I have struggled with anxiety and bouts of lows for sometime.
Gardening, exercising,reading books ,Pinterest and Instagram have all played their part in helping me feel better.
But the most important thing was probably me practising thought control.
Basically whenever I felt a situation or conversation was tending towards something which could make me sad .
I aggressively stopped myself from continuing that train of thought or words.
Very difficult and often it makes you feel like two of you pulling at your brain.
But from my own struggles I can tell you, the only way to be mentally healthy is constantly practice positive thinking.
That’s when I came upon Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Happiness post .It was interesting how all these wonderful women focused on being happy. Life is short.It’s too short to live unhappily. A happy smile has a much deeper effect than you perceive.
The mental and physical effects of positive thoughts and optimism are much more than just the obvious.
In an interesting research done by Barbara Fredrickson certain effects of positive thoughts have been described which will have a widespread effect on how we think about optimism.
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My Questions
- So what makes us happy?
- Is it possible to be happy all the time?
- Does positive thoughts improve happiness?
- Are happy people healthier?
- How can we all Practice being happy?
Finding the answers to these questions were important to me as I was trying to decide the priorities in my life.
I started my favourite part of writing a post :Research. The best thing about researching health ; wealth and wisdom is that you always gain something.
My research discoveries …
What determines
Optimism?
Positive thoughts and general feelings of happiness have mainly two major influences:
1)Genes.Yes genetics have a hand in this too
2)Environment. How satisfied you are in your personal and professional space place a large role in making you happy and maintenance of this upbeat mood.
So just like everything else your happiness quotient is also in your control.
But what about genetics?
Some families have tendency or genetic predisposition to certain disease.
So does this mean they will all be suffering from that disease .Not necessarily.
When people have tendency to be overweight and they eat uninhibited and don’t exercise then just blaming the genes will not work .
External or phenotypic expression of your genes ,have a lot to do with environment.
Controlled diet and exercise helps people stay physically healthy.
Similarly practising gratefulness and positivity helps you stay mentally healthy.
You are not a slave to your genes.
You are restricted only by the walls you have built yourself.
Happiness is a learned habit,which you can develop yourself
Happiness Myths:
Refusing to be practical doesn’t make you happiest.
Happiness is also not something which is a one time stop,from which there’s no return.
Overall happy mood has a lot to do with a balanced mood of general wellbeing rather than feeling euphoric.
So how can we practice being happy?
10 Science backed tips:
1)Exercise:Release endorphins which are natural mood elevators.
Read how you can get rid of chronic stress.
I have seen even 30 min of walking or running ,everyday helps me keep blues away.
If possible walk in a park .Any activity that brings us close to nature activates the happy and positive part of your brain.
2)Enjoy every moment :Be mindful
Mindfulness is the very first step.If you are concentrating on the task at hand ,it’s easier to banish negative thoughts.
I use Om chanting mindfulness meditation and gardening to help myself become more calm and content.
3 )Maintain a gratitude journal
[Tweet theme=”basic-white”]Grateful people are more positive and more likely to be happy :Robert Emmons[/Tweet]
To practice gratefulness is to live better.Sometimes it’s difficult ,but it’s those very times when you need to be more consciously grateful
4)Have Empathy
5)Do something that makes you happy everyday.
Read a good book ,garden, chatting with a friend,learn a new skill,paint (love adult colouring books),cuddle and spend time together as a family.
6)Catch up with a friend.
Optimism is a friend magnet.
Make new friends.
Thank someone for some help.
We are supposed to be the average of five people we spend the mist time with.
So be careful whether you are surrounded by optimists and doers or naysayers.
7)Help somebody. It might be something very small but it will make you feel good.
I have started answering health queries on Lybrate (a doctor -patient health portal).
8)Day Dream about something which you want.
9)Remember something good that happened to you.Memories!
10)Forgive somebody
So what are the health benefits of being an optimistic happy person?
1)Better cardiovascular fitness when compared to other age and gender matched population irrespective of genetics .
2)Much better immunity and healing power.
