A few days
ago, on an evening like any other I had a sudden realisation that I was wasting
away my life. I was afraid of depression creeping in around the corner, gnawing
its dirty fingers at me with a wretched smile that wanted to suck out all the
happiness from me. Yes, I’m over dramatic, and I almost visualised dementors
trying to envelop me in their cold embrace. (brrrr)
What did I
want from life? I asked myself. Well nothing and everything came the prompt
reply. I had many reasons to be happy and found many reasons to be unhappy. I
found ways to phase out and to hibernate in a cocoon of despair. Is that how a
happy person would act, I kept asking myself, was I happy?
Happiness is
a very subjective term; it has different meanings for everyone. For me being
happy was a state of bliss, and serenity. I wanted a sense of calmness, which
could be achieved by being alone with my thoughts, and compartmentalise them.
But I wasn’t able to avail such a luxury of ‘free time’ as most of my time was
devoted to work and getting settled in my new family. Moreover, I felt that
time was just slipping away especially in UAE. Hour’s just wind by into days,
and months just get over in the blink of an eye, and we are almost close to
another year.
I started a
‘Happy days project’ (mentally of course). And it has helped me profoundly.
Happiness is an elusive goal; everyone seems to want it, but if it were so easy
the whole world would have been a happy place. It’s not possible to be happy
24/7.And I decided to find happiness/ peace of mind within my “crazy schedule”.
Here are ten of the best ones I found.
Exercise
Don’t roll your eyes yet.
Exercising releases good
mood endorphins, which is why you are always in a better mood after a workout.
Exercise has such a profound effect
on our happiness and well being that it’s actually been proven to be an
effective strategy for overcoming depression. You don’t have to be depressed to
gain benefit from exercise, though. It can help you to relax, increase your brainpower
and even improve your body image, even if you don’t lose any weight. People who exercised felt better
about their bodies, even when they saw no physical changes.
You don’t have to now grunt about
working out. There are a few desk exercises, which you could do right at your
workplace and feel good. Even a brisk walk to the supermarket does wonders.
I practice Yoga on a daily basis, and
it has been instrumental in changing my mood from ughh to yay.
A better way to release endorphins is
the popular Feng Fu method. It calls for placing an ice cube on the nape of
your neck and letting it melt away for 20 minutes or till the ice cube melts
away.
Practice Positivity
Practice positivity by
being genuinely grateful for all the things that you have. Positive thinking
raises energy levels, creativity and productivity. Our thoughts are very
powerful .At times negative thoughts are so overwhelming, that we forget to
focus on the good things around us.
Feeling and thinking
about the things you are grateful for as you wake
up is a great way to
build more happiness. Practicing gratitude has been proven to increase
happiness. There are lots of ways to practice gratitude, from keeping a journal
of things you’re grateful for, sharing three good things
that happen each day with
a friend or your partner, and going out of your way to show gratitude when
others help you. Practicing gratitude also helps you to be live in the present,
and to focus and pay full attention, accepting it in a non-judgmental manner.
Focus on the present
moment means that you can savor touch, smell and other physical sensations but
also happy feelings. Concentrate on the joy they are giving you. It is really
effective in forgetting about the past and fretting about future, fearful
scenarios.
Help others
I’m an ardent believer of
Karma. Yes, Karma is a bitch and it will definitely bite you in the ass. I know
we sometimes feel like we give and give and get nothing in return. But hey,
it’s in the giving, and doing it unselfishly, that we find true happiness.
Give freely from the depth
of your heart. Help a friend in need. Help a child in your sphere. Help an
organization. Help the homeless in the street. What ever your cause, help and
set yourself free. Give without expecting the sky to open up and clap for you.
And you will be blessed when you least expect it.
Helping others does not
always mean you need to spend money; you can also spend your time (for example
via volunteering).
Focus on the life you want to live
“The heart goes where the
head takes it, and neither cares much about the whereabouts of the feet.”- Dr.
Daniel Gilbert.
We often talk about
winning the lottery and where we would go and above all what we would buy. We
might even talk about giving to charity. But we never or rarely talk about what
our state of mind would be and how much happier and carefree we would be. This
is why focusing on priorities to get the life you want to live is so important.
Yes, you are your own
steering wheel, your compass, and the principal of your life. Don’t sit back
and expect others to solve your problem. Don’t sit back and wait for your boss
to offer you another position.
Also, remember, you are
entitled to live happily. If you need to meditate one hour a day, take a walk
when the sun is out, or exercise in the morning to be happy, do it. You are
allowed. Find out what you need and do it.
Buy some happiness
Our basic
psychological needs include feeling loved and secure. Money doesn’t
automatically fill these requirements, but it sure can help. Look for ways to
spend money to stay in closer contact with your family and friends; to promote your
health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and
marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences.
A vacation with loved ones or buying tickets to a show or concert will make you
happier than buying another gadget. It will also create more memorable and
pleasant experiences that belong to you.
Lets splurge
on experiences than on things.
Spend time with friends and family
It’s very
important to have a support system around, as it alleviates pain, and helps us
forget our worries. We may not necessarily have them around us physically owing
to being in different places. But technology is such that it has made the world
a much better and smaller place.
Staying in
touch with family and friends is upper important, and having a support system
around is very essential.
Spend time outdoors
Hiding away cushioned in your blanket
and slouched on the bed isn’t the best way to feel happy. Going outdoors and
spending more time in fresh air does more good to your entire body, both
physically, emotionally and mentally.
Getting closer with nature, devoid of
your cell phones would help increase happiness. Its likely that more contact on
social media makes you want to compare your lives with others, thus making you
more vulnerable leaving you with a feeling of emptiness.
Practice smiling – it can alleviate pain
Smiling itself can make us feel
better, but it’s more effective when we back it up with positive thoughts, Smiling makes us feel good which also
increases our attention, flexibility and our ability to think holistically.
A smile is also a good way to alleviate some of the pain we feel in troubling
circumstances.
Smiling is one way to reduce the distress caused by
an upsetting situation. Even forcing a smile when we don’t feel like it is
enough to lift our mood slightly.
Meditate
Meditation is often touted as an important habit
for improving focus, clarity and attention span, as well as helping to keep you
calm. It turns out it’s also useful for improving your happiness.Meditation
literally clears your mind and calms you down; it’s been often proven to be the
single most effective way to live a happier life.
Minutes right after meditating, we experience
feelings of calm and contentment, as well as heightened awareness and empathy.
And, research even shows that regular meditation can permanently rewire the
brain to raise levels of happiness.
Don’t forget your beauty sleep
What’s the use of working tirelessly
if you cannot sleep peacefully, right? We all know how important it is to get
quality sleep. Sleep helps repair our body, and good uninterrupted sleep leads
to a more productive and happier day.We spend roughly one third of our lives sleeping,
so you cannot underestimate the importance of sleep for the quality of our
lives.
Sleep deprivation cause emotional problems,
anger, irritation which all leads to wrecking havoc in our lives and of those
around us. So lets ensure we sleep away to happiness.
Happy
people don't sit around waiting for good vibes to happen to them.Whatever
makes them happy, they go for it.
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