Happiness is a very individual experience.
If it weren’t, the same things that make you happy should make everyone happy too. But they don’t.
An early morning walk may sound fantastic to you, but it may be your partner’s nightmare.
That is how we are—different.
Each person stands in a unique place in their lives. Not only that, this place is changing throughout our lives, just like we are changing too.
So, how is it possible to prescribe something that will make everyone happy, at all times?
The good news is that the entire spectrum of human happiness is wrapped around a few fundamental aspects of its existence, called the chakras in yogic science. The subject of serious scientific inquiry and discussion, chakras encompass all aspects of human experience.
By taking care of these fundamental aspects of experience, you can be sure to go through life swinging.
So, here’s how to be happy in 7 simple tips.
7 simple tips on how to be happy
#1. Eat Right
Growing up in India, we were repeatedly told to abstain from certain foods. “What you eat is what you become,” they say. Science has finally agreed.
The upcoming field of nutritional psychology has proved that the health of the gut is directly related to brain function. The microbes in the gut produce neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that influence mood, pain sensitivity, and even brain development.
Now, that is awesome news because you have the power to choose happiness with each meal you eat. Here are a few steps you can take toward eating to be happy:
- Ensure a healthy balance of carbs, proteins, and fats in your diet, as each of them plays a distinct role in your health and happiness.
- Eat the right kind of nutrients. For example, choose complex carbs from bananas to elevate your mood over sugar-laden simple carbs like chocolates.
- Avoid refined and processed foods as they may make you feel good temporarily but are, in fact, harmful to your brain health.
Do not obsess about doing this in one day; make small changes and see the results for yourself. Tweak accordingly.
Yogic science tip: Eat in a well-lit space facing east with a sense of gratitude for the meal in front of you. Avoid eating too late after sunset and plan your meals according to your age and activity.
#2. Have A Good Night’s Sleep
If you thought you were unable to focus and were irritated after a late night, you are not imagining it.
Studies have shown that when we are sleep-deprived, the brain reverts to a more primitive behavior pattern. Regressing in terms of emotional control, the brain starts dramatically overreacting to bad experiences, as much as more than 60% than normal.
Even when people talked about their happiness during a study on life satisfaction, the number one reason for it was that they were well-rested.
Both scientifically and experientially, happiness is directly related to the adequate amount of sleep you get.
Here are some things you can do to get a good night’s sleep and cultivating long-term happiness:
- Make your bedroom a welcoming space and set it up for your comfort. Do not worry about other people’s definition of comfort; invest in what you value.
- Learn to sleep in the dark, as that is how nature intended it to be.
- Avoid bringing mobile phones to your bed, and even if you do, keep them on airplane mode.
- Do not leave it messy once you get up; keep the energy fresh by making your bed first thing in the morning.
Yogic science tip: Pay attention to the word “adequate.” Sleeping too much is not healthy and can make you sluggish Sleeping too much is not healthy and can make you sluggish and prone to inaction by increasing “Tamas” or inertia in the body. The adequate hours of sleep vary according to the age and lifestyle of an individual, so you decide how many hours of sleep are enough for you based on your experience.
#3. Enjoy What You Own But Don’t Let It Own You
You have created a life around you with the possessions you value, and you deserve to enjoy it. However, if your happiness starts depending on those possessions, that is essentially taking away from it, isn’t it?
For example, you got this awesome coffee maker to make you a great cup of Java in the morning. One morning you get up and it’s not working, and a black cloud starts descending on your mood. That is like valuing your happiness less than a cup of coffee, and that is just wrong.
Enjoy it while making some fundamental shifts in your perspective towards wealth:
- Start viewing wealth and possessions as a sign of success in one area of life, rather than a sign of complete happiness.
- Do not judge or compare yourself with others based on possessions. You are your own unique person, and wealth is just one aspect of your existence.
Yogic science tip: Withdraw yourself from the world of possessions every now and then and experience life as it is. Go on silent walks and appreciate the bounty of nature, like the song of a bird or a fresh bloom. That is invaluable and cannot be bought with any amount of wealth.
#4. Put On Your Self-Worth, Everyday
Do you know the powerhouse of your happiness? It is your self-worth.
If you have no self-worth, you won’t pursue any of the other aspects of happiness with as much enthusiasm as required. Even if you somehow achieve other pleasures in life, but you don’t feel worthy of them, you will not enjoy any of them and, in all possibility, lay them to waste eventually.
The American Psychological Association goes to the extent of saying that happiness and self-esteem cannot exist without each other.
