8 Happiness Hacks You Can Try Today
What's the secret to happiness? Is there even a secret?
I don't think there is one simple secret that guarantees us all our happily ever after. Nothing is one size fits all. But what I do know is this - there are things you can do that can help you crack the happiness algorithm if you practice them consistently.
1. Practice Daily Gratitude
Gratitude refocuses your mind on the positive and helps create a shift in mindset. Many people trip themselves up when it comes to a gratitude practice by looking for the "big" things to be grateful for and feeling like they are falling short when they can't. The truth is that being grateful for the "little" things is just as powerful - your morning coffee, a sunny day, a smile from a stranger. Create a habit of finding 3 things you are grateful for each day.
2. Focus on Experiences Rather "Things"
Psychological studies have shown that doing something has a more positive psychogological effect than having something. This because the satisfaction you gain from acquiring a material possession is short lived but the satisfaction that results from experiences like travel or events actually increases over time.
3. Prioritise Personal Relationships
The Harvard Grant Study concluded that "close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives". Staying connected to our family, friends and community is what brings us happiness and improves our quality of life. Take the time to connect (or reconnect) with those most important to you - it will make you happier.
4. Practice Kindness
Taking the time to give back or to help someone else is a sure fire way to boost personal happiness. Acts of kindness give you a hit of all those feel-good hormones (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin) and boosts feelings of self-worth and self-esteem. And here's the best bit! Small gestures are just as effective as the grand ones.
5. Set Aside Time to Worry
Having a designated time each day for worrying is an effective tool in stopping the worry taking over your day. Decide on a worry time each day and stick to it. Set a timer for no more than 15 minutes. Use this time to think about any issues that are weighing on you and problem solve what you can. When the timer goes off, it's time to come back to the present and be in the moment.
6. Have A Goal and Start Working Towards It
Focussing on a goal and taking steps towards that goal will give you a sense of purpose and achievement as you make your way closer to your goal. What is something you really want to do? Think outside of the box of career and money. Do you want to learn a new skill? Do you want to create something? Is it finishing that DIY project that you've had on the back burner for so long? Whatever it is, if it lights you up, do it and increase your happiness quotient.
7. Get Into Nature
It's hard not to gain a little perspective once you immerse yourself in nature. Feeling the magnitude of nature and all it offers has a way of putting your own problems in a different light. Take a hike, sit by the ocean or simply spend some time in your own garden. Just take time to appreciate the wonders of nature and feel the healing benefits.
8. Stop the Comparison Game.
There is always going to be someone who has more than you or something you want. Feelings of jealousy are natural but they do rob you of happiness. Stop seeing someone else's success as a sign that you are lacking.Success is not a race. Instead, remember that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now.