Stress increases cortisol level in your blood which affects both your ,heart,moods and immunity.
Related:Optimism and Immunity
3)You enjoy better quality of life.
4)You sleep more soundly
5)You live better and longer.
The shortcut
You can control what you think.
Think positive
You feel happier
You are healthier.
Gosh! I could relate to so many things on both counts. The stuff that gets me down and things I do to get up again. Thank you for re-inforcing this to me! I really needed it Amrita! Cheers
Amazing piece, Amrita. Keep sharing positivity always.
Nice Post! Whenever I am feeling low, I go for running and it really helps me to feel better. 🙂
Hi Ana
running makes me feel better everytime
Exercise is a great way to feel better about everything! When I was younger when I would get upset I would go to the park (no matter how hot it was) and run several miles… During high school my mom spent a great amount of time in the hospital so I ended up between my junior and senior year running about 10-15 miles a day! But the benefits are I was in great shape and it definitely helped with my mood!
Hi Carrie
you are right running is just plain great.It frees you,makes you feel happy,strong,fit all at the same time.A little bit of childhhod ,maybe!
We do have some free will in how we wish to respond to situations. I believe with practice and effort, we can choose the path of joy. That said, anyone with a family history of depression should avail themselves of prefessional help. I’m all for making common sense decisions that work for us.
Guess it’s really important to have happiness and health in one’s life… Hope everyone stay healthy and happy everyday..
You are very right Kylie.
I love this post because I can truly relate. I have been noticing lately how my anxiety has elevated. I’m not sure why It’s happening, but I do know I need to figure out a way to handle it all. You gave some valid key points in this post that really could help me. Thanks for posting this…everything comes when it needs to! 🙂
Hi Makenzie
Iam glad this helped you.It helped me too while writing ,You are right everything comes when it needs too!Iam sure you will find a way.
Being mindful is an especially good tip. When I get down, I try to stay busy and that keeps me from thinking about bad things.
Hi Melanie
I try to keep busy too .That stops my mind from worrying!
These are great tips for practicing happiness. I know when I’m anxious or sad getting active helps a lot.
Thanks Emily
That’s really interesting you mentioned that optimism is genetic. I wouldn’t have thought it was, but I can see how it might be!
Hi Theresa
as we research different aspects of our health ,more and more things are seen to have an answer in our genes .Glad you liked this post.
You have shared heaps of tips to keep happiness around. I agree exercise certainly does change our moods and balance us. I find clarity after I have done a small amount of it. I also meditate daily, not so much for happiness but because it’s a reminder to remain in the now. Like you said mindfulness and keeping focused on the task at hand. I used to attempt to plan my moods. Now I know that happiness will pass on through the same way sadness will. I have become skilled at being in the emotion I am feeling. Even when its not so comfortable.
Rachel.
Yes Rachel,you are very right when you say happiness and sadness both will come in our lives. What is important is that we remember that everything is transient.Life with meaning,with excitement is a blessed life.
Being in the now as you call it,is the best way to live.To the now..
I clicked on this just when I needed it..I’m usually a happy go lucky lady, but just moved, downsizing and I seem to think it should all be done in 1 day. I found myself depressed, angry and anxious, worst anxiety attack I’ve ever had. And I can count those on 1 hand. Anyway, I needed to pull away, count my blessings and do some yoga. Like who has time? I had to make time. Thanks for this article.
Thank you Jayne.I am glad this helped you.Thats my aim..to help one person everyday.Carry on the yoga it works.
Very interesting topic. I think you’re are definitely not alone when you talk about your ups and downs. Finding those things or people who can lift you up when you’re down is so important. For me it’s a daily challenge to think happy, so many thoughts of you ‘can’t’ do this, that it affects being happy. We’re all a work in progress. Thanks for this post!
Yes that’s what keeps me going too.
Focusing on the good things in my life,makes me realize how blessed I am .It also prevents the anxiety cycles????
Wonderful post! Thanks so much for linking up with us this week!
Thanks .I loved your article and couldn’t help linking up.