| How to Be Happy -20 Tips That Really Work! | | | | our diets with the building blocks of |
| from Michelle Rowley,author of "Personal | | | | protein- amino-acids. |
| Growth Strategies". | | | | |
| | | | Tip 11 Go, go and keep going all the way. We |
| Tip 1 Have a positive attitude. One of the | | | | all face obstacles and problems at times. |
| most significant, contributing factors to | | | | Happy people expect this and adapt to them. |
| happiness is optimistic thinking. Although | | | | All of the components outlined above are |
| you won't always have a choice in determining | | | | skills that can be learned. Just like any |
| what goes on around you, you will always have | | | | other skills, you'll get better at utilizing |
| a choice in determining how react to what | | | | these strategies with practice and |
| goes on around you. This will largely | | | | perseverance. Stick at it and happiness will |
| determine the extent to which you are, or | | | | be yours. |
| aren't happy. | | | | |
| | | | Tip 12 Focus on your strengths, not |
| Tip 2 Make happiness a priority. If happiness | | | | weaknesses. Work out what you're good at and |
| is not at the top of your list then other | | | | find ways to do it as much as possible. |
| things will take your focus. We become what | | | | Happiness is not as much about fixing your |
| we think about all day, so think, positive | | | | faults and overcoming your weaknesses as it |
| happy thoughts. It's a choice, moment by | | | | is about finding ways to focus your life on |
| moment. | | | | and around your talents and qualities. |
| | | | |
| Tip 3 Live your values. Be true to yourself. | | | | Tip 13 Have fun and enjoy humor Take delight |
| By living your life according to your values, | | | | in life and create fun experiencesfor |
| you will develop an attitude of true | | | | yourself. Don't make life be too heavy! |
| acceptance of yourself. You will realize that | | | | |
| you are fine the way you are. You may choose | | | | Tip 14 Control what you can control. |
| to make some changes in your life simply | | | | Cultivate the feeling that you are in control |
| because you realize that you have greater | | | | of your own destiny. Happiness can be |
| potential than you have utilized so far. | | | | enhanced by maximizing the control you have |
| | | | over your life. So learn and practice skills |
| Tip 4 Love Yourself. High self-esteem is | | | | such as problem solving, time management and |
| crucial for a happy life. Healthy self-esteem | | | | meditation and communication. At the same |
| means relying on what's on the inside, rather | | | | time, however, no one has complete control |
| than what's happening in the outside world to | | | | and so it is also important to be realistic |
| make you happy. Self-esteem is the core of | | | | and to accept that over which you have no |
| your power and all else stems from this. | | | | control. Accept what youcan't control. And |
| | | | learn to change problems into opportunities |
| Tip 5 Set goals for success. Give your mind a | | | | for growth and development. |
| positive goal to focus on. Just like in any | | | | |
| other life area, the successful pursuit of | | | | Tip 15 Invest time and energy in to your key |
| happiness requires planning. Planning | | | | relationships. Happy people spend more time |
| requires effective goal setting. And don't | | | | working on, and in, their relationships. |
| forget to make sure your goals are SMART | | | | Happy people tend to be more supportive of |
| (specific,measurable, achievable, relevant | | | | other people in their life. |
| and timed). | | | | |
| | | | Tip 16 When a problems arises see what you |
| Tip 6 Do things that make you happy. Although | | | | can learn from itEverything you do and every |
| this sounds obvious, many people simply | | | | person you meet, in every situation, presents |
| forget to do things from which they gain | | | | an opportunity to learn, change and grow. |
| pleasure. And do them as often as possible. | | | | Every situation you find yourself in can be a |
| | | | great opportunity to expand yourself. There |
| Tip 7 Live in the present moment. Remember | | | | is always something to learn from a problem. |
| that life is finite. The author, Henry Miller | | | | This is the same for problems in a |
| once said "Every moment is a golden one for | | | | relationship. Look at problems as challenges |
| him who has the vision to recognize it as | | | | to learn and grow from both for yourselves |
| such. "The only moment in which we can truly | | | | and your relationship. |
| be happy is the present moment. The only | | | | |
| moment over which we have control is the | | | | Tip 17 Replace negative self talk with |
| present moment. So be happy now! Because if | | | | positive self talkThe Dalai Lama has been |
| not now, then when? | | | | quoted saying that "The central method for |
| | | | achieving a happier life is to train your |
| Tip 8 Have a laugh Laughing is one of the | | | | mind in a daily practice that weakens |
| quickest ways to send our happiness levels | | | | negative attitudes and strengthens positive |
| soaring. A Stanford University study showed | | | | ones." Learn first to identify your |
| that one minute of laughter equaled 10 | | | | negativethoughts and then begin to challenge |
| minutes on a rowing machine in terms of | | | | those that are negative and unhelpful. |
| warding off stress. | | | | |
| | | | Tip 18 Ensure you get adequate sleep, rest, |
| Tip 9 Engage in random acts of kindness. Did | | | | exercise and waterListen to your body and |
| you know that by simply being kind to another | | | | what it is telling you. You need to take care |
| person or witnessing a kind act boosts your | | | | of yourself and this also involves getting |
| serotonin levels in you and the other person? | | | | plenty of rest, drinking at least 8 glasses |
| It also increases the levels in another | | | | of water each day and relaxation and/or |
| person witnessing the act. Happy people are | | | | meditation strategies. Exercise regularly. |
| more generous and altruistic. | | | | Exercising produces endorphins or "happy" |
| | | | hormones. |
| Tip 10 Eat your way to happiness. Fuel up on | | | | |
| fish: Fish are high in omega-3s which boost | | | | Tip 19 Develop a sense of life purpose. |
| your happiness. Eat complex carbohydrates - | | | | Developing a sense of life purpose will also |
| this means wholegrain bread, starchy | | | | markedly increase your chances of |
| vegetables, beans and pulses, and wholegrain | | | | experiencing true happiness. As well as |
| cereals. MIT scientists say these boost the | | | | working out where you want to get to, make |
| brain's levels of serotonin, which plays a | | | | sure you have a good reason for why you're |
| big role in how happy we feel. Take | | | | trying to go there. |
| Tryptophan. Found in turkey, avocados and | | | | |
| bananas, tryptophan promotes the production | | | | Tip 20 Be grateful and appreciate what you |
| of serotonin. A study published in the | | | | have. We all have many choices in life, one |
| journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity found a | | | | of which is whether to focus on all the |
| lack of tryptophan can lower your mood | | | | things we don't have (of which theremight be |
| levels. Don't forget to take a good amino | | | | many), or to focus on all the things we do |
| acid supplement- more and more information is | | | | have. |
| coming out that we need to be supplementing | | | | |