06 Feb 13 surprising ways to make happiness a habit
by Ibrahim Husain from LifeHack
You know how some people seem to be happy no matter what happens to them? They always have a positive outlook on life. They seem to enjoy things more than you and me, and their relationships with people thrive in a way that we only imagine. You’ve probably wondered what it is about them that makes happiness so easy for them. Well it turns out there is no special trick to happiness. Just like anything else, it’s just something that we have to learn to make a habit. Incorporate the following 14 behaviors into your daily life and you’ll find that happiness habits surround you.
1. Change Your Perspective
There are plenty of reasons to not be happy. Someone cut you off on the way to work. You got a ticket. You made a bad grade or got a less than stellar performance review, etc. The interesting thing about not feeling happy when these things happen is that you aren’t in control. You have chosen to let external forces dictate how you feel about life. When you learn that you have control over these things, simply by changing your perspective, the whole world changes. For example, take the “someone cut you off on the way to work” scenario. By making an excuse for that person, such as that they are rushing to get their pregnant wife to the hospital (or some other emergency), you excuse their wrongdoing and are not negatively affected by it. Hopefully they make it to the hospital in time and bring a beautiful child into the world. It turns out Your Perception IS Your Reality.
2. Get Some Sunlight
Sunlight makes us happy. UV rays hit the skin and the body begins to produce vitamin D ( vitamin D deficiency is associated with depression, among other things). When the sunlight hits your eyes it signals to your brain to slow down secretion of melatonin (a hormone that helps you sleep), and increases secretion of serotonin (a hormone associated with happiness and wakefulness). What does all of this mean? Getting more sun will make you happier. If you aren’t getting at least 15 minutes of sun exposure on your skin per day, it’s a good idea to try and get out more. Take a walk during lunch, sit outside for a few minutes instead of watching TV. Make time for it.
3. Make a Life List
Life lists are awesome. They are the theme park of life planning. Think about the things you want to experience and accomplish before you die. While it may sound like a morbid pursuit, it’s actually pretty life changing and inspirational. Especially when you make plans to start checking things off your life list…
…keep reading the full list HERE