10 Lifestyle Changes to Boost Your Happiness
If you had the power to boost your happiness with just a few simple lifestyle changes, would you do it? It seems like a no brainer, but many people hesitate to actually enforce the changes that need to be made for their overall wellness.
10 Lifestyle Changes
Many people find excuses in not having enough time or information about what changes truly need to be made. Lucky for you, we’ve already done the hard work for you. Read on to learn about these simple 10 steps that can make a big impact on your life. 10 Lifestyle Changes to Boost Your Happiness.
1. Dismiss negativity
The first step to becoming a more positive person is to have an active role in adjusting your outlook. Become more mindful of your thoughts throughout the day and dismiss those are negative towards yourself or others. The more active you become about dismissing any negativity, the more natural it will become.
2. Clear out your clutter
Science can tell us that a mess causes stress. The more items you have cluttering your physical spaces, the more prone you are to experience anxiety. Do yourself a favor and be better about maintaining clean spaces. Take five minutes out of each do to go around your home and lightly clean. All this requires is emptying out the dishes filling the sink and picking up any spare clothes, blankets, or toys that lie around your home. This will make the cleaning process much more efficient than if you were to neglect the mess until the weekend.
3. Improve your sleep
Your sleep is vital to your overall health and well-being. Without it, you can quickly experience the gruesome effects of sleep deprivation. In the short-term, this includes mental fatigue and lack of overall energy, but the long-term effects include dangerous conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Protect your health by making efforts to clean up your sleeping habits. Maintain a healthy schedule of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, and making sure that you receive seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
4. Get on your feet
Sitting all day can have draining effects on your mood. Do what you can to get up and get active as much as possible. Even if it’s just a short 10-minute walk, that can be enough to get your blood flowing and help lift your mood. Aim for 30 minutes of active exercise each day, but don’t get down on yourself if you miss a day. Life is hectic and exercise can be challenging to work into your routine. As long as you make conscious efforts to be active while you can, you’ll be doing something great for your body.
5. Eat more naturally
Say goodbye to the processed foods and hello to a more natural diet. It’s true when they say your food affects your mood. Eating foods full of processed sugar may give you the boost you need to get through your 3:00 slump, but it will inevitable make you crash and it doesn’t offer proper nutrition to your body. Fill your diet with more fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. This will leave both your mind and body feeling better.
6. Pay attention to your hydration
If there’s one big fix that can solve a lot of your problems, it’s your hydration. Drinking water helps improve your mood, overall wellness, skin, hair, organ function, and more. If you don’t know how much water you should be drinking, use your urine color as an indicator — the more clear, the better. As a reference, experts usually recommend drinking 8 eight-ounce glasses of water per day for proper hydration.
7. Read more books
Reading engages your mind in a more complex way than watching television can. Exercise your brain by aiming to read a few more books each year. If you can read at least one book a month, call that an accomplishment. You’ll learn more, expand your vocabulary, and you may just find you new favorite book.
8. Have more play time
One of the best parts of getting older is realizing you don’t have to take life quite as seriously as you thought you would as an adult. In reality, no one knows what they’re doing. We’re all just winging it at life. Take some time to be a little less serious and have a little more time for play. Playing engages your creativity and can help bring some excitement into your day.
9. Get out in the sun
Natural sunlight is a proven mood booster. Adding some extra Vitamin D in your day can help you feel more energized and positive. People have even taken to light therapy, where you expose yourself to a lamp that mimics natural sunlight. If you can, find more opportunities to be outside and breathe in some natural air.
10. Be more social
Even the most introverted of people need some social interaction every now and then. Humans are social creatures who thrive on having a pack. Make efforts to engage more with your friends and family members. Spending time around others, laughing, and having a great time can be the perfect dose of medicine to a damper mood.
