5 ways for feeling happier
5 ways to increase happiness
Get active!
Physical activity has been proven to be an extremely effective way of increasing mood, so effective that some research evens suggests that it can work as well as antidepressants. The difficulty is that when we feel down, we don’t have the energy to get up and be active. However, you don’t have to join a gym or become an Olympic athlete, even walking to do the school run instead of taking the car, dancing when you’re hovering or even a working hard in the garden can help. If it’s in nature – even better!
Doing something for someone else
One of the best ways of feeling better about yourself is to help another person. Perhaps you have a friend who is having a hard time who could do with a catch up over coffee, or maybe send a card of gratitude to a friend who has helped you through something difficult. Maybe you don’t feel like being with people right now – so what about doing something special for a loved pet or volunteering to help an animal sanctuary.
Trying something new
When it comes to positivity, giving new activities a go can really help. Life can sometimes feel a little mundane and ordinary; trying a new class, TV show, music or experience can help to shake things up a little adding more variety and spontaneity into your life.
Do something just for you
Do something that you love – whether it is having a long soak in a hot bubble bath, taking a walk in the park, eating a huge cream cake or watching your favourite movie. Give yourself some love. Look after yourself as though you would look after a friend who was going through a tough time. Try to do something small for yourself every day if you can.
Talk it out
Talk it out, there is a lot of truth in the old adage “a problem aired, is a problem shared”. Whether you share your worries with a friend, relative or professional, talking about our difficulties can really help to lessen the burden, help us to think about solutions, different points of view and even to accept things we cannot change. Talking to a counsellor can help to develop the resources within ourselves to manage our problems more effectively.