3 simple ways you can feel happy now.
“Being happy” is something we are all striving towards. Ultimately, it is happiness that we are all seeking in this life. Everything we do has the end goal of bringing happiness in some form into our lives. Can it sometimes seem like a struggle getting there though? Like happiness is some kind of special, far to get to, destination. I definitely used to think this how it was. I would be forever putting happiness “out of my reach”. I would think, I will be happy when….. I have more money, or I get that job promotion, or when I get married, or when I have a baby, or when I buy my first house. It’s like happiness is going to happen suddenly when we arrive at these destinations. But have you wondered why you reach one milestone, before you really appreciate it, you almost immediately set up another goal post for happiness? It’s the carrot on the stick that you can never quite bite.
Let’s face it, everything we do is about making ourselves happy. We want to be happy. I am slightly obsessed with this concept of happiness. I battled with long term on and off depression and felt like I was “just getting through life mostly” . Don’t get me wrong, I had all the things I needed from an outside perspective like an amazing husband, brilliant kids, a lovely home, material possessions! I had it all. I still do. BUT the difference between now and then is how my mind works. Nowadays I let happiness in every single day and I feel happy. I feel like I deserve happiness. Of course, I still have days where I don’t feel as great as most people do, but they are far less than the other ones. And I have learnt many tools over the years to allow myself to “get to this place”. And I have literally created my business on the concept of happiness. I used to use alcohol, recreational drugs, food to try to feel happy. But I can assure you that none of these tools will ever make you as happy as what I have learnt over the years. Not properly and realistically, long-term happy anyway. I wake up most mornings, and with my tools results in having a heart full and feel like the luckiest person on the planet. It has taken a while to be able to feel that way, but I have some really cool tools for you to fast-track the process. Trust me, they work. I wouldn’t bother my backside if they didn’t and I certainly wouldn’t be blogging about it.
So if you are ready to make some changes in your life NOW and ready to feel happy now. Then these 3 things will help you well on your way!
Trick number 1. GET GRATEFUL. Seriously, yes, get grateful for everything you already have. And you have way more than you think you have when you start to really focus on this one. We can tend to spend a lot of time thinking about things that we don’t have already, and focus on feeling like we are deprived or missing out in some way. When we adjust our mindset and start focussing on ALL we DO HAVE then we will immediately start to feel happier. Every morning, I write down a list of 10 things I have in my life NOW that I am grateful for. This can range from my health to the health of my family, to having food in my fridge, to a roof over our heads. Every day I think of new things to be grateful for and it has become my way of thinking, instead of looking for the negatives, I have trained my brain to look at all the positives. I am a MUCH happier person than I have ever been. This will work from the moment you really start to do it. But don’t just do this once. For maximum benefit, think of what you have to be grateful for EVERY single day.
Trick number 2. GET MOVING. Ideally, in nature. Go for a walk, a run, yoga, powerhoop… Anything that gets your body moving will IMMEDIATELY make you feel happier. Dopamine is released in your brain and this is what creates happiness. It is so true what they say that exercise makes you happy. BUT the key is to find something you love to do. And move your body not only TODAY but every day for maximum benefits. I wonder if it is a coincidence that when 6 years ago, I started to move my body regularly that I finally put my depression to bed?
Trick number 3. SLOW DOWN. Aren’t we are busy so much of the time! I have this plaque in my house, it says, “SLOW DOWN, HAPPINESS IS TRYING TO CATCH YOU”. We have gotten so used to multitasking so much of the time that we simply don’t take time to smell the roses. Our minds are forever in the future thinking about what is happening next, we are too busy to notice what is going on in the present moment. In any given moment, ask yourself, ” what is my intention RIGHT NOW?” If you are talking to your kids, BE PRESENT with them, stop trying to multi-task 7 things. If you are eating, slowly and mindfully notice your food and what you are eating. Being present, slowing down and realising ALL YOU HAVE is this moment. The past is gone and the future is the future.
We have EVERYTHING in us to be happy now. It’s just a matter of turning around how we look at things. We really do have the ability to choose happiness NOW! It really is a matter of choice.
Choose happy now.
To join My Happy 100. Go to www.myhapp100.club
