"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." - Benjamin Franklin
You turn on the TV and what do you get? Recession, crime, Iran, North Korea, political sniping, swine flu...it's an endless parade.
With all the advancements mankind has made, you’d think increased happiness would be in the mix. Not so for many of us.
What to do?
Making some simple adjustments can do a world of good. All it takes is desire and some minimal effort.
We sifted through dozens of suggestions offered by people from all walks of life and came up with seven ways you can be happier every day.
Go for a walk – It doesn’t take a gym to make you feel better and clear your head. Studies have shown that by walking more every day, people feel more energetic and develop a more positive outlook on life. According to California State University Professor Robert Thayer, “The more a person walks has a very real and immediate psychological effect that an individual can experience every day.”
He cites a study of 37 people who walked every day wearing pedometers. At the end of each day, they would go through a self-rating process. The results: “…a clear and strong relationship between the number of steps they took and their overall mood and energy level.”
Walking at least 30 minutes a day opens up a whole new world for those of us who typically see the world through a car window.
Avoid negativity – Sounds easy enough, but in today’s world, avoiding negativity can be a pretty darned difficult. A leaner diet of news and information can help solve some of the problem.
Surrounding yourself with positive, happy people can be a very strong elixir.
It’s well known the being around negative people can be a real downer. But it’s not always easy to recognize the bad vibes when they’re right in your face.
Ask yourself: Who do I hang out with? If they’re griping about life, where does that leave you?
Some negativity is unavoidable. But removing yourself from the realm of dark thoughts can make a big difference when it comes to your daily outlook on life.
Get rid of the clutter – Clutter seems to come in two varieties: Thoughts and actual physical stuff.
For many, there is an overabundance of both. Too much of either can make for a needlessly complicated and frustrating existence.
Gretchen Rubin, author of the upcoming book ‘The Happiness Project,’ writes, “…serene, orderly surroundings make me feel better. Outer order brings inner calm.”
She offers a number of tips for de-cluttering. Among them
1. Make your bed.
2. Put your dirty clothes in the hamper.
3. Hang up your towel.
4. Sort through your mail immediately. Toss the junk and put the important stuff in its proper nook or cranny.
The list goes on. It’s not difficult to come up with your own strategy.
With a few minutes of thought and a little bit of effort, you can ease your way into clutter-free happiness.
