While it is important to pursue long-term solutions to promote your happiness, there are also small things you can do that can make you happier in the present moment. Some of these include:. If you are struggling to find happiness and coping with feelings of low mood, consider talking to your doctor or mental health professional. Feelings of unhappiness may be a symptom of depression. Talking to a professional can help you get the treatment you need to feel better, which may involve psychotherapy , medication, or a combination of both.
Finding ways to make yourself happy often starts with small steps that help you work toward long-term goals. So spend some time thinking about the things that will help you feel happy and satisfied in your life and consider some of the ways that you can work toward some of those goals.
Just remember that happiness isn't a destination. It is a process of creating a life that brings you joy, purpose, and fulfillment. You don't need to wait to become happy; there are steps you can take each day to feel better and more content.
Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Positive psychology and gratitude interventions: a randomized clinical trial. Front Psychol. Miller JC, Krizan Z. Walking facilitates positive affect even when expecting the opposite. Positive affect and markers of inflammation: discrete positive emotions predict lower levels of inflammatory cytokines.
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I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Identify What Makes You Happy. Factors That Boost Happiness. How Attitude Affects Happiness. Finding Balance. If you fake it, you might even make yourself more unhappy, according to a study. The study examined a group of city bus drivers over a period of two weeks. They found that employees who put on a fake smile for the job were in a worse mood by the end of the day compared to when their shift began.
But drivers who genuinely smiles as a result of positive thoughts actually had a better mood by the end of the day. So when you smile, make sure to smile like you mean it! The reason this is so bad for your happiness is because the negative emotions associated with grudges eventually give way to resentment and thoughts of revenge. In turn, this leaves little room in your emotional repertoire for anything else, like happiness, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The researchers of the latest study found that couples who had more sex because they were asked to for the study reported that the sex was not enjoyable and did not make them happier. Therefore, sex will only lead to happiness when the couple is having it for a meaningful reason, the researchers conclude.
People who have the positive attitude of optimists paired with the rational outlook of realists tend to be more successful and happy, according to psychologist Sophia Chou.
That's because so-called "realistic optimists" have the perfect blend of personality types to succeed. Unlike idealists, they are willing to face challenging situations with a clear view of reality, but will use creativity and a positive outlook to try to work their way out of the problem.
Breathing in the smell of dirt may lift your spirits, according to a study which found that a bacteria commonly found in soil produces effects similar to antidepressant drugs. The harmless bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, stimulated the release of serotonin in the brain after it was injected into mice. Low levels of serotonin is what causes depression in people. In a human test, cancer patients reported increases in their quality of life when they were treated with the bacteria.
Eating lunch at your desk can be a real downer, report scientists from the University of Sussex who measured the happiness of employees after they ate lunch in different locations. The results showed that workers were happiest about their work when they ate lunch on the beach and least happy about work when they ate at their desk. Getting outside in the sun was key to staving off misery — people who ate in parks had a more positive attitude about their jobs than those who chowed down at a restaurant or at home.
Exercise is proven to increase feel-good chemicals in the brain, reduce stress hormones, and relieve depression and anxiety according to Happify , a website and app that offers psychology-based games to increase your happiness. And you can achieve these positive changes in just a few short minutes. Researchers at the University of Vermont found that even just 20 minutes of exercise can give you those mood-boosting benefits for up to 12 hours afterward!
Moreover, people who are active are happier and more satisfied with their lives. The duration and location of your workout also affects how happy you feel afterward. So, check out how to achieve your maximum happiness sweet spot. Working hard to improve a skill or ability, such as learning how to drive or solving a math problem, may increase stress in the short-term, but makes people feel happy and more content with their lives in the long run, a study reported.
And what's striking is that you don't have to reach your goal to see the benefits to your happiness and well-being," co-author Ryan Howell said in a statement. When it comes to happiness, older people seem to know something that the rest of us don't because a number of studies have found that older people tend to be some of the happiest people around. Why this is, however, is still a mystery to scientists because they have yet to find what exactly is causing this happiness.
Chances are, it's a number of things: One study in suggested the reason is because older people are more experienced, and therefore, better at dealing with negative emotions like anger and anxiety.
But another, more recent study, reported that the cause is that older people are more trusting , which comes with a number of healthy psychological benefits that lead to happiness.
Whatever the reason, if you're not happy right now, you can rest assured that your chances of happiness in the future are good. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more.
A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading Loving yourself means accepting that you're stuck inside your own imperfect skin. Schwartz recommends this exercise to start forgiving yourself: "Look in the mirror and say, 'I love you and I forgive you.
For starters, that means accepting the body that you have today. Self-acceptance also means accepting your income and success level as they are, she says. Instead, she recommends asking yourself a simple question: "Am I happy with what I'm doing? This may be easier said than done, but avoid tying yourself to clients, business partners, investors, or employees who make you unhappy. It's obviously harder to take the same approach with family members, but Schwartz says there's no reason to put up with people saying or doing things that are unkind.
But be careful--don't let caring for your health turn into a reason to beat yourself up if you slip. So I bought some and I ate them. I don't beat myself up when I have a treat. Grab something, even if it's just a salad.
Neuroscience tells us that letting your blood sugar sink sends stress signals to your brain. So if you truly can't stop and grab a meal, make sure you have healthy snacks at your desk. Don't forget that when you're feeling stressed, overworked, or upset, simple breathing exercises can up your happiness quotient dramatically, Schwartz says.
For years, Schwartz never made her bed, simply throwing the covers over it.
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