I am very HAPPY to say that I live in the fourth happiest city in the U.S. (according to a study published in the book, The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons from the World’
s Happiest People by Dan Buettner). However; I firmly believe that true happiness is a state of mind, not something that is dictated by your zip code.
I also happen to believe that happiness is something that we must take responsibility for consciously cultivating in our lives–it’s not just something that we stumble upon if we are lucky.
In today’s world of political mud slinging, school shootings, flu epidemics and what have you, it can be increasingly difficult to find a reason to smile. Yet, despite the difficulty, it is imperative that we make the effort because studies have shown numerous correlations between happiness levels and health and longevity.
So…what do we do when it seems that our happiness has gone packing and is nowhere to be found? Well, for starters, you can try any one (or a combination) of these 20 FabYOUlous Happiness Hacks. . .
- Turn up your favorite jam. It doesn’t really matter if it’s hair metal, classical, hip-hop or country–what matters is how the music makes you feel. Put together a playlist of your favorite, energizing songs and keep it handy for those moments when the blues take hold. I have an embarrassing confession to make here…one of my “go-to” songs for when I need a boost of happiness is Come On Get Happy by the Partridge Family. Yes…I have the Partridge Family on my playlist. Don’t judge me–it works–give it a listen! 🙂 Come On Get Happy
- Turn down the news. It has literally been years since I’ve watched a news program or read a newspaper. Does this mean that I am woefully uninformed on
current events? Nope. I still always manage to hear about important news. What it does mean though is that I am not constantly inundated with stories of murder and mayhem. Instead of the news, I regularly listen to uplifting podcasts (like Live Happy Now and Lead to Win) or read inspiring books like, oh, you know… Finding FabYOUlous or any of these amazing books. - Drink. Okay, settle down–this isn’t a green light for imbibing when you’re feeling low. In fact, alcohol is a terrible thing to add to the mix when you’re already feeling down (just look at your last drunk text to your ex for further proof). Instead, try downing a tall glass of good ol’ H20. As it turns out, crankiness and feelings of lethargy are early tell-tale symptoms of dehydration. For more great reasons to chug some water, click here and and then, click here for some great ways to kick your water drinking up a notch with some health and flavor boosting infused water recipes.
- Start planning your next getaway. Who doesn’t love going on vacation? Did you know though that research shows that looking forward to a trip often brings more happiness than the actual vacation itself? Often this stems from the stress of managing vacation logistics, reservations, flights etc. If you truly want to get the most of your vacation experience, plan a relaxing vacation instead of a jam packed whirlwind of sight-seeing. Vacationers who enjoy restful and relaxing vacations tend to report higher levels of happiness while on vacation. To make this strategy work best for you, pick out a relaxing vacation spot and then enjoy yourself as you peruse photos from that location and research fun things to do. Be sure to factor in plenty of downtime too.
- Get thyself to a beach. Since we’re on the topic of vacations, let’s consider making that next trip one that ends up at the beach. Studies show that breathing in sea air and gazing at beautiful sunsets (or sunrises if you’re an early bird) over the water are incredibly calming and good for mental health. While you plan your beach vacation, be sure to look at photos of beach scenes because just looking at photos of beautiful beaches or listening to soundtracks of crashing waves have been shown to have a positive impact upon mood and stress levels.
- Give of your time, talent and treasure. You know that awesome feeling that you get when you’re engrossed in a pleasurable activity (like eating chocolate or… having sex)? Well, the same areas of the brain that are activated during those activities are also activated when you give of yourself. It doesn’t matter if you donate money to a charitable organization or volunteer your time to make a difference, the simple act of “giving” boosts happiness levels by creating a sense of purpose and increasing life satisfaction. For suggestions on organizations that could use your support, check out the website Volunteer Match.
- Celebrate someone else. Oftentimes, our feelings of unhappiness stem from feelings of not measuring up. We see someone else who is enjoying life and instead of celebrating their happiness, we succumb to feelings of “why not me?”. Instead of falling into the comparison trap, try flipping the script and summoning up thoughts of genuine joy for others. When we are able to sincerely celebrate the happiness of others, we experience what researchers call “relational positivity”. This causes pleasure neurons in our brains to fire in response to seeing others experience joy. In simpler terms, we can literally catch someone else’s good vibes.
