Our daily lives can be happier, as in a brighter, with a more positive outlook on our current situation and on the world around us. To say being happy is a matter of choice can come off slightly discounting I realize, assuming all we have to do is say so, and by virtue of that simple act things turn around, miraculously come together, and we are magically transformed to a lighter, happier place. Truth of the matter is … Yep, it’s actually that simple. To be “happy” is all in our attitude, our perception and our reactions to people and the circumstances around us.
Our days are filled with so many responsibilities, so many demands we place on ourselves that it’s true, not everything or everyone we encounter is conducive to happiness. We are not monks or impervious to the barrage of negative energy and dialogue that can fly from one moment to the next. We can however control how we react to particular events and choose to throw those heavy, dark and chaotic thoughts right out the window and instead, recognize that, even on the most trying and difficult of days we do have the power to step back and not let the negative stuff influence our feelings or cloud our perceptions. Here’s what I do when I want to boost my mood and find my happy side;
1. When I catch my monkey brain dragging me into the downer-zone, I STOP IT. I literally stop right where I am and say “that’s enough of that, think about five positive things that are happening in your world right this minute.” I’m not sure how it is, but we are inclined to go to the negative far more often than the positive. Override your thinking and consciously recognize the good side of your situation—there is always. always a good side.
2. Life really stinks sometimes. Daily duties can bring us to a place of complete despair not knowing how we ever manage it all—”every problem has a solution” as the saying goes, and it’s true. I have been frozen with all the “things” that have to happen or be resolved and when I shake myself into sane thinking and “lock and load” for the solutions, it’s amazing what can happen in a day. Problem thinking will only give more problems. Go for the solution - much easier on your mental state, easier on your heart and a channel to a happier outcome.
3. Now this is going to sound so basic, but ... listen to uplifting music. I’m not saying you have to pipe in Enya or Tibetan monk chants (however let me say monks chanting can be pretty cool if you’ve never checked it out) but I am saying CRANK IT UP. Whatever lifts your spirit, frees your mind, whatever tune, song or album brings you to a place of acceptance, strength, joy and just feeling flipping GOOD, there is a vibrational energy from music that heals your soul - you will feel a shift immediately when you hear those sounds that resonate with you.
4. Laugh out loud. Really. You know, the silly kind, the tears in your eye kind. The “oops, I felt alittle bit of pee slip out” kind! An estimated 60 percent of all people suffering from chronic depression, when they decided to try an alternative treatment, were helped and some healed with laughter ... if you do not have funny people around you, make a point of watching funny movies that make you laugh. Do it out loud, let yourself GO and feel the happy vibes and the release of tension and anxiety.
5. So I’m into writing about those experiences that I find inspirational, and I know many people gain a great deal from catching an uplifting article or story. Give it a try; journaling is a very powerful healing tool and it gives you a place to express yourself where you feel safe and open. Buy a nice notebook and devote some time each day to pouring your thoughts on the page. You can also do it on your computer, but I find the deepest thoughts come from the slow and mindful act of writing it down.
