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After reading Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project, I became more interested with what makes people happier. Everyone wants to be happier, but not many people know where to look, and that’s okay. What I have found in my research is that the road to happiness is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The beautiful creativity, the endless possibilities, and being able to analyze what works and what doesn’t are just a few of the things that makes life amazing.
This being said, let’s look at what habits most happier people possess that anyone can use in their own lives:
1. Most happier people challenge themselves in a fun way.
If you find yourself incurious about life, it is time to reevaluate. When you challenge yourself and become curious once again, it will immediately spark interest in your life’s passions, and in return will make you happier. When you begin doing this, no it may not always be easy, but easy usually doesn’t equate to doing what’s important. In fact, very few times will it be easy to do what’s important.
Ask any leader if their journey was easy, and I can almost guarantee that there were bumps along the way. But when you find these leaders, also ask them about the mistakes they made along the way. Actually, ask anyone who has been successful about the mistakes they’ve made along the way. I’m sure they will have many stories to share with you.
Most happy and successful people allow themselves to make mistakes, instead of being hard on themselves. Learn to make attempts and have fun along the way. When you challenge yourself while allowing yourself to try and try again, you will find yourself a much happier person.
2. Most happier people exercise and get outside.
Exercise is scientifically proven to increase happiness due to releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Because of this, people who are more physically active report greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active. Exercise can make you less stressed out, energize you, and boost confidence. Exercise also helps me when I am feeling anxious.
Some studies even show that 20 minutes of exercise is all you need. David Conroy, professor of kinesiology said, “You don’t have to be the fittest person who is exercising every day to receive the feel-good benefits of exercise. It’s a matter of taking it one day at a time, of trying to get your activity in, and then there’s this feel-good reward afterwards.”
3. Most happier people spend time focusing on other people.
When we do things for others, we feel better about our own lives and are able to see the difference we are making in the lives of others. I think a huge reason in this is that we are able to take the focus off of our own problems, and help others through our lives instead. Conversation and companionship in relationships contribute to more happiness. When we know that people truly care about us, we become happier. Research has found that the characteristics of people who are happy and show the fewest signs of depression are those who have “strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them.”
We can also spend more time with people in a more organized way that is found in volunteering our time and service. In a recent review of 40 studies done over the last 20 years, researchers found that one activity was far more important than the rest for boosting psychological health: volunteering. This activity, the researchers reported, had been found in many volunteers to be linked with a reduced risk of depression, a higher amount of overall satisfaction, and even a reduced risk of death from of a physical illness as a consequence of mental distress. (via Business Insider)
4. Most happier people put themselves in less stressful situations.
People who are happier tend to commute shorter distances to work, avoid comparing themselves to other people, keep their schedules open, and are able to remain present rather than thinking about the next thing they have to do. In other words, they find ways to lessen or eliminate unnecessary stresses. We have talked before about wearing busyness as a badge of honor, but it is when we stop doing this that life opens itself up to us and stress lessens.
Think of how much better life would be if you were able to eliminate some of the stress you experience. You would be ecstatic if you could do this, right? But, sometimes this can be easier said than done. If you are having trouble thinking of ways that you can begin reducing stress in your life, here are 10 ways you can begin right now:
- Reframe problems.
- Have realistic expectations.
- Work to change your worldview lens.
- Forgive the people you need to forgive.
- Sleep more.
- Laugh every single day.
- Learn to say “I’m sorry” more often and move on.
- Procrastinate less.
- Keep a journal.
- Have a creative outlet.
I built my book, The Best Advice So Far, on this premise: You always have a choice. I know, I know … the book again. But the book isn’t just a sales pitch. I live it daily. I’m passionate about it. And I chose the premise of always having a choice because I first realized the truth and power of it in my own life. If you don’t accept this truth — that you always have a choice — if you don’t remember it and live it, then you are left to play the part of the victim in life. You begin (or continue) to live as if life is happening to you, that you are powerless, oppressed by your circumstances. But, if you truly change your mind set to believe and live out in practical ways that, in every circumstance, you have a choice — now, you open a door for change. Instead of living as if life is happening to you, you will begin to happen to life.
I’m not saying that we get to choose everything that happens to us in life. We do not choose abuse, for instance, and we can at no time choose to undo those things which have happened to us in life. We do not choose illness. We do not choose when or how the people we love will leave us. Or die.
We do, however, have the choice of how we will respond in every situation, even the hurtful ones. Instead, so often, we pour our frustration and anger into those things we can not change, rather than investing that energy into the many choices that we can make from that point forward.
And therein lies the “secret” to happiness — realizing that we have choices. As I read your post, Adam, I kept thinking, “Yup, that is a choice. And that. And that.” Happiness doesn’t fall on some people and evade others in some kind of cosmic whim. It’s a matter of doing certain things and not doing others, taking what you have and choosing where to focus. Even those in dire situations or with almost nothing have found a way to choose happiness (e.g., Corrie ten Boom, Nick Vujicic, Elisabeth Elliot, people I met who live in cardboard villages in Mexico).
OK, I need to stop myself now (can you tell I’m passionate about this concept, that happiness is a choice?). But truth is true. This post is an excellent reminder that happiness (or misery) is a choice.
Absolutely. There are so many choices we make that move us towards our ideal life or away from it.
Important points in this article that we should be aware of about how you could be happier in your life. This would really be a huge help. Thanks for sharing this great article.