Creating Happiness
Happiness seems to be an elusive concept that most of us think about often and are trying to figure out how to get more of it into our lives. Some of the most brilliant minds in history have explored the topic in great detail. Everyone wants it but most of us are doing the wrong things to get it. We have an idea of the criteria that will make us happy - a beautiful home, a perfect family, a dream job, countless friends. Sometimes our expectations are too high, sometimes what we think we want is not actually what we need, but even when we do achieve our goals we seem to adapt quickly and feel discontent again. More people are on mood altering medications than ever before and more people report being unhappy than ever before. So what is happening to create such unhappiness in our day and age? And more importantly, what can we do about it?
First, we think of happiness as an achievement or destination when in reality it is a journey, a job we need to work at, a garden we need to constantly tend to. I like to think of it more like eating. You don’t just eat a big meal and think, “I have eaten. Now I will be full forever and will never need to eat again.” Same thing with happiness. You don’t just go on a fun vacation and then feel happy forever.
There are actions we can take to live a happier life and there are things we can eliminate from our lives to increase happiness. Here are some of them:
Get into nature. Fresh air, open spaces, feeling insignificant compared to the enormity of the universe is a great way to change your perspective a feel more in tune with what we really are- part of the natural world. While out, stand barefoot on the earth. This is grounding and can also eliminate free radicals from the body.
Move your body and get enough sleep. Exercise is one of the most well known ways to improve mood. It doesn’t take much. As little as 15 minutes per day has been shown to make significant differences. Sleeping 7-8 hours per night is essential for mood, concentration and making good choices like eating healthy food.
Eat healthy food. I know you have heard this a million times but it’s worth repeating because the better you eat, the better you feel, the healthier you are, the more energy and confidence you have.
Start a gratitude journal. Taking time to really stop and think of all the things you appreciate has been well documented to help people feel happier. Stop focusing on the negative/what you don’t have and start focusing on what you do have!
Do acts of kindness. Doing something nice for someone else with no expectation for anything in return is one of the best ways to feel happier. You can do this daily and it can be small things like opening a door for a struggling mom pushing a stroller or paying for the person behind you’s coffee. Or it can be something bigger like volunteering regularly at an animal shelter or soup kitchen.
Put time and energy into a few very close friends. People with a few very close friends tend to be much happier than those with countless acquaintances. The closer you are to your friends, the more secure and supported you feel.
Get off social media to stop comparing yourself to others. Social media is a rabbit hole of false perfection. When we see others post pictures of how much fun they are having, how amazing their kids are, how beautiful their home/job/clothes, etc.. are, we feel upset that our lives are not as good. And you guessed it, our happiness plummets. What we don’t see are the real struggles, fights, disappointments and less than great moments that aren’t displayed. Remember, everyone is dealing with something. Nobody’s life is perfect.
Spend your money on experiences rather than stuff. You would think that buying a new car would make someone happier than taking a vacation because the car lasts much longer than the vacation. But that is exactly why experiences make us happier than things- because as humans we are programed to adjust. Whether it is a good or bad thing we are adjusting to, after awhile our brains register this as the new normal and the happiness (or unhappiness) wears off so that we then crave the next new/fun/shiny thing. With an experience we don’t have time to adjust to a new normal so the memory we have is happiness. You can even prolong this effect by thinking about an experience or happy time in your life for several minutes and you will feel almost as happy as you did at the actual event!
Live in the now. Meditate. Do deep breathing exercises. Get acupuncture. Do yoga. Engage in something that you are so immersed in that you lose track of time. These activities force you to be present in the moment and this has been scientifically shown to increase happiness.
Happiness is a journey and we are all travelers on own own paths. Finding things that create the feeling of happiness can be different for us all. So try these more universal tips and also experiment with your own ideas.
If you think acupuncture might be part of you happiness journey, visit our Garden Acupuncture website for more information.
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