There is a lot of research that shows happiness matters. People who live happier lives tend to be healthier and more productive than those who do not.
It’s easy to understand why this is so important. People who live happier lives are more resilient and able to overcome hardships.
1. Find the Positives
There are many ways to think positively, and it is important that you find a positive mindset that fits you. It can be helpful to look up quotations from people you respect that are uplifting and inspiring, so that you have a tool in your arsenal when you feel yourself slipping into negative thinking.
You can also practice mindfulness, gratitude, and kindness to help you find the positives in life. Practicing these skills will train your mind to look for the good in things and people, even when they are not readily apparent.
A fourth family of views, hybrid theories, seeks an irenic solution to the various intuitions about happiness by identifying it as a combination of domain satisfactions like wealth and status, emotional or hedonic states, and psychological or mental health states like well-being. These theories, however, face two main objections. First, combining so many different elements could result in a muddled or uninformative account of happiness.
2. Be Resilient
You’ve probably noticed some people seem to bounce back from life’s challenges more easily than others. These individuals may appear to be lucky, but it’s more likely that they have a character trait known as resilience.
Research has linked resiliency to better psychological and physical health. Resilient people have an optimistic view of the future and believe that they can overcome adversity. They also use internal and external resources to cope with stressors. These include coping with negative emotions in healthy ways, seeking support from friends and family, and finding meaning in their experiences.
Increasing your resiliency can take time and practice, but the rewards are well worth it. Investing in four core components of resiliency-connection, wellness, positive thinking, and meaning can help you weather the storms that come your way.
3. Build a Positive Habit
Positive thinking can have a big impact on the quality of your life. It doesn’t ignore the negatives or pretend life doesn’t have its challenges, but rather focuses on managing them in a constructive way.
Changing habits isn’t easy, but it can be done with consistency. Try to start small. For example, if you are trying to change your bad habit of eating too much while watching TV or joining your friends on smoke breaks even when you don’t want to smoke, try starting small with one new positive change.
Try to find a good reason for the change, like wanting to reach your goals or feeling healthy and energized. Alternatively, you can focus on adding one new positive habit to your day, like meditating for 10 minutes each night. One percent improvements add up surprisingly quickly. This makes them easier to maintain over the long haul. This also prevents you from feeling deprived and helps create lasting good habits.
4. Reach Out to a Therapist
Whether you’re experiencing some temporary anxiety or struggling with long-term emotions, implementing positive changes in your life is possible through therapy. Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness, and it’s a great way to improve your happiness and increase productivity.
I have a friend who regularly calls her therapist to ask for advice. Although I respect her right to privacy, I do think it’s a little strange. I mean, unless she’s a physical threat to herself or others (which is highly unlikely), what could possibly be so important that she needs her therapist to run her life-change ideas by them?
Fortunately, there are many ways to connect with a therapist without picking up the phone or even leaving your home. One option is to reach out through email, which can be a great way to save time, especially if you’re a newbie to the therapist world. Check out our blog post on how to properly email a therapist for the first time!