The Habit of Happy: 5 Mindful Habits of Being a Happy Person
Pro tip: Smile.
There are those who would have you believe that happiness is elusive; a unicorn of an idea always just out of reach. Tens of thousands of books have been published on the subject. Countless studies have been published. Blogs are filled with advice on how to achieve it. Here at Moodica, 64% of our visitors use Moodica to de-stress, so this is a topic we see come up again and again.
The 2017 World Happiness Report listed The United States as the 14th happiest country in the world. That’s down from 13th place in 2016. (Norway ranked #1.) The report’s reasons for the increase in unhappiness here in the States had many factors: stress being the biggest — as expected — as well as consumer pressure to keep up with the Joneses and overall bad eating/exercise habits.
In a recent interview on the findings at MarketWatch, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living spiritual movement, said he believed “it’s a lack of energy in body and mind,” noting that our consumer culture doesn’t help. “When people are fed up with their routine, and life seems to have no aim and meaning, they get depressed in spite of having so many physical comforts.”
But what about a direct answer to the question: is there a special secret to sustainable, daily happiness?
Well, we’ll tell you what’s not a secret: people who live truly happy lives almost all possess certain habits that contribute to their general state of well-being. It’s not easy, but bad habits can be unlearned and replaced with positive ones, and the following are 5 positive habits that happy people all have in common:
#1. They give.
Money can’t buy you happiness…unless you spend that money on other people. Research shows that spending money on other people makes you much happier than spending it on yourself. Happy people believe in small acts of kindness, and those small acts of kindness enrich their lives every bit as much — if not moreso — than the recipients.
#2. They work at friendships.
Commenting on someone’s Facebook page does not a friendship make. Happy people like talking, in person, face to face. Human contact is vital to emotional wellbeing, and happy people tend to make meaningful relationships a priority. This is not to say they go out every weekend and party: quite the opposite. They curate a group of close friends who contribute to their general wellbeing and work hard to keep those relationships strong.
#3. They unplug.
Social media is stressing us out. According to Psychology Today, “62 percent [of social media users] reported feeling inadequate and 60 percent reported feelings of jealousy from comparing themselves to other users.” Stop the madness by putting your phone on airline mode. The read. They journal. They meditate. The take solitary walks. Not only are they not afraid to be alone — it replenishes and invigorates them.
#4. They exercise.
It’s a fact, even if you don’t want to admit it: exercise is the ultimate mood-booster. No, you don’t have to be a gym rat, but time and time again studies have proved that people who engage in regular physical activity (whether it be walking, swimming, hiking, you name it) benefit from endorphins — your body’s version of a natural, blissful high.
#5. They choose positivity.
Happy people are not immune to sadness. They experience the same trials and tribulations as everyone else. What they understand, however, is that pessimism fuels unhappiness. Exponentially. It does not come naturally for everyone, but everyone does possess the ability to choose positivity.
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