What makes the world’s happiest people, happy?
How can one person face terrible, heart-breaking events and manage to move forward, yet another person falls apart?
How come some people seem to have it all figured out?
How can I build and maintain a positive, healthy mind?
Many years ago, I looked for answers to questions like these. I read books, took training classes, attended events.
I’ve learned a lot, and here’s the best advice I can give:
Look after your physical health. Exercise releases endorphins and serotonin (the ‘happy’ hormones) and gives you more energy.
Start a gratitude ritual. Every day, write down (or think about) at least 3 things you’re grateful for, and why. It’s easy to overlook the blessings in your life when you’re caught up in the day-to-day but this wonderful habit makes a huge difference.
Create a compelling future; have dreams and fulfilling goals, and make a plan to work towards them.
Take 100% responsibility for your own life; don’t blame, complain or take on a victim mentality.
Do kind things for others. Having a sense of contribution makes a huge difference! Consider volunteering for a good cause or a charity. It’s the ‘doing’ that counts, so just making a donation won’t give you the same sense of satisfaction.
Practice mindfulness and meditation …I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this is the best thing you can do to improve your mental wellbeing (try the Calm app if you don’t know where to start)
Focus thoughts on the good in the world, vs the bad. Limit your exposure to ‘bad’ news, gossip and negativity (including watching depressing TV shows!)
Develop a passion: it might be a hobby, a career, raising your kids. Find something you love and learn how to do it well.
Spend your money on experiences, not things. Material things seldom bring long-term satisfaction.
Consider who you spend time with; pick the most fun, positive, upbeat and inspiring people you know and reduce time with negative whiners and energy vampires.
Take time to have fun: go to the places you want to visit, organise the experiences you want to have, engage in enjoyable hobbies, etc.
Music is good for the soul. Create a feel-good playlist for low mood days. Put it on loud, sing and dance. You can see my playlist here >
Just do it. Lazy people are seldom happy.
All sounds easier said than done, right?
Good mental health is a bit like physical health, you can’t go to the gym just once and expect to be fit for life. Find what feels good and get into a good routine of self-care. There’s lots of free advice, tips and tools on my blog, and my YouTube channel so take a good look around for more tips :)
“Happiness is a state of mind, and depends very little on outward circumstances.”
— Helen Keller (who was deaf and blind)