10 Ways To Optimise Your Happiness

Happiness is relative, it’s personal, and what makes me happy may not necessarily make you leap for joy. Another obvious point is that no one is happy all the time.  However, some people are surely more fulfilled than others, which don’t have much to do with material goods or excellent achievement; things many people spend a lot of their time pursuing. Moreover, happiness requires balance: neither do you have to be so immersed in your own happiness that you forget about everyone else’s, nor decide your route to happiness is to keep on pleasing others.  

So what do happy people do that is missing in your life?

1. A daily act of goodness. Try to do one act each day to make others happy. This can be a kind word, helping your workmates, saying thank-you, stopping your car at the zebra crossing or a crossroad to let people pass, giving your seat in a bus to someone else, or giving a small present to someone you love. The choices are limitless. When you bring a smile to someone’s face, you also feel happiness.

2. No to addictive solutions. Even in the most terrible and frustrating times don’t seek relief from alcohol, drugs, or any addictive substance, abusive to the health of you or others. Bad habits are easily acquired but difficult to get rid of. Making them solutions to many addictive problems may actually end up making the problem worse. 

3. Lighten up. Don't take yourself too seriously. Try not to over analyse things. One of the major causes of stress is worrying about things that are out of your control. Stress can cause many mental, physical, and spiritual problems in your life. Learn to recognise these things, and if you really can’t do anything about them, just let go. Take time to laugh at yourself and the situations you find yourself in. Laughter is a powerful, positive medicine and the calmer and more peaceful you can take things, the happier your life will be.  

 

4. Take the good with the bad. Life wouldn’t be life if some bad things don’t happen. Everyone has something of sorrow mingled with the gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears. We can’t change the past, but we can enjoy today, and look forward to the future. If we are prepared to take ownership for the past and accept that everything that's happened in our life, good and bad, has made us the person we are – then we have made a giant stride in winning the battles of life. 

5. Extricate from problems. Try to disentangle yourself when things are not going as planned and anticipated. Extricating from the problem will help you stay relaxed and be able to control your moods and responses. Extrication doesn’t mean nonchalance. It’s the acceptance of the good and the bad and staying balanced. Extrication has a lot to do with inner peace, and inner peace is favourable to happiness.

6. Appreciate Yourself. Much criticism is caused by people who are discontented with themselves, not with you. One way to get in touch with yourself is through journaling, diaries or blogs. Your goal may be to open up completely to yourself and learn to be your own best friend by being truthful.What are your expectations in life? What makes you truly happy? Who do you want to be? Look at what you have achieved, not what you haven’t been able to accomplish. You may have done a lot during the day, and yet you let yourself become frustrated, because of some small things that you didn’t do. This is being unfair to yourself. So when you’re feeling truly inadequate, write down a list of things that you’re good at, and then read the list back. You would be amazed at what you can come up with. 

7. Chase after goals that give you joy. Strive for long term goals rather than short term satisfaction. It's very easy to gain short term relief; quick high, a fast succor from your current problems. But it is what it is, a ‘short term fast relief’, and the effects subside pretty quickly, leaving you with a hollow feeling that can be worse than before. Plan long term goals which take some effort, time, and thought to achieve. This will make possible a continuous gradual self-improvement which will give you the pleasure of introducing an enduring change in your life. If your thoughts are not giving you positive vibes, then think about something else that will make you feel great in that moment. Don’t be afraid to push yourself a bit because a little bit of pressure can actually show just how good you are! But avoid perfectionism; perfectionism freezes you up and prevents you from achieving your goals.

8. Be happy for others. Don’t envy people who are happy. On the contrary, be happy for their happiness. Turn feelings of envy or jealousy into a desire to achieve. Stop wanting what others have just because they got it; look out for things simply because you want them, whether anybody else has got them or not. Be friends with happy people, and try to learn from them to be happy. Remember, happiness is infectious. Think about this: it’s very difficult to be at a celebration party and wear a grumpy face. 

9. Exercise and eat healthy. Exercise raises endorphins and makes you feel happier and healthier. It is certainly an easy and effective way to boost your self-confidence, which in turn raises your happiness level into top gear. 

10. Smile. You would be surprised how much of an immediate difference physically smiling has on your mood. If you smile and force a little laugh you will feel your mood lighten and you would not have to force it next time. So get that frown off your face and smile more often. It will help you feel more confident.

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