How to live a happier life

20th June 2019

Living a happier, more positive life is within your grasp, with just a few tweaks to your regular habits.

Habits are important. If you’ve ever tried to break a bad one, you will know how engrained they are. Well, the same can be said for good habits too. That’s why we’re giving you some positive habits to incorporate into your life…

1. Stop being so hard on yourself

We can all be our own worst enemy. But why are we so hard on ourselves? The next time you are beating yourself up over something ask yourself, would I want a loved one to talk to themselves like this? Is what you are saying to yourself fair or helpful?

When you find yourself in these situations, imagine you are speaking to your best friend and speak to yourself in a more reasonable and kind way. Forgive yourself for any mistakes and look at them as lessons. Forgiving yourself for any small deviations will help you get back on track much quicker.

2. Look at the cup half-full

Whether you view your glass half-empty or half-full may reflect your outlook on life. We all deal with stressors, but it’s how we see and deal with them that matters. Positive thinking is vital for effective stress management. If you believe you’re more of a pessimist, don’t fear, you can start to alter your thoughts to think in a more positive way.

Keep your mind on your goals and search for ways to accomplish them. Put aside any doubts and truly believe and visualise yourself succeeding in meeting your objectives. Remember that you are in control of your life and are resilient enough to handle challenges and grow from them. In your vocabulary, replace ‘I have to’ to ‘I get to’ and replace ‘problem’ with ‘project’.

Positive thinking simply means you believe the best is going to happen, not the worst.

3. Have gratitude

It’s vital to truly realise the blessings we already have. We seem to focus on the things we don’t have, rather than the things and qualities we do have. It’s a good idea to write a list of everything you are grateful for. Cultivate the habit of gratitude for every good thing that comes your way and continuously give thanks.

4. Be around people you love

We are social beings and being around loved ones makes us happy. Don’t let a busy life get in the way of seeing your closest friends or family, make some time and put a date in the diary to catch up. You could also join a group or club where you can do something you love and meet like-minded people at the same time.

5. Sleep is Essential

Getting a good night’s kip is a simple but important step in helping take better care of yourself. Research suggests how much sleep we get is linked to our overall happiness. We are at a higher risk of developing depression and are more likely to experience higher stress levels when we are sleep deprived.

These days, the busy nature of everyday life can often interfere with our sleeping patterns, but sleep is essential for our bodies to refuel and minds to relax from whatever the day has thrown at us. Cutting out the caffeine from 2pm onwards and eliminating alcohol consumption in the hours before bedtime will help you have a deeper sleep. So, make sure you tuck yourself in early and aim to get around 8 hours of sleep… Resist the temptation to watch *just one more* episode!

6. Sing about the Successes

It’s important to acknowledge your efforts, progress and successes, no matter how big or small, and praise yourself for them. Often, we move on from our successes and start focusing on the next thing straight away, but it’s essential to reflect on your wins. Recognising your achievements will create momentum and help you build on them.