10 things you can do to be happier today!

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present ~ Jim Rohn

So I’ve been gleaming through books and online resources and thought for tonight I’d do a quick post on 10 things you can do today to be happier.  None of these are life changing events by themselves and by doing one or the other you’re not going to instantly find yourself dancing circles on the lawn, but achieving happiness is absolutely a marathon not a sprint.  However, try a couple and have a happier day my friends.

1.  Declutter your life  – This is one of those ideas that I really like because it is really scalable.  You see this as easy as organizing your kitchen drawers or straightening out those boxes in the spare room and giving or throwing away things you don’t need.  On a much larger scale this includes looking at the relationships in your lives and removing those relationships/people who bring negative energy into your life.

2.  Breathe, and slow down – Another scalable possibility, for all of us we need to take some time to wind down, we live fast-moving and stressful lives.  We are all way too scheduled for our own good and so we need to breathe and slow down.   In the moment, when things get stressful, it is really important to literally take a deep breath, beyond giving us a moment to relax and calm our thoughts deep breathing has lots of positive impacts on our body.

3.  Be more mindful – Being more mindful is a great way to focus on the immediate and be really present in your life.  Particularly in dealing with other people it benefits your interactions and makes you realize what you truly have in your life.

4.  Express some gratitude – Expressing gratitude is one of those things that on the surface doesn’t make sense, how does giving thanks to others make you happier.  However, by being thankful what you are in fact doing is giving yourself constant reminders of the good things in your life.

5.  Laugh – At some level this really needs no description, we all need to laugh, find a way to do this every day, whether it’s a morning comic, a person who makes you laugh at work or your kids or a clip of the Three Stooges, but laugh everyday my friends.

6.  Reconnect – Reconnect to what’s most important in your life, if that’s family spend more time with them, repair any damage that has been done to relationships, call your mom.  If what is important is giving, then volunteer more, if it’s being out in nature take the day and go.  The most important thing is to do something to reconnect with what’s important in your life.

7.  Exercise – Another really obvious one, exercise is just plain good for you.  Here is a link to a piece I did some time ago that lays out the benefits of exercise.

8.  Get enough sleep, eat better, but reward yourself – Sleep is so important, it impacts your mood, your health and hell if you aren’t fully awake you’re even at greater risk of getting in a car accident!  So get enough sleep, most Americans aren’t.  And eat well my friends, less sugar, less processed food, less sodium the more whole food and the more local food you eat the healthier you will be and health and happiness are absolutely linked.

9.  Limit your news consumption – I’ve recently started doing this and I have to say after a couple of months I think it really has made a difference.  Not only in my levels of happiness but also my blood pressure.  News focuses on tragedy, political divisiveness, and celebrity nonsense all of which will spike your blood pressure and make you question whether humans should exist as a species.  You can still keep up with current events by using the net, although it is getting harder and harder to find pure news sources, I recommend you take a look at the Christian Science Monitor, probably the best newspaper in America.

10.  Create some time – Time is our most valuable commodity and we bleed a lot of it away.  One of the things technology can do is allow us to do things more efficiently.  Of course that is when we are not wasting our time updating our Facebook status or tweeting what we had for dinner.  One thing I absolutely love is my DVR, it allows me to space through commercials and watch shows when I want to.  There’s a great book the Four-hour work week, which gives you tons of tips on how to streamline and in some cases outsource your life.

Then of course take the time you’ve found and use if for one of the ideas above and have a happy day my friends.  ~ Rev Kane

OTHER ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE…

Happiness and Simplicity

Happiness and the words of Thich Nhat Hanh

Happiness, the minimalist mind, and hiking the Appalachian Trail