Happiness: 5 Simple Ways To Be Happier Today!

Posted On December 4, 2020

Everyone wants to increase their happiness. Unfortunately, many people think that it is difficult to do. Thankfully, there are simple steps that you can take today to increase your happiness immediately.

Smile and Fake It Until you Make It.

While happiness looks and feels different for everyone there is one aspect that it always has in common, smiling. Happiness makes people smile. The smile is a natural bodily reaction to happiness and it can actually help you become happy when you are not.

Smiling is a two-way street. Smiling causes your brain to release a chemical called dopamine. This chemical is a type of neurotransmitter and your body creates it naturally. Dopamine exists in your nervous system to help with a number of functions and to send various messages between nerve cells and your brain.

Dopamine plays a role in feelings of pleasure and is a big part of what makes humans unique. Unfortunately, too much or too little dopamine can cause a range of health issues, from mild to serious. It is thought that Parkinson’s disease may be caused by a deficit of dopamine in the brain.

At a very basic level, dopamine is one of the chemicals that is released and used in the creation of happiness and pleasure (Serotonin, Oxytocin, and Endorphins also play a role). Thankfully, because it occurs naturally in your body you can easily produce more of it as needed.

Smiling is a big part of being happy. If you have ever had someone tell you to smile when you are feeling blue you know how frustrating it can feel. However, there is truth to their words and good reasons to turn your frown upside down.

You smile because you are happy, so how can it create it as well?

A smile can spur a chemical reaction in your brain and force it to release dopamine, thus making you happy.

Yup, your brain can trick you into thinking you are happy!

So next time you are feeling down, slap on a smile, and fake it until you make it.

Get Moving to Create Happiness.

Exercise is not just good for your body, it is good for your mind as well. In fact, studies show that regular exercise can increase happiness. The great news is that as little as 10 minutes of physical activity can have a huge impact on your wellbeing.

While exercise is most powerful when we are in a bad mood, this is also the time that we are the least likely to exercise. Yet physically active people are happier and more satisfied with their lives overall. This is because exercise increases endorphins and other ‘feel-good‘ chemicals in the brain (think back to the information above), and it helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

According to the U.S. Department of Health, the optimal amount of exercise is between 30-60 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 times per week. This does not mean that you need to become a gym rat to reap the benefits of exercise. Any type of physical activity can aid in creating a better mood. Walking, biking, dancing, lifting weights, or even cleaning the house are all ways that you can enjoy the benefits of exercise and improve your mental health. A Canadian study suggests that one 30-minute walk holds greater rewards than splitting it up into three 10-minute sessions. So when possible, aim to get in 30 minutes of any activity a few times a week to make yourself happier.

Use Food to Fuel You Mood.

You may already be aware that the food you eat has a big influence on how you feel. A human brain is a pleasure-seeking machine, and thus the foods we eat, along with the sights, tastes, and smells, all play a role in how we feel.

Food is more than a means of survival. Along with keeping us alive and healthy, food provides us with pleasure and often comfort. It is because of this that our relationship with food can sometimes be complicated.

What we eat is often fueled by our minds. For example, many people use food as a reward, but it is also used as punishment (strict diets, for example). While enjoying your favorite dessert can bring short-term happiness, restricting foods or overindulging in them can greatly impact your wellbeing.

The foods that you eat should fuel both your body and your soul!

Using food to inspire happiness does not mean going on the latest fad diet, or even trying to lose weight. It is more about being aware of what you are putting inside yourself and ensuring that your intake matches your output.

To encourage happiness using food you should be taking in enough food to fuel your body and choosing foods that are good for you as well (we will talk more about ‘Eating Happy Foods’ in an upcoming post). If all you eat is take-out and fast food, your mental health will feel the effects, and not only because of your increased waist size.

Choose foods that are healthy are full of nutrients. Eat at regular intervals throughout the day, and do not dent yourself foods that you love in an attempt to be thin and pretty. Diets are overrated and most fail simply because they are too strict or hard to follow. Forget the diets and instead focus on healthy foods that are good for you and good to eat.

Be Thankful for Every Moment.

Gratitude truly is the key to living a happier life. We have said it before on this site, and we will repeat it in the future. Gratitude can make all the difference in the world on your well-being.

Simply being grateful, even when you feel that you have nothing to be grateful for, reminds us of how lucky we are to be alive. That in itself should infuse your soul with gratitude.

Start each day off right by naming one thing that you are thankful for each morning. This does not have to be anything big or extravagant, in fact, it can be as simple as the air you breathe or the roof above your head. When you stop and think about all the little things that you have to be thankful for in life, you begin to see that they are many more.

This simple exercise can boost your mood instantly and is a great way to start the day off on a positive note. If you are interested, try out the One Thing Challenge that was posted on this site. This simple challenge will provide you with a list of things to be thankful for and you can refer back to it when you need a reminder of how lucky you truly are.

Make Someone Else Happy.

You know the old saying, ‘It is better to give than to receive”? That applies to happiness. If you are feeling down on yourself one of the easiest ways to boost your mood is by boosting someone else’s.

Compliment a strangers shoes or coat, tell someone that you appreciate them, or simply say thank you to a cashier with a sincere smile. Spreading happiness is one of the easiest things to do. Unfortunately, it is not done enough in the world today, so start a trend.

Give a compliment to a stranger or simply share a smile with the world. Happiness is contagious, and the more you pass it on, the more that you get in return.

Happiness can often seem like a fairy-tale or a myth but it is actually super simple to achieve. Being happy lies in the small moments in life, not necessarily the big, life-changing ones. Start small and you will see instant improvement.

The best part of happiness is that you can never have too much of it and there are always opportunities to gain more.

Give it a try and watch the way it improves your mood instantly.

Until Next Time…

Focus on improving your happiness.