5 Ways to be more Happy in 2022
2021 has been for many another tough year, dominated by the seemingly never-ending pandemic. With the latest Omicron-variant, it feels more than ever frustrated. However, the good news is with a few simple steps it’s easy to become more happy and positive, something we probably all can do with in the new year. Here are five tips you can try to increase your happiness levels. Best of all they are all scientifically proven.
1. Exercise: 7 Minutes Could Be Enough
A quick 7-minute workout a day can have great effects as mentioned in The New York Times. That’s a workout any of us can fit into our schedules.
2. Spend More Time With Friends/Family
Staying in touch with friends and family is one of the top five regrets of the dying.
If you want more evidence that time with friends is beneficial for you, research proves it can make you happier right now, too.
Social time is highly valuable when it comes to improving our happiness, even for introverts. Several studies have found that time spent with friends and family makes a big difference to how happy we feel.
3. Help Others
100 hours per year (or two hours per week) is the optimal time we should dedicate to helping others in order to enrich our lives.
4. Practice Smiling: Reduce Pain, Improve Mood, Think Better
Smiling can make us feel better, but it’s more effective when we back it up with positive thoughts, according to this study:
Smiling is one way to reduce the distress caused by an upsetting situation. Psychologists call this the facial feedback hypothesis. Even forcing a smile when we don’t feel like it is enough to lift our mood slightly (this is one example of embodied cognition).
5. Meditate: Rewire Your Brain for Happiness
Meditation is often touted as an important habit for improving focus, clarity, and attention span, as well as helping to keep you calm. It turns out it’s also useful for improving your happiness.
Meditation literally clears your mind and calms you down, it’s been often proven to be the single most effective way to live a happier life. According to Achor, meditation can actually make you happier long-term.
Source: Inc.com, Jeff Haden
