6 Happy Habits | Simple Ways to be Happy in Life
You may have heard many times that happiness is a habit. Research shows that happy people think and behave differently. In short, happy people have different habits.
But, how can we learn to be happy?
According to a law of attraction expert, Marci Shimoff, we all have the potential to manifest an abundance of love, success, and happiness. Happier people are more resilient, have better immunity, build stronger relationships, and live longer. The science of happiness says that happy people have the following happiness-inducing habits in common.
1. Show Gratitude
Dr. Robert Emmons, a leading gratitude researcher, proved that gratefulness is crucial for mental well-being and happiness. Practicing gratitude can increase your mental fitness and life satisfaction. Dr. Emmons’ research has shown that keeping a gratitude journal can boost our happiness, health, and mental well-being.
Gratitude leads to experiencing more positive emotions, developing compassion and self-compassion, and having more meaningful relationships, all of which lead to life satisfaction and happiness.
2. Forgive Themselves and Others
Forgiveness is one of the best tracks to happiness. The ability to forgive yourself and others helps you let go of resentment, anger, and hurt. When you forgive, you do this for yourself, not so much for the sake of the other person. Forgiveness helps make peace with yourself and others and attract true happiness.
3. Don’t Spend a Day Without Laughter
The benefits of laughter have been scientifically proven. Laughter is a powerful tool to alleviate stress, boost your mood, and attract positivity. Laughter affects the amygdala and hippocampus in the limbic system, the part of the brain that governs emotions, memories, and basic functions essential for survival. The amygdala is in charge of our mood control, love and affection, and attachment while the hippocampus is responsible for laughter.
4. Exercise Regularly
Scientific evidence proves that physical exercise promotes a series of changes in the brain. Exercise can rewire your brain, stimulating the growth of neurons and neural connections and creating new activity patterns that generate feelings of happiness.
Exercise helps release dopamine and endorphins, increasing their level in our blood. These powerful brain neurochemicals, also known as “hormones of happiness”, trigger the growth of new cells and connections in your brain. In short, hormones of happiness boost your spirits and make you feel good. Also, deep muscle relaxation after physical activity helps alleviate tension and stress.
5. Practice Mindfulness
Happy people know how to be present at the moment. If you are mindfully attentive to here and now, and fully aware of your surroundings, you will become more relaxed and resilient to stress. Also, you will learn to spot and recognize negative thoughts that cause distress, and to let go of them.
A series of studies showed that people who regularly practice mindfulness are more likely to be optimistic, happy, confident, and satisfied with their lives.
6. Connect to Nature
Spending time in nature is one of the best ways to boost happiness and promote general well-being. Studies show that taking a walk in nature can improve your mood and decrease the number of negative thoughts that provoke anxiety and depression.
