I love this quote! It is not how much we have but how much we enjoy that makes happiness. This quote by Charles Spurgeon reminds us that we choose happiness every day, in every moment. Now I am not saying that it is realistic to think that we can be happy in every moment. All I am saying is that we get to choose. We can choose activities that support us in creating a baseline of happiness that makes it easier for us to deal in those not so happy moments. Let’s talk about a few ways that you can up your happiness quotient every day.
Get Your Smile On!
You know the first thing that you can do is decide that you’re going to be happy. Commit yourself to smiling at everyone you meet. We smile because we are happy, but do you know what? It also helps us to smile even when we are not happy. I know that does not make sense, but a fake smile helps you return to happy. You can start each day by smiling at yourself in the mirror. Even when you feel stinky just smile. I sometimes laugh at myself because I do not want to smile. Even that helps!
Eat For Your Happy!
You can eat food that supports your happiness. You already know that our food choices have a direct correlation with our physical health, but it also has a direct correlation with your mental health. So, here is the deal. Carbohydrate, especially simple carbs, and carbs that are high in sugar and starch give you a surge of energy and serotonin but then there is a huge crash afterwards. What goes up must come down! When you are looking at carbohydrates, choose those that create less of a spike. Choose foods like beans and whole grains and the carbohydrates that occur naturally in vegetables and fruits. You can also choose foods that are higher in protein. These foods boost energy and concentration and leave you feeling a lot less spent than do with carbohydrates. Deep fried foods and highly processed foods, tend to leave us feeling down, low energy and not happy.
Stay Grateful
How is your gratitude practice doing? Having an attitude of gratitude has a profound impact on your level of happiness. Being grateful and cultivating a practice of being grateful can give your mood a huge boost. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude can support you and your happiness quotient. When you begin to express gratitude for what life is showing you, you tend to have feelings of hope and happiness. Being more grateful means being more happy! Connect with the feeling you get when you give a compliment or do something that makes somebody else feel good. It makes you feel good, right? So, I always feel like when you give a gift to someone else, even if it is just a smite, it creates a cycle of happiness that you can always tap into. LOL! Do more of that.
Your Happy Place is YOU!
These are just a few tips and tricks that you can use to get back to your happy place. You have heard the saying “Find a place that makes you happy and go there often.” I say your happy place is where you are.