If you could choose exactly how you would like your life to be, what would that look like?
Let’s talk about creating a happy life. We are living in a very unprecedented time in our world at the moment. It’s complex, and the unknown is stressful. We can all improve our happiness level with a little effort.
In this blog today, I am going to share some of the ways I focus on the positive and how I create a happy environment. For many years I relied on my own personal happiness and positivity to set an example for my children, and for my own sanity. Even though the most difficult times in our life we CAN find a glimmer of happiness and positivity.
Happiness is made up of many aspects in our lives. Emotional and physical well being both play a role.
When you find something you like doing, that feeling is wonderful, and of course, we want to hold on to that feeling as long as we can.
TIP: TAKE NOTES ON WHAT THINGS YOU DO THAT CREATE HAPPINESS. REFER TO THESE NOTES OFTEN!
- A belly laugh a day – Laughter is so good for the soul! Laughter truly can be a way to reduce stress. Laughter can actually trick your brain into being in a good mood. I feel when I laugh I can lighten the mood. Sometimes I’ll look at dogs on social media doing the funniest things and that changes everything!
- Embrace aging – Studies show that after your mid 40s your happiness levels increase! Many of the stressful things in our life have changed. This can be a time of self care and finding hobbies or a type of sport you really enjoy and you have more time to pursue those endeavors. Mine is yoga, Meditation and crafting.
- Zzzzz’s get lots of them! – Remember the days of sleep deprivation, new baby, and a new puppy? Even if those are good things sometimes that builds stress and anxiety. My tip is to have a good bedtime routine. Definitely no caffeine after 4 or 5. If there are things on your mind that you know can’t be solved in the moment, have a bedtime journal. If you get them out of your head and on to paper, you won’t worry about forgetting them the following day. Also, if I wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts, I will put them in my notes on my phone app, that way my mind is clear and I can go back to sleep. I think this takes some practice but it definitely works for me now.
- Let your emotions out! – Talk about what is on your mind. You never know who you may help by sharing. I feel when I’m stressed or triggered by something in my past, talking about it gets the issue out of my head and I am usually able to count my blessings and happily move on.
- Learn to say NO! – What? How does happiness and saying no relate?? It’s actually very easy. If you say yes to everything, you will be overwhelmed, which does not contribute to your happiness! I know so many of us want to say yes and be there for everyone. This is not a good idea because it creates stress, and leaves you feeling exhausted. Establish boundaries, I am working so hard on this myself. I’m learning to be comfortable with saying NO without giving a reason, it’s very hard for me. But saying no can mean you just need time for you, and that is beautiful, don’t feel guilty!
- Meditation – I try to start my day with meditation, even before I get out of bed. Here I how I practice my morning meditation, step by step. It’s a great start to your day! I start with a 3-5 minutes meditation and I feel like that is doable and beneficial for everyone. I do my morning meditation in bed while kneeling with the best posture I can possibly have, my spine straight.  I Close my eyes and visualize the most beautiful place on earth I’ve ever been. You may also have your vision gaze to a blank spot on your wall, this is your drishti focus, and this works as well. Take your focus inside, notice your breathing – is it fast? is it slow? From this point move into witnessing. What are your thoughts, what are your feelings, what are your emotions, what are your sensations at this time? Are you distracted or are you focused? When a train of thought carries you away, simply acknowledge it and move on, return to the calmness of your breath. When you feel you’re finished, come back to an awareness of the room, your body. Sit in quiet reflection for just a little while before returning to real life. Your heart will become filled with calm happiness!
- The last thing on my list today is to think highly of yourself. Not that you’re better than anybody else, just that you are capable, that you are worthy exactly the way you are! Remember to think of the things that you are good at and try to see them as more important than the things that you’re not so good at.
I hope this will set the tone for creating happiness in your beautiful life, make each moment count. Please share with me what brings happiness into your life, I would truly love to hear!
Please enjoy this beautiful quote:
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon