22 Ways to Be a Little Bit Happier Every Day in 2022 – Integris

How are you? Are you happy? Would you like to be a little bit happier? Or a lot? On a scale of one to ten, what would you give your happiness level today? Nobody feels like a ray of sunshine all day every day, nor is that a realistic goal, but it is quite possible to make your days a bit brighter. All it takes is the right tips and tricks, and a commitment to use them!

One very important caveat: mood disorders are very real conditions, just like any other disease, and require medical intervention to be managed. This article in no way suggests that a mood disorder or other mental condition can be cured or managed without help. If you feel you are in crisis, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Coping with anxiety, depression, a family trauma or illness can be too much to handle on your own. INTEGRIS Mental Health is committed to helping you meet these challenges by offering a variety of treatment options, and a 24/7 crisis line to get you pointed in the right direction. Learn more about our mental health services here.

Youll notice that some of the happiness-boosting tips weve assembled are also often recommended for improving overall health and wellness. Thats no accident. Some of the basics of self-care, such as eating well and getting plenty of sleep, help us in a variety of ways, physical and mental.

Help someone else. Turns out the human brain is wired for altruism. Were taught from childhood that it is better to give than to receive, and theres lots of evidence to suggest its true. We can now see, thanks to MRI technology, that the act of giving to others lights up the same parts of our brains as do food or sex.

Experiences are more important than possessions. New shoes may make us smile initially, but the happiness they bring fades quickly. The joy we feel when we focus on experiences is longer-lived in part because they foster in us a greater sense of vitality. We also often share experiences with others, which generates happiness.

Practice gratitude. Try this: each day for ten weeks, keep a gratitude journal. Write down three things you are grateful for each day. In an experiment at the University of California, Davis, three groups of volunteers kept journals. One group wrote about life events, another wrote about hassles in their lives and the third wrote about what they were grateful for. At the end, the gratitude group reported feeling more optimistic and satisfied with their lives.

Learn. Conquering new concepts or ideas helps build confidence and pride. US NEWS tells us that education has been widely documented by researchers as the single variable tied most directly to improved health and longevity. And when people are intensely engaged in doing and learning new things, their well-being and happiness can blossom.

Get more sleep. Seven to nine hours a night is the gold standard. Good sleep is crucial to having active, happy days. If youre having trouble falling or staying asleep, its worth talking to your doctor.

Get older. One of the biggest perks of having a few decades in the rear-view mirror is that our happiness tends to increase as we age. Multiple studies indicate that as we age, we become happier and more satisfied with life. It may be a matter of having more perspective, but whatever it is, well take it.

Smile. We know. Being told to smile can be annoying, so we are merely making a suggestion. BECAUSE practicing real smiles, AKA smiles that include your eyes, is a proven way to feel less distress in a distressing situation. In the word of psychology, this is called the facial feedback hypothesis, which suggests that our emotional experience is partly influenced by our facial movements. Its a mind-body connection.

Dark chocolate. The darker the better. Its science! Chocolate is a mood booster because eating it causes the release of endorphins in the brain. It also contains chemicals known to lift our mood such as phenylethylamine (a natural antidepressant) and tryptophan, which is linked to the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that produces feeling of happiness.

Wake up earlier. First, make sure youre sleeping seven to nine hours a night. Next, build a pleasant morning buffer into your day. You should enjoy your mornings, which is hard to do if youre running around trying to get out the door. An extra half an hour (or even 15 minutes) will give you some space and youll notice a shift in attitude right away.

Manage your stress. Get better at time management if youve got too much on your plate. Something as simple as a to-do list can give you a sense of control and order, and lets face it, it feels so good to cross things off the list.

Tidy up. When we think of self-care, cleaning house doesnt often make the list but it should. In 2016, a study out of the University of New Mexico found that clutter directly interfered with folks ability to feel pleasure in a room. On the flip side, a clean, organized space can increase productivity, boost confidence and imbue its occupants with a sense of control, accomplishment and clarity.

Start a meditation practice. Its easier than you think. Mindful.org suggests getting started this way:

Put down your phone. Unless youre keeping an online gratitude journal, that is. If you find yourself scrolling through social media, stop. A 2017 article in Forbes (and many subsequent studies) indicate that the more we use social media, the less happy we are. In fact, social media is known to increase anxiety, loneliness and depression.

Take a walk. A walk is good for your mood, your mind and your body. Tie your laces and go!

Avoid gossip. Fact: gossip may feel good in the moment, but really it causes stress. Its not helpful and it immerses both the teller and the listener in negativity.

Dont drink too much. When its been a rough day, an alcoholic beverage of choice can sound like just the ticket. Alcohol blunts our feelings, so if we feel bad it will make us feel less bad - BUT - it can also crank up feelings of anger and depression or make you feel aggressive.

Look at the stars. Researchers have found that there is a link between experiencing a sense of awe with feeling greater satisfaction and less stress.

Dont believe everything you think. In other words, challenge negative thoughts. Heres a technique: write down your negative thought. Maybe its something like I am having problems at school/work. I dont think Im very smart. Next, challenge that thought. Is there any evidence behind it? Am I misinterpreting the situation? What would someone else think if I told them my thoughts?

Read a story of adventure. Turns out you can reap the benefits of an awe-inspiring experience, like stargazing, by reading about one. Pick up a copy of Moby Dick, by Herman Melville; The Call of the Wild, by Jack London; or Wild, by Cheryl Strayed.

Hang out with happy people. Motivational coaches will tell you that you are an amalgam of the top five percent of the people you spend the most time with. Makes sense to hang with the happy crowd, then, doesnt it?

Be your own best friend. Treat yourself like you would a dear friend. When youre feeling sad or negative, ask yourself what advice youd give a friend feeling the same way.

Breathe. Controlled breathing is an ancient practice and science is beginning to understand that its benefits are real. Do it any time you need or want to: take a deep breath. Pause. Exhale slowly as you count to five. Repeat four more times. This low-key practice can help reduce feelings of anxiety, depression and more.

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22 Ways to Be a Little Bit Happier Every Day in 2022 - Integris