Live with an attitude of gratitude. The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness is nothing new. Mainstream media has been touting its benefits for years (thank you Oprah!) and long term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in all areas of personal well being. In fact, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have shown that an attitude of gratitude can help to ease chronic stress which leads to improved immune function and a reduction in unhealthy inflammation in the body.One simple way of cultivating a gratitude practice is to keep a daily gratitude journal. Even on the worst days, there is always something to be grateful for. For more suggestions on putting the power of gratitude to work in your life, click here.- Go on a complaining fast. As you begin to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, you’ll notice that your propensity for complaining will naturally start to diminish. Still, we’re human and as humans, we will still find reasons to complain. In order to combat this natural bent, try going on a 24 hour complaining fast. Even if you slip up and don’t make it through the full 24 hours without complaining, just challenging yourself in this way will bring an awareness to your complaining habit. When we are able to become more aware of our thoughts and habitual ways of being, we can train ourselves to detach ourselves from our negative thoughts and tune in to how the thought affects us. Awareness of this type can help us to pull back and reframe our thoughts in a more positive way, thereby preventing a knee jerk negative reaction.
- Pound some protein. We truly are what we eat, so we should eat happy. When you eat foods like poultry, meat, nuts and milk, you are ingesting the essential amino acid tryptophan, which is a critical component in the production of the brain chemical, serotonin, a.k.a. the “happiness chemical” (and don’t worry, those stories about tryptophan making you sleepy–well, they’re just not true, it’s the amount of food you eat on Thanksgiving that really makes you want to take that nap). Just like anything else though, it is possible to consume too much protein, but unless you are one of those muscle heads at the gym who constantly slam protein drinks, cut carbs and participate in all manner of less than healthy practices for the sake of looking “swoll”, you likely don’t need to be too concerned about this. Just be smart and remember–everything in moderation.
- Give three cheers for CHOCOLATE! I can’t tell you how HAPPY I am that chocolate is on this list. Numerous studies have shown that eating chocolate is a sure fire way to trigger happiness in most people; but c’mon–did we really need a study to tell us that? Still, researchers speculate that the flavonoids and plant compounds found in cacao (a key ingredient in chocolate) play a role in chocolate’s mood boosting capabilities. For added benefit, make dark chocolate your chocolate of choice, because research published in the journal, Nutrients has found that dark chocolate not only makes us happy, it improves our concentration and boosts our memory too.
- See the light. When you wake up in the morning, be sure to open your window shades and let the light shine in. Then, take a stroll around your block during the afternoon to get some more natural sunlight. Exposing yourself to natural light triggers your body to stop producing melatonin (the hormone that makes you sleepy) and promotes wakefulness. Allowing your skin to soak up a bit of the sun’s UVB rays will also help your body to produce much needed Vitamin D. Plus–there’s a reason that so many places on the Top 10 Happiest Cities in the U.S. list just happen to be in areas with a lot of sunlight–sunshine just makes us feel cheerier; it’s as simple as that.
- Commit a Random Act of Kindness. One of my all time favorite quotes comes from Mark Twain; he said that “the best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up”. As it turns out, Twain was on to something because science now shows that doing simple acts of kindness for others can improve overall life satisfaction in as little as 10 days. These acts can range from the small (holding the door for a stranger) to the more elaborate (planning a surprise vacation for your spouse) though simple, thoughtful acts committed on a regular basis seem to pack more happiness punch than larger, more extravagant (less regular) acts. One of my personal favorites happens to be paying for the person behind me’s order at a drive-through. It rarely costs over five dollars (obviously I go to cheap drive-thrus) but it leaves me feeling good all day long.