So, here are some solid ideas for you to become a master of self-worth and happiness will become a natural outcome:
- Get up with a big smile on your face and be grateful that you are alive today. Start your day by affirming, “I love myself, and I am worth it.”
- Keep a diary and make notes in it at the end of the day about the good you did that day. It doesn’t have to be big, but small things like giving water to plants or feeding an animal.
- Avoid the company of over-critical people and surround yourself with good company. Course correction by loved ones is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is unacceptable when done in a derogatory manner.
Yogic science tip: Indulge in a physical activity every day, depending on your age. Do core-strengthening exercises and learn to follow a certain discipline in life.
#5. Serve
Self-worth is such an important ingredient in our happiness that it deserves some more attention.
So, like my teacher used to say, what you want, give. Empowering and serving others is a sure-shot way to increase your self-worth. Especially when you serve others without expecting anything in return, it fills you with a different level of self-worth and happiness.
Here are some ways you can make service a part of your life and experience true happiness really fast!
- Join a volunteer program and choose whatever cause appeals most to you, be it conservation, community development, disaster relief, or any other. Many programs are open to all age groups and include cultural exchange and recreational activities.
- Take out time every week to support a local cause. You can volunteer at animal shelters, retirement homes, or homeless shelters. If volunteering is not your thing, you can participate in fundraising events, helping such places get more resources.
- Build a habit of helping others in your daily life. Offer assistance to someone struggling with carrying groceries or holding the door for someone. Small acts of kindness go a long way.
Yogic science tip: Practice meditation and focus on cultivating feelings of love, compassion, and kindness towards yourself and others. It helps to expand your capacity to serve and connect with people on a deeper level.
#6. Spend Time With Your Loved Ones And Open Up To New Friendships
A sense of belonging not just nourishes your heart but gives you the strength to go out and experiment in the world. So, knowing someone has your back can make a big difference in your well-being and happiness.
Not all of us are made the same or have the same kind of lives though. So, if you have someone to fall back upon, that’s great, but if you don’t, the way around it is to become that for at least one person. Be that person whom someone can fall back upon. Stop complaining and take charge.
Whichever way your life is, make sure to:
- See and accept your family for what it is, and be grateful that you have a family.
- Spend time with your family to enjoy the good times and learn to deal with the difficult times with patience and love.
- Open your heart and life to friends and strangers, and be the one to say hello and start a conversation.
- Make time for events and get-togethers to spend time together and share experiences.
Yogic science tip: Realizing universal love is like getting a family who will always support and love you. The easiest way to do this is to sing. Yes, sing for something bigger than you with total surrender. Sing hymns, spiritual songs, songs about nature, patriotic songs, anything praising a force that has taken care of you and that you feel nourished by.
#7. Keep A Clear Mind
Note the word ‘clear’ here. A mind full of unbridled thoughts, emotions, and even directionless intelligence is bound to run into muddy waters. On the other hand, a clear mind is the key to mental health, and its importance cannot be over-emphasized.
Stress, a major contributing factor to the six leading causes of death in the United States, is also the result of an overwhelmed mind. So, here are some proven ideas to manage stress as well as keep a clear and healthy mind:
- Studies show that mind-wandering causes unhappiness. The same study says that 47% of the time people are thinking about something other than what they’re currently doing. Solution? Be 100% involved with what you do, stop over-thinking and over-analyzing. Learn to bring your awareness back to the present moment by practicing it in everything.
- Engage your mind in productive and creative tasks so your involvement yields positive impressions. Depending on your interest and age, there are many choices like – DIY projects, puzzles, learning a new skill or language, exercise, and meditation.
Yogic science tip: Ever noticed how your breath goes up and down as you get angry and how it calms down in the presence of a loved one? That is because breath is the vehicle of the mind. Learn to breathe right and practice Yogic breathing techniques daily to keep a clear and stress-free mind.
#BONUS: Think Inclusive
If I have to choose one answer to the question, ‘How to be happy’, I will choose this one. It is a HUGE topic in itself and this is just an introduction.
Because when you think inclusive, you learn to look beyond yourself. Being inclusive means you see someone else’s pain over yours, you accept the variety in life. Being inclusive means you learn to look at the bigger picture and include not just your fellow human beings, but all life and everything that exists around you as part of your existence.
When you look at the bigger picture, you will find so many things in your life that you can be grateful for, and that gratefulness will spawn true happiness. A happiness that will last forever, and so, inclusiveness should ideally be the beginning point for all pursuit of happiness.
Note: If you have tried everything, but nothing seems to be working, please consider talking to a therapist. We all need help sometimes and asking for help is part of being inclusive with yourself!