- Scientists say walking tall with swinging arms helps you feel more positive.
- When you smile, you can change your brain’s chemistry and feel happier.
- Find ways to get involved in your community or help out a friend in need. You’ll help yourself, too. It can improve your mental health.
- Make New Friends: Be open to new relationships, whether it’s someone you meet at the office, gym, or park. But be sure to maintain those lifelong connections, too. Studies show the more connected you are, the happier you are.
- Count Your Blessings: Write down everything that’s good in your life. When you make an effort to look on the bright side, it helps you stay focused on the positive.
- It can take as little as 5 minutes for exercise to put you in a better mood. Moving your body also has good long-term effects: Regular exercise helps keep depression at bay.
- Forgiveness frees you from negative thoughts and makes more room in your life for inner peace. And that brings you happiness.
- Music can have a powerful effect on your emotions. Pick your favorite music mix and get into the groove.
- Happiness is about more than momentary pleasure. It’s also in the satisfaction of pursuing your goals.
- Tackle Your Goals: Ask yourself if they are realistic and within your reach now -- or at least, things that you can start to work toward. Then get really specific about what the goal is -- not “to work out more” but “to walk 30 minutes a day, three times this week,” or “I’ll have a salad for lunch twice this week.”
- Seek Positive People: “Emotions are contagious,” as the saying goes. So you want people in your life who are confident, upbeat, and health.
