We all want to live a happier day, every day, but sometimes life simply throws those plans off course. Follow our 10 tips to help implement happiness into your life each day.
1. Meditate For A Happier Day
Want a happier day? Instead of reaching for your phone each morning and scrolling social media, try a 10-20 minute guided meditation. You don’t even have to get out of bed to do so. According to Transcendental Meditation teacher Tom Cronin, “Meditation improves our ability to manage anxiety. The more we practice, the greater our mental resilience.”
2. Set Your Intention For A Happier Day
You can do this before you even get out of bed, too! Either before or after meditating, repeat a mantra to yourself as to how you would like today to play out. it could be as simple as, “today I will greet everyone with a smile and a calm demeanour, no matter what mood they are in”, or “today I will go easier on myself if I don’t get my ‘to-do’ list fully finished.” Set that intention and remind yourself throughout the course of the day. You’ll find yourself having a happier day, we promise!
3. Be Sure To Hydrate
Skip that morning shot of caffeine and instead reach for a herbal tea or tall, room temperature glass of water. Studies have proven that remaining hydrated helps with cognitive health and mood stabilisation throughout the day. Aim to drink around one to two litres of purified water each day.
4. Stretch It Out
Who doesn’t feel a little stiff and grumpy first thing? Some simple stretching will easily help your body come around to suppleness in readiness for the day ahead, as well as improve your mood and lead to a happier day. Begin with a calm, gentle pose such as Child’s Pose, then head into Downward Facing Dog, which stretches almost every muscle in your body. Even better, jump out of bed an hour earlier and head to a sunrise yoga class. There are few things more peaceful and calming!
5. Listen To Music
Boost your mood and your circulation by playing your fave tunes and dancing around the living room! Several studies show that music has a direct effect on cheering us up. Add the endorphin-boosting cardio of dancing around the house and you’ve got a winning combination for a happier day!
6. Smile
You know the old saying, ‘fake it til you make it’? This applies here. If you’ve woken up in a crabby mood, try forcing yourself to smile at your reflection in the mirror. A study performed by a group at the University of Cardiff in Wales found that people who could not frown due to botox injections were happier on average than those who could frown. Myriad other studies reinforce the theory that even a fake smile can boost your mood. For instance, Researchers at the University of Kansas published findings that smiling helps reduce the body’s response to stress and lower heart rate in tense situations; another study linked smiling to lower blood pressure, while yet another suggests that smiling leads to longevity.
7. Don’t Leave The House Messy
Few things are lousier than coming home to a messy kitchen, living room or bedroom. Do your best to be organised in the morning and make your bed, de-clutter the living areas and leave the kitchen sparkling. It will be so lovely to come home to and will certainly make the last few hours of your day happier!
8. Practise Gratitude
We tend to think of gratitude journalling as something we do at the end of the day, and that’s wonderful. But how about we flip it around and journal about what we are most looking forward to out of the coming day? Having something to look forward to brings us hope and certainly makes for a happier day!
9. Wear A Bright Bold Colour
Sure, throwing together a stylish black number is quick, easy and a no-brainer. However colour therapists tell us that adding a dash of bright, bold colour can enhance our mood dramatically and lead to a happier day. If you can’t tear yourself away from your LBD, simply brighten things up with a pair of bright red stilettos, or an electric blue scarf, or even a red cardigan.
10. Do The Hardest Task On Your To-Do List First
A few years ago, I had a long chat with Aussie legend Turia Pitt. She let me in on a little secret. When she was in hospital covered in bandages that needed to be replaced daily, she asked the nurses to begin with the ones that hurt the most. After that, she said, it was all downhill and the dread was far less overwhelming. She now uses that practise in daily life. Doing the toughest task at the start of the day means it’s out of the way and you don’t spend the entire day thinking about it with utter dread. Instead, you’ll coast through the eight hours and have an altogether happier day!
