STEPS TO HAPPINESS

Happiness we all want to be happy, it is the purpose of our life but only one in three people say that they are happy. Though happiness is the primary motive in human behaviour unfortunately it is elusive for many of us. It lasts for few fleeting moments and evaporates like dew drops in the morning sun. But the good news is that staying happy and positive is very much in our control and with very little effort we can enjoy this state of mind. Being happy is synonymous to being yourself. Adopting five simple steps will surely make you positive and energetic . Let’s start the journey of happiness :

1. Start Regular Exercise – A recent survey has shown that we are spending around 7-8 hours on our chair in a day. Do you know that it completely opposes your genetics, they scream for movement. Even a term “Sitting Disease” has been coined by Mayo clinic, the more sitting we do the more havoc to our body. Sitting is considered as new addiction and has reached epidemic proportions.

So, after every 45minutes of sitting we should walk and stretch for around 10-15minutes. Our brain works better and becomes more productive and creative. It also lowers  our stress level and rewards us for our effort by releasing feel good hormone Dopamine and Endorphins in blood. People who exercise regularly predominantly feel more wonderful and happier about life.

“Movement is good. Movement is life. Move more”

• Learn New Things – Learning is like giving a workout to our brain. The brain thrives for learning new complex things. But ageing seems to rob us of our enchantment with learning and we do the same things day in and day out, and unfortunately, we don’t seem to get any better at doing them. We tend to stagnate.

Research has shown that Learning increases our brain size and develops better neural connectivity within the brain. You become better at planning, prioritising and decision making. Your memory become sharper and better mental flexibility. Make your brain do its work out, make it like a sponge that can absorb knowledge from everywhere, stay happy and healthy. Play sudoku, solve a puzzle, or may learn a new skill will make your brain young and happy.

• Express Gratitude– I have seen that many people look for reasons to complain in their lives. They are almost never happy and keep on groaning about their fate. It’s a bad habit.

A very small little exercise before sleep can rewire your brain to become more positive. For this, create a gratitude journal and in which you must review your day and pen down 5 things you feel grateful for in the whole day. The challenge is that you can not repeat anything you have written on previous night. Research has shown that if done regularly for 40 nights, you will become calmer and optimist.

• Sleep – Sleep is almost the first thing that is compromised when life begins to get tough. The fact is that sleep reenergises our body cells and clears the toxicity of brain. It plays a huge role in learning and improvement of memory. Deprivation of sleep largely effects our metabolism, can make you fat, depressed, sick also it can impair your judgement. Inadequate sleep can make you feel unhappy, irritated and dull.

On an average 8-9hrs. of sleep is important for all age groups. The dinner should be taken at least 2-3hrs. before bedtime. Reading a printed book , playing a board game or listening to Sanskrit mantras is also very healthy for good sleep. Even wearing comfortable clothes, also sends a strong signal to your system that you are ready to sleep. Maintain distance from gadgets before sleep.

• Meditation– The importance of meditation has been emphasised in ancient literatures too. It is a beautiful resting position combined with awareness. In meditation, thoughts come and go, but you are detached from them. You become an observer of your thoughts. You allow mind to be as it pleases, without getting entangled with thoughts. Practising meditation regularly enhances life. It makes you feel good about yourself and you don’t need a reason to be happy. Your immune system improves, and concentration becomes better along with an added benefit i.e., sharp memory. Also, it makes you more empathetic, which improves your relationships. Start meditating for 5-10minutes every day and increase gradually.

Staying happy is that simple but we keep on wondering for things that can give contentment, that too for a very short span. It is an attitude and a habit, and that comes very easy and naturally to us. Making these five simple steps a part of life can miraculously bring positivity in your life. Be happy.