How to be Happy - The Cheat Sheet
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy". They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life.John Lennon
Want to feel happier more often? These are the scientifically validated and most effective techniques to you can employ to improve how often you experience happiness in your life.
Positive psychology research has given us a new way to think about happiness, it is a skill which can be learned and should be practiced. Certain amounts of happiness are genetically
determined (around 50%) but new research indicates even this may change over time as the part of our brains responsible for happiness strengthen and adapt to training.
Everything on this list is backed by solid research and with training you will eventually find happiness easier to experience.
Follow these tips for at least 30 days, turn the tips into a habit and revisit when you need a reminder.
- Develop Resilience
- Start a Gratitude Journal Now
- Random Acts of Kindness
- Be Compassionate
- Learn to be optimistic
Becoming happier is also about improving your ability to handle negative emotions. Tough times are a part of life, so is stress, panic and sadness. Resilience provides the muscle you'll need to move on. Your resilience will improve by following the rest of our tips but you can also focus on developing strong and supportive relationships and becoming mindful of your own thoughts during a crisis.
You only need to spend a few minutes each week journaling 3-5 things you're grateful for to boost your levels of happiness, improve sleep quality and reduce stress. Pro-Tip: Journaling once a week works. Journaling daily and even 3 times a week does not.
Each week find a way to perform at least 1 completely new and random act of kindness. Doing the same thing week in and week out will not help. Your random acts need to be truly random. Pro-Tip: Research shows people performing the same act report lower levels of happiness. Make the acts random!
Compassion increases happiness, reduces your chances of becoming depressed and boosts self esteem. Choose one of the following to do each week:
Express sincere thanks to at least 3 people in your life
Volunteer 1 hour of your time
Perform a compassion meditation
Optimism is not something you're born with but a style of thinking and a skill you can learn. Optimistic people enjoy benefits extending far beyond happiness from increased life span to improved career opportunities. Learn the hear the inner voice and challenge the assumptions you might be making.