Simple Happiness
Our lives are full of heavy emotions, stress and anxiety. All these can have a negative effect on our mood and health, leading to depression or even post-traumatic stress disorder. But there are ways to cope with these feelings; in fact, many of them are simple and don’t require any special effort. Just the act of smiling can be enough to bring happiness into your life! This article will explore the various things you can do to make yourself happier, from listening to music and going for a walk in nature—all the way up to adopting more positive habits like practicing gratitude or giving more attention to your relationships.
Smile
Smiling is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make yourself happier. Doing so releases endorphins, which can make you feel more positive and relaxed. Try forcing a smile, even if it’s not genuine at first—you will naturally start to feel better as time passes. This is why people who are often angry or stressed are advised not to frown as it will exacerbate these feelings.
Listen to music
Listening to music is an effective way to boost your mood. It has been proven that people who listen to music are generally happier and more positive, as it releases dopamine and oxytocin—brain chemicals that regulate moods and make you feel good. Music also releases endorphins, which trigger feelings of relaxation. If you’re feeling particularly stressed or angry, try listening to some calm songs or play a musical instrument; you will notice a difference in your mood within minutes! Another trick is to choose the right kind of music for the occasion; for example, if you need an energy boost, listen to upbeat music like pop or techno. On the other hand, if you need to feel relaxed and calm, try listening to some calming songs like classical or kirtan.
Nature and nature-like activities
Just being in nature is enough to uplift your mood, as it has proven to be effective in reducing stress and anxiety. During stressful times, you are more likely to feel depressed about yourself or your well-being. But just being outside can help by releasing endorphins that give you a sense of euphoria. Nature also releases oxytocin into the brain, which is a chemical that makes you feel close to other people by triggering a sense of trust, love and affection.
Go for a walk
Going on a walk is probably the basic need of every human being, because it releases endorphins, which makes you feel happy. This can be as simple as going for a stroll in nature or even going to see a local park; just getting out of the house and taking in fresh air can have a big impact on your well-being. On the flip side, however, people who live in cities tend to have less favorable moods than people who live in rural areas. This is because city life is much more stressful, especially with the added pressures of work and a crowd of people. So if you live in an urban area, try to get some fresh air as often as possible.
Make new friends
Feeling lonely can have a negative impact on your mental health and overall well-being. It can even lead to depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And the worst part is that loneliness can be contagious; when you are surrounded by happy people, your mood will also improve! Fortunately, there are many ways to make new friends and enjoy quality company. A popular tip is to join a community group or become part of a family, where you can be surrounded by people who love and care for you. You can do this by joining your local library, church or temple and volunteering with them.
Food and alcohol
While healthy food is important for improving mental health, including mood, eating too much of it (or unnecessary snacks) will undermine your efforts. The same is true for alcohol; drinking too much in one sitting can lead to negative effects on mental health, like depression or insomnia.
Gratitude meditation
Being grateful for your life is an essential thing that gives us hope and happiness when we feel sad. Including gratitude into your meditation can drastically improve your mood by releasing oxytocin, which makes you feel closer to other people. Also, the feeling of gratitude will cause more dopamine to be released in the brain and will make you feel happier.
Positive self-talk
Do you ever talk badly about yourself, your abilities or general well-being? This is known as ‘self-talk’, and it can have a negative impact on your emotions. Internalizing negative words about yourself is also known to be linked to high degrees of stress and anxiety. It also triggers a chemical reaction in the brain that leads to depression and makes it harder for you to recover from setbacks. So the next time that you encounter a setback and get upset over it, tell yourself, “I can do something about this.” And when you feel happy and content about your life, say to yourself, “I am a wonderful person.”
Face your emotions
The more we avoid our negative emotions, the more likely it is they will grow. And once they become rampant and uncontrollable, they can completely overwhelm us. This is especially important if we don’t know how to cope with our emotions because they could make us feel vulnerable or even anxious. If you feel like you’re on the verge of a breakdown, a good idea is to turn to a friend or loved one and discuss your feelings. This can help you to release negative emotions (like anger, fear or depression) instead of avoiding them; it also allows you to have someone who can listen, offer helpful advice and provide moral support.
Meditation
The benefits of meditation are extensive and far-reaching. And meditation has been shown to be an effective way for people who are depressed or anxious to improve their mental health. Those who meditate report feeling less stressed, more focused and generally healthier than those who don’t meditate. And if you are someone who suffers from depression, anxiety or a mood disorder, meditation can be an extremely effective way to improve your emotional well-being.
Gratitude journaling
Our brains are hardwired to focus on negative experiences more than positive ones. So it can be difficult for us to get out of this cycle and focus more on the positive things in life. Gratitude journaling is a great way to focus on everything that you have in your life that makes you happy and thankful. It allows you to discover what matters most in your life by forcing yourself to list everything that gives you joy and happiness.
Conclusion
Improving your mental health should be a top priority in your life, not only for yourself but for the sake of those that love you. Everyone has the power to improve their mental health by taking steps such as learning about their emotions, facing whatever makes them uncomfortable and reducing stress and anxiety. But it’s important to remember that improving your mental health is something that takes time and commitment, even if you are doing everything right.