- Spend time with people who love, support and celebrate you. Nothing can suck the happiness right out of a person faster than being in the presence of someone who belittles, bullies or berates you. We all know who those people are and we likely take steps to avoid them as much as possible. What about those whose energy draining behavior is less obvious though? What about the sister whose backhanded compliments leave you feeling worse than before or the office “hot shot” who seems nice enough and yet refuses to acknowledge your existence? I refer to these individuals as “drains” because they have the power to literally drain us of our energy, enthusiasm and
esteem. On the flip-side, we also (hopefully) have those people in our lives who just plain love us. They are always happy to see or hear from us, they think our ideas are awesome and they always have our backs. I call these people “sprinklers” because, just as a sprinkler helps to water the lawn so that the grass can grow, they sprinkle us with their love, thereby allowing us to flourish and grow into the best versions of ourselves. Raising our happiness levels can often be as simple as associating with the right kind of people and then making it a priority to spend time with them. Once you find your tribe of sprinklers, you can click here for some fun ideas on what to do with them. - Flip through a photo album. Unfortunately, our brains are naturally programmed to focus on what’s going wrong in our lives. This bent toward pessimism had evolutionary benefit back when we had to stay away from dangers like wild animals, but now that our lives are WAY more cushy (I mean, I haven’t had to fight off any bears lately–have you?), those negative thoughts take up way too much space in our brains. To combat this, we need to be proactive about filling our minds with positive images and memories. One of the quickest ways to do this is to pull out a photo alum and reminisce about good times with friends and family. I know that when I’m in the dumps, all I have to do is glance at some photos I have of a trip to Hawaii that I took with my husband and three, young adult children. Seeing the smiles in those photos (along with the gorgeous beach scenery–see item #5 on this list) always elicits a warm, fuzzy and incredibly happy feeling. To make this strategy even more effective, take some of your favorite photos out of the album and put them into pretty frames that you can place on your desk, nightstand etc. so that you can conjure up those happy memories more often. You can also click here for a fun tutorial on how to make your own vacation map frame.
- Get a whiff of happiness. I’ll confess, I’m no expert at aromatherapy, but I do know without a doubt that there are certain fragrances that make me happy. One is movie popcorn…love me some buttery movie popcorn. I’ve also experimented enough with different essential oil blends to know that there are many of those that elevate my mood and make me feel more energized. If you are new to the essential oil craze, I’d encourage you to visit this site and then, once you’re more familiar with what essential oils can do for you, you can try a few that are proven to have mood elevating effects. My personal favorite happiness blend is wild orange with peppermint. It sounds weird, but citrus scents have been shown to boost happiness levels while peppermint has an energizing effect. Plus, as weird as the combination sounds–it smells really good. Click here for my favorite essential oil diffuser.
Indulge in some pampering. Why is it that we, as women, tend to take such great care of everyone else, and yet we’ll allow ourselves to fall into complete emotional and physical exhaustion before extending a little love to ourselves? This is a tendency that needs to stop if we are going to experience regular happiness in life. While self-care is certainly important when we are experiencing the blues, it is crucial that we understand that self-care is something that should be practiced every day, and when administered regularly can help us to avoid feelings of sadness, overwhelm and exhaustion. The important thing to remember here is that our pampering should come in the form of healthy activities. When we are stressed out, it is all too easy to fall into unhealthy habits (downing an entire bottle of wine for example–or eating an entire gallon of Haagen Dazs in one setting), so prepare yourself ahead of time by having a list of healthy self-care activities that you can easily indulge in. Some of my faves include: taking a hot bubble bath, reading for pleasure, knitting, getting a massage and heading to a nearby lake with my paddle board.- Enjoy some flower power. On your way home from work, be sure to stop by a flower stand and grab a pretty bouquet to take home. A study from Harvard University has found that people reported feeling happier and more energetic after looking at flowers. This effect seemed strongest when flowers were viewed first thing in the morning or were displayed in a room where they spent a lot of time.
- Walk it out. This strategy is excellent because not only will it make you feel better emotionally, it will make you feel better physically too. Physical exercise releases endorphins into our system which helps us to feel good. Best of all, this strategy isn’t reserved just for those who spend hours a day at the gym; research shows that just five minutes a day of any outdoor activity (walking, running, riding a bike, etc.) can improve your mood almost immediately.
Cuddle your critter. While therapy dogs have long been used to help lessen symptoms of anxiety and depression in those who suffer from PTSD or who live in nursing homes, current research now shows something that those of us with pets have long known–a few minutes with a favorite animal does wonders to reduce stress and tension thereby promoting happiness. For more great info. on the benefits of pet ownership, click here.
Just typing up this list has me feeling happier already–I hope that reading it has done the same for you. For more ideas on how to improve your life, be sure to click the image below and sign up for our TWO free ebooks, “365 Questions to Help You Find Your Answers” and “50 FabYoulous Ways to Energize Your Life”
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