5 Ways to Be Happier RIGHT NOW
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You’re having a bad day/week/month. Well, before you go and decide you just can’t be happy, here are 5 ways to be happier right now. You might be surprised how these seemingly little things can turn your mood around – and for the better.
Make a gratitude list – and study it
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Take a few moments looking at each thing you listed on your list and get connected to how grateful and happy you are to have that thing/person/whatever in your life.
Meditate
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I get it, meditating is actually kind of hard to do, before you get the hang of it. But, the payoffs are well worth the time and patience you commit to learning it and getting into the healthy habit of meditating. By practicing meditation, you can be in control of your mind and mood and find balance. This is a great way of controlling your mood and emotions.
Stretch
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Stretching is a way to relieve stress and anxiety and this relief can be felt instantaneously. By doing slow and focused stretching you can lower your blood pressure and breathing rate, according to the University of California’s “Berkeley Wellness Letter.” Therefore, stretching helps release tension from your body and calm your brain. This feeling of calmness will then translate into feelings of happiness and being content.
Treat yourself to a hot bath or a mani/pedi
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Basically, just do something nice for yourself and do it alone. I’m not suggesting you isolate by any means but, sometimes it’s a good idea to spend some time alone and free of the distractions of your friends and their drama. Maybe they don’t have any drama but, listening to them chatter on or gossip or what-have-you doesn’t really do you any good when it comes to elevating your mood. So, unless you are in a really dark place (in which case, please do reach out to your sponsor and sober supports), spend some time alone, pampering yourself.
Fake it till you make it/Act “as if”
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There is actually some science behind this. Now, we’re not saying to hide your feelings and lie to yourself about how you’re feeling inside. What this means is to not pretend but to imitate happiness so that as the imitation happiness produces results – feeling happier, which will then generate real happiness. Research conducted at Wake Forest University included a group of 50 students who were asked to act like extroverts for 15 minutes in a group discussion, even if they didn’t feel like it. What the scientists and students found was that, the more energetic the students acted, the happier they were.
So, go ahead and acknowledge that you’re feeling pretty crappy. Then, choose to at least want to feel better and to be happier right now. And one way to spark that chain reaction of feeling happier is to make yourself smile and tell yourself, “I am happy.” You might be surprised to find that, making a bold declaration like that can be a catalyst for feeling happier right now. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-777-9588.
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Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fake_it_till_you_make_it
http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/stretching-feels-good-10515.html