11 Tips for Greater Happiness

Today we’re going to talk about what you can do to feel happier. Now evidence shows that about a third to a half of our happiness is predetermined. It’s part of the genetic sweepstakes as to whether we are happy or are we unhappy. So, some of it is how we were born. But that leaves a full half to two thirds of things that we can do to make ourselves happier.

In this article I am going to talk about eleven things that we can do in order to feel happier.

First of all: It’s really important to understand that one thing you might think will make you feel happier really doesn’t—having more money. Most people think that more money will just automatically make them happier. While it’s true that having more money can help you if you don’t have enough food, shelter, and/or health care. More money in this case can really make a difference, but for those of us who’ve got those basic needs covered, extra money does not translate to extra happiness. We look at those people who win the Powerball lottery and think that “Wow! if only we could do that we would be happier,” but data suggests otherwise. So what can make you happier?

Point number two: Take control of your time. What research shows is that people who are able to take control of their day are much happier than people who are on the clock all the time and have no sense that they can control their time at all. So look around and see what’s in your life which you can control. Obviously none of us can control everything, but some some things we can control: when you take a break, how long your workday is, when you have some leisure or vacation time. Those things do make people happier.

Point number three: Smile. Evidence shows that acting happy can actually make you feel happy. Let’s try it for a second, let’s smile. I know it seems kind of silly but let’s give it a shot. Try it now, can you stop reading and smile for 10 seconds or so? There you are, did that make you feel happier? Evidence goes all the way back to Charles Darwin who suggested that facial expressions are not only a reflection of our feelings but actually influence our feelings and smiling is chief among those expressions.

Point number four: Find work and activities that you’re good at and that are meaningful to you. It has often been said that if you have a job that you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Try to do something that you really enjoy, as it does make such a difference. Attempt to feel good about what you do each day during your work as opposed to feeling like you’re just sort of clocking in the time and waiting for the final bell to ring.

Watch the Video, 11 Tips to Experience Greater Happiness

Point number five: Invest in shared experiences such as vacations rather than just in things. If you realize that there’s a huge movement nowadays to declutter, you’ll understand that the accumulation of things has been overestimated in terms of how it’s going to make you feel. In fact, a lot of us feel like we’ve got too many things that kind of strangle us, but spending time—especially with meaningful people is good for emotional health. It could be as exciting as a trip around the world or as simple as a walk around the block—even hanging out in front of the TV watching your favorite show can be a very enjoyable thing to do. Be sure that you invest in shared experiences and don’t just accumulate stuff.

Point six: Stay active. Exercise boosts mood, it’s a fact. It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise, do the kind of exercise you enjoy because that’s what you’re likely to stick with.

Point seven: Get enough sleep. More and more we’re realizing the power of proper rest. Many people make the mistake of thinking that sleep is wasted time, and that the more we can cram into our wakeful hours the better off we are. Not true! What happen is that not getting enough sleep degrades the quality of our waking time, which may cause us to be less productive.

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Point eight: Cultivate and nurture close relationships. Our friends and our family are really our treasures, so regard them as such; treasure them, nurture them and you will be repaid in full in terms of the happiness that results from that.

Point nine: Do good it makes you feel good. I’m sure this is familiar to many of you, but perhaps it’s not something that you focus on often enough. At night when you’re lying in bed and you’re reviewing your day, just pin point one little thing that was good—a kind word that you gave to somebody or something nice that you did for somebody. Check out the warm fuzzies that you’ll feel and realize that if you multiply that throughout the day it’s going to affect the quality of that day. And of course, how we live our days ultimately equates to how we live our lives.

Point ten: Embrace gratitude both in your thoughts and your actions. You might even keep a gratitude journal and express gratitude to others when you feel it. Gratitude is really the opposite of entitlement. If you feel entitled you’ll always feel short changed. I’m entitled to this, why am I not getting it? Why am I not getting a seat at the front of the plane, or that table in the restaurant? Try and avoid placing your attention on whatever it is that you really feel you ought to be having that you’ve been cheated out of, as that is not going to make you feel happy. Instead maybe you can look at the rainbow on a beautiful day? Gosh, I’m feeling so alive today. I can walk, I can breathe—some people can’t do those things very easily so gratitude for the simple things multiplies throughout the day and creates a sense of happiness.

Point eleven: Nurture the spiritual side of yourself whatever that happens to be. Whether it’s religion, meditation or something that enriches the internal space in your mind it is a positive thing. This has always been something that I’ve been fascinated by—in fact these eleven tips come from my latest book Super Mind.

So think about these 11 tips and which ones do you use on a regular basis.

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Wishing you light and transcendence,

Norm

Happiness