Key to Happiness!

Here are 10 rules on how to say yes to joy and how to feel the joy of saying yes!

Be grateful

Make a list of things in your life for which you are grateful for. Be grateful to have good friends that love you and care for you, for a place you can call home, for the sun that comes up every day… be grateful for being who you are and touching the world with your presence! The researches have shown that having gratitude reduces many toxic emotions, such as envy and frustration and reduces depression. Another strategy is to have grateful people around you.  Find people who believe in you and your dreams and surround yourself with positive influences. Anyone who makes you feel bad about yourself does not have a place in your life. If you are with people who are positive about their lives, they will be able to influence you to feel the same.

Don’t forget to smile

This is another way for your body to “trick” your mind into being more positive. The simple act of smiling can instantly change the way you feel and you will be amazed at how your mind reacts. Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful. As they say, if you see a friend without a smile, give him one of yours. Try smiling at a stranger on the street and you will see he will smile back. Soon you will realize that your smile will give you a positive countenance that will make people feel comfortable around you and that an honest smile is the universal language of kindness.

Positivity is a choice

Integrate positive activities into your life little by little and you will change your mindset. There are so many things we can all do to see the world in a positive light. The mind and the body have a deep-seated connection. If you are striving to move your mind into a more positive perspective, try moving your body there first. Carrying yourself with “positive posture” will encourage your mind to feel more positive as well. Remember you always have a choice whether you want to choose positivity or negativity. Feel powerful. Feel positive. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. You cannot be thankful and stressed at the same time.

Kindness matters

Stepping outside of your daily routine to help someone else can provide an amazing perspective and fill you with positivity. Try to do one nice thing for someone else each day. Call a family member just to say hi, compliment a stranger, say “thank you” to someone who made a difference … People do not hear how special they are often enough. This act of kindness exercise is a simple way to appreciate others in a lasting and touching way. And what is the most important, be kind to yourself!

Music therapy

Music is amazingly powerful. Whenever you are feeling anxious or sad some nice music does wonders and can be therapeutic. Science has shown that music actually has a physical effect on our bodies. While you listen to music, it has a positive effect on the autonomic nervous system, which controls your blood pressure and heartbeat. Music can lower your levels of stress-related hormones like cortisol and ease pain. Listening to music before an operation can even improve post-surgery outcomes. Make yourself a go-to playlist and put your favorite songs on it to make you happy and you will likely stay positive.

Sharing is caring

If we share our difficulties, we can receive encouragement from others that will help us re-focus on our strength and courage. From calling a friend to writing a diary, share with others and ask them to share with you. Learning that it is okay to talk about our problems can feel a bit unpleasant and sometimes, with emotional problems, you may be embarrassed to share what is really going on for you. That is why it is so important to talk with someone who is encouraging and nonjudgmental. Also, telling someone a happy memory or how you got through a tough time always helps to feel better and more positive.

Good morning!

What you do and how you feel first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. You have a choice every morning when you wake up. You can embrace the day and start it off with something positive, like a quick workout or a short yoga session. While you are still in bed stretch your limbs out as much as you can. This triggers the release of dopamine, a hormone that boosts your mood, energy, and self-esteem. Step into a cold shower because cold water has a great ability to help you snap out of your laziness. Make a strong and healthy breakfast to kick-start your metabolism and fuel your body to face the day ahead.

Exercise regularly

One of the keys to staying positive in life is fitness. Regular exercise boosts your mood, releases endorphins that make you feel better and help improve your mental and physical state. There are a lot of benefits such as relieving stress, helping improve memory, encouraging better sleep, boosting the release of feel-good endorphins. Set realistic goals, be consistent with your exercise and make sure to stick with it. Building a good and healthy habit can even go a long way toward helping you stay physically and mentally fit.

A positive attitude gives you power

This step is hard to take at first but teaching yourself that positivity is a choice and it is one of the greatest things you will ever do for yourself. Next time when you find yourself in a bad situation, you will know that it is up to you to find the good, to be positive regardless of what is happening around you. Realize that everything happens how it happens, and it is up to you to choose how you want to feel about it. Being positive is not about being false. It is about being real, but ending with a good message. You are in control of your attitude, and no one can take that away from you.

What is good about this?

In every person, in every situation, there is something good. Most of the time it is not obvious so we have to look. When you are faced with a difficult or challenging situation, you should think, “What is good about this?” No matter how terrible the situation might seem, you always can find something good if you take the time to think about it. Everything is a learning experience and you can learn from bad experiences too. If you really take the time to look, you will usually find something good, something genuinely positive, about every person or situation. Becoming a positive person does not mean you can never have any negative emotion, it is an overall attitude that matters. To become a positive person you must have a strong desire to be positive and you have to be convinced that becoming a positive person will increase the quality of life. Remember “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” (Anais Nin)

Contributed by Olivera, a lawyer who is constantly on the move, traveling between Europe, the USA, and Australia. She is married to a handsome IT guy who inspires her to live an active and positive lifestyle. She is in love with nature, traveling, and books. Writing is her way to share various ideas and thoughts about positive thinking, healthy living and helping others to do the same.