OH Yeah!! I thought the world needs a little more HAPPY, so I thought I would share with you some great things to bring you and your world a little more HAPPY.

I am dedicating this to my brother, who needs a little more HAPPY today. Love you Bro.

I LOVE SOULPANCAKE & I LOVE this!! Enjoy. You can’t help but smile. Go out and give some high fives, hugs and happiness.

What are the good things in your life?? I know there are some…blue sky days, rainy days, being able to watch your son play soccer, warm showers, having a job, being able to walk, being able to talk, to smile, family, freedom, your parents, pets (even though sometimes you don’t love them), having a home, to breathe, jokes, sunshine, clean water, nature, indoor plumbing, today, music, your mind that can think & learn, electricity, a car, being able to hear the birds in the morning, thrift stores. smile. smile. Now, you think of some.

I know life may feel heavy right now, but I know your son is ‘happy because you exist.’ I am too. There are more people than you know.

 What can YOU do to be HAPPY today?

Keep a ‘Happy Diary’ Harvard University happiness expert Shawn Achor has noted that simply writing down a few things you’re grateful for each day is one of the simplest and most powerful boosters of well being. It apparently worked for Angeline Lee: “Going through a fairly rough patch, I was really down and just couldn’t see any silver lining. One of my friends suggested keeping a happy diary, so writing down the single best thing about the day every day…I was at the point where I would have tried anything, so I started off writing on Post-it sized notes and putting them in a box.”  -inc.com

Actively Express Thankfulness: According to one study, couples that expressed gratitude in their interactions with each other resulted in increases in relationship connection and satisfaction the next day–both for the person expressing thankfulness and (no big surprise) for the person receiving it. (In fact, the authors of the study said gratitude was like a “booster shot” for relationships.)

Of course the same is true at work. Express gratitude for employee’s hard work and you both feel better about yourselves.

Another easy method is to write down a few things you are grateful for every night. One study showed people who wrote down 5 things they were thankful for once a week were 25 percent happier after ten weeks; in effect they dramatically increased their happiness set-point.

Happy people focus on what they have, not on what they don’t have. It’s motivating to want more in your career, relationships, bank account, etc. but thinking about what youalready have, and expressing gratitude for it, will make you a lot happier.

And will remind you that even if you still have huge dreams you have already accomplished a lot–and should feel genuinely proud. -aabacosmallbusiness.com

Listen to music: “You should listen to music that you like listening to. That has a substantial effect on your mood. Your brain literally lights up. There is no other stimulation like music to arouse the brain. -Prof Dolan

Get out in nature: Being in nature decreases stress, makes you happier and less brooding, it relieves attention fatigue and increases creativity, helps you to be kind and generous, makes you feel more alive-see the full article with scientific studies to prove the positives http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_nature_makes_you_kinder_happier_more_creative

Get good sleep: People with insomnia produce higher rates of stress hormones than others, according to new research. This puts their bodies in a hyper-aroused state that can make it difficult for them to wind down. The inability to sleep causes more stress, which can have a devastating impact. People who don’t get enough sleep can become depressed, and that causes insomnia. Inversely, more and better-quality sleep can make you feel happier. -besthealthmag.ca

Sit outside for 5 minutes. The SUN is so good for you! Sunlight increases serotonin levels which in turn may make you happier.

Exercise: 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. In a study cited in Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage 1, three groups of patients treated their depression with either medication, exercise, or a combination of the two. The results of this study really surprised me. Although all three groups experienced similar improvements in their happiness levels to begin with, the follow up assessments proved to be radically different:

The groups were then tested six months later to assess their relapse rate. Of those who had taken the medication alone, 38 percent had slipped back into depression. Those in the combination group were doing only slightly better, with a 31 percent relapse rate. The biggest shock, though, came from the exercise group: Their relapse rate was only 9 percent!

You don’t have to be depressed to gain benefit from exercise, though. It can help you to relax, increase your brain power and even improve your body image, even if you don’t lose any weight. -blog.bufferapp.com& huffingtonpost

Compliment someone or just SMILE. People will be happy to see you coming. A smile is a simple way to connect with those around you–even strangers.

Avoid the news & watch less TV: Unhappy people spend more time watching TV, according to a study in the Social Indicators Research journal. -popsugar

Try something new: pick out a fruit or veggie you don’t know at the grocery store and try it. Watch a Ted talk on Youtube. Put a different, fun screensaver on your phone. Take your phone out at lunch and take pics. Sign up for a free online course in something you are interested in.  “And having a new experience is really important. The great thing about new experiences is they actually slow time down. It’s why life feels so slow for children because they are experiencing new things all the time. So if you want to slow down time then have as many new experiences as you can.” -Prof Dolan

The walk-in-the-door rule “When I was in a dark period, I instituted a simple rule that changed my life,” explains social marketer Brad Einarsen. What was it? “When I arrive home from work, he says, “the very first thing I tell my wife is the best thing that happened that day.”-inc  

Help someone: Whether you do a random act of kindness, volunteer, give high-fives, make a dinner, spread some love…it all goes around…everyone is happier [the giver and the reciever]

Pursue a goal: Pursuing goals, though, does make you happy. According to David Niven, author of 100 Simple Secrets of the Best Half of Life, “People who could identify a goal they were pursuing(my italics) were 19% more likely to feel satisfied with their lives and 26 percent more likely to feel positive about themselves.”  -aabacosmallbusiness.com

 

Great article on 10 scientifically proven ways to make yourself happier–check it out. interesting https://blog.bufferapp.com/10-scientifically-proven-ways-to-make-yourself-happier

 

Another article that lists 300 reasons to be happy. Things to love about your life. http://www.yourlifeyourway.net/2011/09/19/300-reasons-to-be-happy-things-to-love-about-your-life-now/

I hope you have a happier day today.  Be Happy. Choose Happy. xoxo  -H