9 Ways To Feel Happier In 30 Seconds
Some would argue that happiness is what we seek in our lives. I would rather say that happiness is a choice that we make every day when we choose to focus on the positive and ignore the negative in difficult life situations.
However, sometimes the choice is made for us, like those days when you didn’t have a good sleep at night or the bus to work was late or there was a fly in your coffee or you didn’t save a document on your computer etc, etc. There are plenty of little mishaps that can happen any day and put us in a worse mood.
When it comes to everyday life 30 seconds may not seem like a lot of time. What can you really do in 30 seconds? Quite a few things. For example, you can run about 200 meters or you can read about 150 words. If you are busy, you can take a half of a minute to answer an email or make a note on your phone. It won’t mean much to you, especially if you are not having the best day of your life.
Or you can take 30 seconds to do something that will make you feel happier, something so small and insignificant, but that would leave you with a touch of a smile on your face. I have personally timed all those actions in the list today, so now it is your turn for a little action.
1. Have a slow sip of coffee or tea. You probably have it already next to you in the cup, but now try to enjoy it, not chuck it down like the fuel for the human machine. Notice the temperature, flavour, texture, the taste even if it’s instant coffee. By paying attention to such little things we make sure that we are present in the moment and don’t go on doing things on autopilot.
2. Go outside and get some sun on your face. Or the rain, that would work too. Change your scenery and get a big portion of fresh(-ish) air into your lungs to fill it with oxygen, that will boost you will a tiny dose of energy to go on with your day. Same works for the physical exercises — they improve the flow of oxygen to our brain and this makes us feel more energised, even if we just used our energy on physical activity.
3. Say “Thank you”. There is a whole science behind how gratitude makes us happier people, but if you just take a moment to thank another person and appreciate the things that they do for us, you will not only shift your mind to the thankful state but also make that day better for another person and make them a little bit happier too.
4. Pet an animal. Please make sure you choose a friendly one and ask the owner for permission! The numerous studies show that contact with pets not only improves the mood but also has significant positive effects both on our emotional and physical state.
5. Eat a piece of chocolate. Or the whole bar. Chocolate helps to release endorphins in our nervous system and considered to be a natural anti-depressant thanks to the positive effect that it has on our mood.
6. Read a motivational article on Medium. I especially like “The power of doing nothing at all”, it is a 7-minute read, but you can browse through to get the idea.
7. Smile. Trick your brain to think that you are already happy by sending the signal that confirmes it. A smile is such a simple, yet a powerful indicator of our emotional state. We smile when we feel good — we feel good when we smile.
8. Give somebody a compliment. Another simple yet powerful way to improve mood for two people at once! Knowing how many people are being self-conscious you can also help them to feel more secure and confident about themselves.
9. Make travel plans. Shifting your focus to the pleasant time that will be a well-deserved reward for the hard work, a thrilling adventure in a new country or a laid-back relaxed indulgence, it doesn’t matter. Check some dates, some hotels, think of how much you will enjoy it when the time comes.
The state of happiness may come and go but it is our responsibility to be happy whenever we can and taking just 30 seconds to improve the mood is the bare minimum one can do.
