9 Keys to Happiness

How would you like to be happier with your life and happier overall in five simple steps? Did you know that happiness is 50 % genetics and depending on who´s formula you follow the rest is a combination of your circumstances, your attitude and what you choose to fill your day with. When you are happy it spreads to everyone around you. It makes everyone feel great and makes like seem easier. We are pack animals and tend to follow the cues around us so when we are happy we influence the mood of those around us.

How we feel is dependent upon what we think. Our thoughts come before our feelings. In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy they teach that situations arise, we have thoughts and those thoughts influence how we feel. That is extremely powerful. Happiness is not about what you have but what you do with what you have and how you feel about it.

Research has shown that people that win the lottery for instance are only happier for a short amount of time. They very quickly go back to the same state of mind they were in before the windfall. This is because their mindset stays the same. Their perception of the world, their beliefs and their attitudes do not change. When people win the lottery they do not change, their genetics, attitude and mindset stay the same only their circumstances change.

When you are feeling down or unhappy here are a few tips to try out.

One; Having a positive mindset is essential to feeling happy. When you wake up positive that something wonderful is going to happen it usually does. It is just a fact of life, because they are looking for the good in the world.

Just like when you wake up in a bad mood, stub your toe it just seems to go downhill from there. Everything seems to work against you and your perception of every situation is negative. Perception goes a long way in dictating how you feel. Just imagine yourself cooking in a clean apron, when you begin you are worried about getting dirty but once that first splash of spaghetti sauce or pesto is embedded in your apron it doesn't matter anymore and you can cook to your heart’s content.

Turn your mindset around. When something is bothering you try doing a 360 and turn it around. Find something positive about it, anything, loosing something or doing something wrong can be a lesson learned, a flat tire can be great practice, a screaming child can be a great opportunity to try that new parenting technique you just learned or a difficult situation can be a personal growth experience.

It is all in how you look at it. It’s really all up to you.
If you cannot look past the experience and feel frustrated, angry, depressed or overwhelmed try letting yourself be in the negative place for a designated amount of time. I like 20 minutes because it is just enough to satisfy the negativity craving but not long enough to get comfortable with it.
Two; Try taking small steps toward your goals. Use the 5 minute rule. Do it for 5 minutes and see if it makes you feel any happier. You might find that you want to keep going and that will increase your self-esteem and well being.
Thee; Surround yourself with people that make you feel good. By creating a support system around you create an environment that fosters positive thought. Oprah says that we should surround ourselves with people we want to be like. If we do that we constantly have positive reinforcement for the behavior we desire. It is a win-win situation.
Four; Set aside time to do things that make you happy. make it a priority. Listen to music that makes you happy, read books, take time to just be in the moment and spend time with people you love. Enjoy them. Think about why you love them and why they make you happy. It will strengthen the bond you have with them and make you feel fulfilled.
Five; Be grateful for the little things in life, take time to take stock of what you have.
Each day write down 3 things you are grateful for. By doing this you will increase the positivity in your brain and open up channels to positivity.
Six; Keep a journal. Write down positive experiences that you have throughout the day. It will allow you to gauge what you are doing and who you are with when you are the most happy.
By keeping a journal you are able to go back and read what you have written It allows you to see your progress however small or gradual it is. It also allows you to see emotional and personal growth which makes you feel better about yourself.
Seven ; Exercise By exercising you are reinforcing that you are doing something good for yourself, creating endorphin's that enhance your mood, reducing stress and creating a feeling of well being as well as creating a healthy body.
Eight; Meditate. Meditation might be the single most important thing that you do to increase your happiness. By meditating you connect with the self and learn more about who you really are. Meditation can make a huge impact in your life over time. Try meditating with CD´s or through relaxation.
Nine; Pay it forward. Each and every day make an effort to let someone know that you appreciate them. Help someone else or do something good for someone else. It will make you feel great and will increase your well being.
By following the preceding tips you can increase your overall happiness. Happiness is a state of mind so chose to create a reality where you are happy. It’s up to you to change your well being for the better.