an open mind and a kind heart, which offers an assertive tone to your communication skills.
- Stay in Touch with Earth
The influence of nature on our well-being is paramount, and sadly, natural landscapes are reducing rapidly with the massive urbanization and concrete jungles. We are losing the feeling of being grounded with nature, where we could just lie on the grass at night to watch the stars. It is time for you to get back in touch with nature, even if it is just for a while. Try to walk a few minutes barefoot on grass, soil, or sand that makes you feel your very existence on earth. The ‘grounding’ technique has been proven to reduce stress and helps people to stay more connected with the world around them. This technique is a powerful and quick mood stabilizer.
- Set Micro-goals Other than Long-term Plans
Bigger goals are always great, and it takes a while to achieve the long-term goals, so reaching the point of satisfaction of achievement comes later. It is also important to set small and achievable goals which are more effective and can be accomplished within a short duration. Smaller goals are considered to be more rational and believable for everyone and come with certain results. Why not start with setting daily small goals? Like reading 10 pages of a book or drinking 3 liters of water. This can help you get an essence of accomplishment, which comes with a huge mood booster. It can also help you feel more purpose-driven and productive.
Now that you are aware of the 20 effective practices of happiness, these small steps can lead to a bigger smile. Always remember that happiness does not come from outside, but from within, and you can be a happy person only when you allow yourself to be.
