You are probably familiar with these 5 quick happiness hacks, but sometimes we need a gentle reminder of how to be happy everyday. As the rush of the ‘silly season’ approaches, it is timely to remember the little things that can make a big difference to our lives, and how simple it can be to feel good.
Quick Happiness Hack 1: Breathe
Deep, slow breathing shifts your nervous system from stress mode to relax mode. Often when a stressful event is resolved we let out “a sigh of relief”. If we continue to breathe deeply, our heart rate decreases, our lungs expand and our muscles relax. Conscious deep breathing can bring about the same physiological response in your body, even if the stressor is not resolved yet.
Deep breathing also gives you energy. When you expand and contract your diaphragm it stimulates your lymphatic system. This helps clear the body cells of waste leaving more room in the cells for an optimal exchange of oxygen.
Spending 10-20 minutes in deep breathing relaxation every day is a great happiness booster, but even small breathing breaks are beneficial. Try taking 3 deep slow breaths before you eat, or whenever you are waiting in line, or even when you go to the toilet.
Quick Happiness Hack 2: Connect
Positive supportive touch stimulates the vagus nerve in the brain to slow your heart down and reduce blood pressure. It also decreases the stress hormone cortisol, and stimulates the release of oxytocin, the ‘cuddle hormone’ that makes us feel bonded to others. Hugging a friend or loved one, stroking a pet or holding the hand of a lover can all help you to quickly feel happier. If it is an option, orgasmic sex delivers maximum connection benefits.
Quick Happiness Hack 3: Move
High-intensity exercise releases the body’s feel-good chemicals called endorphins. A good work-out physiologically makes you feel high. Low-intensity exercise which is sustained over time prompts the release of proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors, which cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections. The improvement in brain function makes you feel better. Neuroscientists have noticed that the hippocampus in the brain—the region that helps regulate mood—is smaller in people who are depressed. Exercise supports nerve cell growth in the hippocampus.
Exercise also gives you more energy by stimulating your lymphatic system for more optimal exchange of oxygen.
Quick Happiness Hack 4: Be in nature
“Spending time in nature has been linked to improved attention spans (short and long term), boosts in serotonin (the feel good neurotransmitter) and shows increased activity in the parts of the brain responsible for empathy, emotional stability, and love (whereas urban environments do the same for fear and anxiety).” Zach Davis
If you would like to up the benefits of being in nature then go barefoot or lie on the grass. Research has shown that bare skin contact with a natural surface (referred to as grounding or earthing) can have a significant anti-inflammatory and energizing effect on your body.
Quick Happiness Hack 5: Smile
The physical act of smiling, whether or not we feel the emotions behind it, can elicit the same response in our body as genuine smiling. Smiling stimulates the release of feel-good serotonin and endorphins, reduces stress and strengthens your immune system. It is hard to focus on something negative, or to feel angry or sad if you physically put a smile on your face. Get a little Mona Lisa style and cultivate a habitual mysterious smile.
Breathe, connect, move, be in nature and smile – 5 quick easy answers for how to be happy everyday. As simple as hugging a friend or loved one, going for a walk, or hoop, barefoot in a park then lying on the grass, breathing deeply and smiling at the crazy cloud pictures you can make.