Habits That Will Increase Your Happiness

Could you use a little Motivation Monday? Everyone wants to be happier. The quest for happiness is central to most human endeavors. People pursue happiness through relationships, exercise, money, and several other things.

But as the saying goes, money can’t buy you happiness. True, money can purchase experiences that can bring you joy but pure joy comes from within. There’s a spirit deep inside one’s soul that is formed by how one lives.

Since habits have such a significant impact on how happy you feel, here are some habits you can adopt in your daily living to make sure you’re much happier on average.

Make time for wonder.

Most people live a somewhat monotonous existence. They are exposed to the same stimuli every day, and they react predictably to them. But the world is full of incredible things. All around you, amazing things are constantly happening. Making time for moments that take your breath away is crucial. Looking at something that truly leaves you awestruck grounds you and reminds you that the world is much bigger than you. It tells you that there is more to life than a corner office and two weeks of paid vacation every year.

Don’t isolate yourself.

It’s easy to shut everyone out when you’re feeling down. But retreating into yourself only makes things worse. As a human, you are biologically primed to seek out social interaction. Even if you’re feeling down, go out and meet your friends. It will make you feel much better.

Take responsibility.

A lot of people are depressed by the belief that they aren’t in control of their lives. They spend time blaming everyone other than themselves for their situation in life. To be truly happy, you have to realize that you are in control of your life. Whatever problems you might be facing currently, know that you have the power to eliminate them.

Stop being overly critical.

Criticizing other people is easy. Talking about the flaws in someone’s character or downplaying their achievements might give you some momentary pleasure, but it is soon followed by a feeling of guilt. Pointless criticism just creates unnecessary negativity.

Don’t worry about what other people think.

Your life is your own. You aren’t beholden to the approval of other people in your life. Trying to impress your friends or coworkers with your new car or new house is a slippery slope. Impressing other people isn’t what makes you happy. If you want to be truly happy, find individuals who accept you for what you are.

Don’t spend too much time around negative people.

Negative people are like happiness vampires. They bring down the energy levels of everyone around them. If you want to improve as a person and be happier, examine the people you spend the most time. If they’re always whining about things and never make any progress in their lives, you’re better off not spending time with them. If you surround yourself with people who inspire you, make you laugh, and inspire improvement, you will be dramatically happier.

Set goals and achieve them.

Establishing and achieving goals is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Achieving a goal you have set for yourself activates the reward mechanism in your brain and gives you the motivation you require to keep progressing. Set small, realistic goals so that you can get this feeling often.

You only possess a brief amount of time on this planet. How you choose to spend it is up to you. By taking up the habits mentioned above, you’ll soon notice that you’re more energetic, happy, and fulfilled. Don’t give in to fear. Start changing your life today.

Here’s a link to books I’m currently reading or have read that motivate me. Cheers!