Being stressed, tired, anxious and depressed are mental states that are somewhat considered as “normal” nowadays. However, it can be extremely tiring waking up everyday feeling unfulfilled and purposeless. That is why the 21st century in an era of extreme obesity, depression, ADHD, people alienation and many other negative mental conditions.
FORTUNATELY, THERE IS somethings that we can do to help ourselves.
Namely, psychologists have discovered that these 5 things are activities that we can do on a daily basis in order to feel happier and more fulfilled.
1. Laughter
Yup, that’s right, the old fashioned medicine is always first on the “happy list”. That is so because laughter triggers the release of endorphins which are feel-good chemicals that increase feelings of well-being.
When I dealt with depression for an example and thought I had nothing to laugh about, I watched some of my favorite comic series, such as Friends or just played some comedians. Sure, the first laughs come “artificially” (by playing something funny), but it is essential that you start laughing, cause after not more then a few days you WILL feel better and get started.
So LAUGHTER people, laughter! 🙂
2. Singing or dancing
Psychologist claim that singing is a natural catalyst of negative feelings, negative energy and so on. It doesn’t matter if you are singing like Celine Dion (or someone that you like) or you are completely tone deaf. It just matters that you sing, out loud, relaxed and shamelessly of course. 
Dancing or playing a musical instrument have the same effect. Research show that playing an instrument can decrease feelings of loneliness and increase feelings of well-being, plus it’s an excellent social activity and a conversation starter.
3. Exercising
This one has been forced on people for too long now. But, I’m here to tell you that psychologist state that exercising in order to have the “perfect” body, has nothing to do with feelings of happiness, on the contrary, it can sometimes lead even to frustration and again over-eating.
Exercising is on this list because the simple process of movement triggers releasing a list of hormones that are associated with feeling happy, breezy and joyful. Think of children, they don’t run around all day in order to be “fit”, but because it’s fun!
It’s enough to take a walk in the park, go to the swimming pool or take a hike on the nearest hill to turn your day around in a positive way. Choose an activity that YOU like, that’s the most important thing!
4. Giving to others
Donating food, old clothes, money, old furniture or anything that you have lying around in your home and that you don’t use can be EXTREMELY fulfilling!
Psychologist and sociologists claim that sometimes giving to others and thinking less about ourselves can even have a bigger effect in making us happier, than constantly trying to make OUR lives better.
Being a hard-worker in order to become a better person, being better at out jobs and creating better life conditions is of course something that we must do, everyday, tirelessly. But, giving and thinking about others will also give us feelings of selflessness, generosity of spirit and joy!
5. Meditation
This activity is the last one, but certainly not least!
Meditation is simply the best medicine ever! You might feel that you are “doing nothing”, sitting there with your eyes closed, silently, but you are in fact doing more than you could ever imagine!
Psychologists and neurologists list hundreds of things as benefits from meditating on a regular basis (a half an hour a day should be enough for a beginner) and here are just some of them:
- Bigger self-esteem and self-acceptance
- Less worry, anxiety, impulsivity and stress
- Less feelings of loneliness, fear and depression
- Increases optimism and relaxation
- Improves mood and emotional intelligence
- Better concentration and information processing
- Increases mental strength and focus
- Increases memory retention and recall
- Better cognitive skills overall
So there you go, a simple 5 ingredient recipe for a better and happier tomorrow. You don’t have to start doing all 5 of them at the same time, but make sure that you at least try all 5 activities. If you like them all, great, and if you don’t, stick to at least 2 of them. That’s my challenge for you today and I PROMISE that you’ll have results!
Hope I helped you and I wish you a WONDERFUL day!
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
