Habits Of Happy People

Many people spend their whole lives chasing happiness. They work to extreme exhaustion and do their best to acquire material things in an effort to live a happy life. Many people wait until they’re rich, or when they lose weight before they can say that they are truly happy.

But the truth is, happiness does not come from something external. It does not come from perfect looks, wealth, or even living a perfect life. If you want to be truly happy, you have to learn to practice the habits of happy people.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle

If we change our habits, we can change our life.

But what are the habits of happy people?

This is what I have learned from the website how to be happy which I found the other day just browsing around.

Some powerful habits that you can practice every day to increase the level of your happiness and contentment:

1. Learn to forgive those who have hurt you.

Holding a grudge is dangerous to your health as it increases the production of stress hormones in your body. This could lead to anxiety, depression, muscle tension, and unexplained body aches. To live a happy and fulfilling life, you have to learn to forgive those who have hurt you. When you let go of all the resentment and bitterness, you let go of all the negativities in your life. This creates a space for positive emotions.

2. Look at your problems as opportunities.

To live a happy life, you must learn to look at adverse situations as opportunities. Looking at problems as challenges is one of the top habits, happy people have. Happy people look at each problem as a chance to improve themselves.

3. Be kind and compassionate.

To live a happy and fulfilling life, you must treat the people around you with kindness. Kindness allows you to establish happy and fulfilling relationships. It makes you feel lighter and happier, too. Most of all, kindness is contagious, so make it a habit, do at least one act of kindness every day.

4. Be grateful.

Grateful people are happier because they are more content. Although they still have unfulfilled dreams, they do not tie their happiness to things that they have not yet acquired. Instead, they focus on what they have. So make it a habit to focus on all the things that you are grateful for and list them down in a journal.

5. Learn to let small things slide.

Don’t get angry over small things. This does not mean that you should tolerate bad behavior, but ask yourself if an issue that you are angry about will still matter years from now. Getting irritated even over the little things can increase your stress levels and this can negatively affect the level of your happiness.

6. Dream big.

Having big dreams is another of the habits of happy people. When you’re optimistic and positive that you can achieve great things, then you’ll most likely will.

7. Do not badmouth others.

Gossiping is a waste of time, not to mention it drains your energy. When you gossip, you surround yourself with negative emotions and this would decrease the level of your happiness. To live a joyful life, you must learn to see the good in people.

8. Do not procrastinate.

Happy people take action and they take responsibility for their own lives. They do not wait until the last minute before they work towards pursuing their dreams.

9. Practice mindfulness.

Avoid playing negative events in your mind over and over again. Instead, focus on the present moment. When you practice mindfulness, you’ll feel happier and more alive. If Mindfulness is a new concept for you, I suggest you to have a look at this website mindfulnet.org

10. Establish a routine.

Waking up and sleeping at the same time every day is another good habit. Establishing a routine balances your circadian rhythm and stabilizes your mood. When you have a routine, you’re less susceptible to bouts of anger and mood swings.

11. Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

The world is filled with toxic people, some of whom will stop at nothing just to make sure you fail. Avoid these people. Instead, surround yourself with people who lift your spirits up and encourage you to follow your dreams.

12. Refrain from comparing yourself to others.

We are all unique in our own little way. Thus, you can’t say you are inferior to someone else just because they have something that you don’t. So what if your next-door neighbor has a more expensive car and a bigger house? You still have many things in your life for which you should be grateful.

13. Stop caring about what other people think.

Caring about what other people think will drain you emotionally. So, stop jumping through hoops just to get other people’s approval. Some of them won’t care anyway.

14. Establish meaningful friendships.

Relationships and friendships are essential to our happiness, so remember to make time for your friends. Call your old friends and find out how they’re doing. Also, schedule a regular coffee date with your closest buddies. They’ll surely appreciate it.

15. Eat healthy foods.

You are what you eat. So, to live a happy life, you must regularly eat foods that help you live longer.

16. Exercise regularly.

Exercise releases happy hormones called endorphins in your brain. This will instantly make you feel happier.

17. Learn powerful stress-reduction techniques.

Stress will rob you of your happiness and it can even wreak havoc with your life. To avoid being completely overcome by stress, you have to learn powerful stress-reduction techniques such as meditation. Meditation calms your nerves and your spirit. It improves your overall cognitive function and helps ward off different mental health diseases such as anxiety and depression.

18. Uphold your principles and values.

Going against the things you believe in and hold dear can take a toll on your self-esteem. So, your actions must be aligned with your values and principles at all times. Be a person of integrity. Don’t follow the crowd if you know doing so violates your principles.

19. Keep your surroundings clean and organized.

To increase the level of your happiness, you have to keep your personal and work spaces neat and orderly. This could prevent stress and help you achieve clarity.

20. Acknowledge and accept things that you cannot change.

This is one of the effective habits of happy people. When you accept the fact that there are things that are beyond your control, you’ll feel happier, more content, and more alive. You’ll learn not to dwell on it for too long, which means you spend more time and effort on the things that matter and those that you can control.

Here I am at the end of this post about the habits of happy people. Now it's your turn if you would like to be happier, take action and add some happy habits in your life!

Blogging about Self-Improvement. Never Stop Learning.