I heard you want to be happier.
We all have desires. We want something to make our life worth living.
Wealth?
Power?
Love?
It differs from person to person but the purpose is always the same, to be happy.
Having goals is essential, it is what gives us the strength to wake up in the morning. But there is more to life than chasing one goal after another, constantly waiting to experience a moment of happiness. We need to find the little slices of joy in everyday life, in the smile of a child, in a bright sunset or in a seedling sprouting for the first time.
There are many ways to be happier and improve your daily mood, now I will show you the ones I think are the best.
The ring is on my hand,
Bridal Ballad Poem by Edgar Allan Poe
And the wreath is on my brow;
Satin and jewels grand
Are all at my command,
And I am happy now.
And my lord he loves me well;
But, when first he breathed his vow,
I felt my bosom swell-
For the words rang as a knell,
And the voice seemed his who fell
In the battle down the dell,
And who is happy now…
Stand in the sunlight
All our progress as a species often makes us forget our roots. It is true, since we have been using our opposable thumb, we have built an entirely different world. We ourselves are different. But that does not, and never will, change the fact that we are just animals. And as animals, we need nature to live and be happy. Being in the sun is a very simple but effective technique that is necessary for our bodies.
Have you ever heard of ‘SAD’?
‘Seasonal Affective Disorder‘, the strange wave of depression that affects many people during the cold months. It is certainly no coincidence that when the sun starts to hide, nature too retreats into itself.
Many animals hibernate, increase their fur and stock up on food because they know that supplies will be scarce in winter. The only animals that are still working as usual, pretending nothing is happening, are us. (the smart ones they say).
To avoid stumbling into this seasonal misery, there is nothing better than sunlight.
Benefits
The body is capable of wonderful things and we often don’t even realise it.
A few minutes of exposure to sunlight dramatically increases serotonin levels (the happiness hormone, which helps you maintain concentration and a relaxed attitude).
In addition to this, our body, with just a few rays of sunlight, is able to reproduce Vitamin D, which is essential for a ton of bodily functions and is very good for strengthening the immune system.
Click here to read the study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/
Don’t forget to wear sunscreen!!!
Start a garden
Many of the benefits of gardening relate to the sun, so take into account everything I have written above. Besides that, gardening means exercise.
Preparing the soil, sowing and harvesting is not as easy to do as it is to say. It takes a lot of work and physical effort. Anyone who has ever done it knows that the first few days it is difficult even to get out of bed because of the pain of unaccustomed muscles. It is a good physical activity but back to what we are interested in, improving mood.
They did a study on this, they had two groups of people perform stressful activities. Then they took one group and told them to read, the other group was told to do gardening instead. After a while, they brought the groups together and observed an interesting thing.
The reading group was still a bit stressed and in a bad mood (better than before but had not fully recovered from the stressful activity). The gardening group on the other hand was amazing, everyone had forgotten about the previous stress and were cheerful and calm.
A few minutes in the garden getting busy had improved their whole day. Don’t underestimate the power of this little trick, if you get the chance, give it a try.
Related articles: https://iinkonscreen.com/shadow-work-how-to-heal-your-mind-using-a-notebook/
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Back to us.
Watch encouraging videos
Quick trick that you can apply anywhere. Find a youtuber or someone with a podcast that you like and you are good to go. The perfect candidate must be positive and give you hope with his or her words.
Sometimes in life it is easy to get lost among thousands of thoughts and problems, finding someone who can get you back on track with just a few sentences is really essential.
Remember though, never idolise someone, every person has merits and flaws, just like you. If you see that the person you are following has behaviours that do not convince you, follow your intuition and find someone else.
Learn to say no
This sounds simple but for many it isn’t.
Some folks are people pleasers, so they will do anything to please the other person (even to their own detriment).
This personality trait can have various origins, often stemming from some childhood trauma. The origin however does not matter much, the point is that one must learn to say no. To anyone, no one has the right to overstep your consent.
This ranges from something as simple as a mint candy to doing something that would make you uncomfortable.
- Benefits of saying no:
- getting rid of annoying people
- getting rid of annoying tasks
- feeling proud of yourself
- choosing who you want to be
- choosing how to spend your time.
Some people tend to be pushy when they love you, advise you on what is best for you and want you to do as they say.
Others, however, are not nice people and the advice they give should never be followed.
Of course, as a first step, try to surround yourself with the first category. After that, listen to the advice, take it into consideration and then, make your final decision.
If the answer is no, answer no, straight out. Don’t leave room for insistence when the answer is no. And don’t feel guilty, life is yours to take care of.
Be grateful
I could spend hours advising you on ways to be happier and you could still remain miserable.
Do you know why?
Why even rich people with beautiful gardens fall into depression?
The answer is simple, they are surrounded by light but have a blindfold on, the only thing that reaches them are the shadows.
I wish everyone reading this article to build a beautiful and full life, but most of all, I wish you to be thankful. Because we cannot live waiting for life to come to us, as I have already explained, we must also live between goals.
If you want to be happier, start being grateful.
Yes, but what do I have to do, say thank you?
Well yes. Say thank you.
Thank you for my health, thank you for my home, thank you for the love that surrounds me.
Look for the light in your life and show your gratitude. It does not matter who you are thanking, you can have as your recipient your God, the universe, yourself. The important thing is that you pay attention to everything you have every day and do not take it for granted.
I suggest you do this for five minutes before you go to bed, every night find something to be thankful for and I promise you, I really believe it, that your life will only get better.
If you like this article I will do part 2 with more tips and recommendations on how to improve your mood, and ultimately, your life.
