7 Practices To Increase Your Happiness This Year

You really can make this the year that you increase your happiness by setting up a few simple practices. 

“Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you. ~Ralph Marston”

This quote is so true because happiness comes from the little choices we make each day. It’s not about big events, what you own or how popular you are. Happiness is really about the little things we do each day. 

Practices to Increase Your Happiness This Year

Your regular habits have a powerful impact on your happiness. The key is to realize that happiness is about being intentional in the things we do. 

So if you’re looking for ways to bring more happiness into your daily life here are 7 totally free practices to increase your happiness in your daily life. 

1. Do Something Nice For Someone Else

When we think about increasing our own happiness level we tend to think in terms of what we can do for ourselves. But did you know that research actually shows that doing acts of kindness for others can boost your own happiness?

Yes, it’s true. Helping others feels good, makes us feel better about ourselves, and increases happiness. 

This does not have to be a grand gesture. Paying a sincere compliment is a guaranteed way to brighten someone’s day and at the same time increase your own level of happiness. Try it, you just might be surprised by how good it makes you feel.

Another idea is to try volunteering at an organization close to your heart. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, bake something yummy and bring it to a neighbor. Tell you’re children how amazing you think they are. Thank someone who has made a difference in your life.

Really the possibilities are endless. If nothing else, start with a smile, it’s the simplest way to brighten someone’s day.

When you do something to help someone else, you’ll improve your own happiness.

2. Let the Sunshine In

Sunshine causes the brain to release a hormone called serotonin. Serotonin is a natural mood booster and increases our feeling of happiness. 

There is so much discussion about the danger of too much sun exposure and the importance of sunscreen we forget we need natural light. Don’t get me wrong sunscreen is very important, but so is getting enough sunlight. 

Go ahead and open those curtains or blinds and let the sunshine in. Put on some sunscreen and get outdoors, bring your favorite drink, a good book and just enjoy the sun rays.

 You will be left feeling happier, more positive, and ready to take on any challenge that comes your way!

3. Enjoy Some Time in Nature

There’s something about getting outdoors in nature that creates a sense of peace and instant relaxation. In fact, nature impacts our well-being in many areas. According to an article by the University of Minnesota even adding a plant in a room can have a significant impact on stress and anxiety.

To increase your happiness this year, get outdoors, appreciate the beauty of nature around you. Notice the variety of colors, textures, and smells nature offers.

Commit to going for a walk, alone or as a family, a few times a week. If the weather does not allow it, consider adding a few plants to your decor. I promise when you do you’ll find yourself feeling more relaxed and positive toward your life. 

4. Exercise

This is one of the most overlooked ways to increase your happiness and believe me I get it. I am not exactly the athletic type. I pretty much never actually want to exercise. However, I have disciplined myself enough to do it regularly. I confess I always try to find an excuse not to, but I never regret not giving in to that excuse.

The reason is, exercise isn’t just good for me physically, the truth is I feel so much better overall afterward. This is because regular exercise increases overall happiness. 

Even a small amount of exercise can have an impact. It’s okay if you can only fit in a 20-minute walk once or twice a week you will still notice a difference. 

If you’re still not convinced look at some of these studies that have found that exercise is directly linked to feelings of well-being and happiness.

In order to bring more happiness into your year make regular time for exercise. 

5. Count Your Blessings

The best way to magnify your problems is to focus on them. While on the other hand, when we choose to focus on all that we have, despite our circumstances, our happiness becomes magnified and contentment grows. 

By counting your blessings you remove your focus from your problems and it forces you to see all the good that is in your life!

Put simply, gratitude puts us in a happier mood. Being thankful, focusing on your blessings and all that you have, instantly increases your happiness. 

When you are happier, you naturally feel more relaxed. In turn, feeling relaxed helps you feel more positive about your life. Feeling positive about your life makes you feel happy. This is a circle worth going round in!

Make it a habit to start and end your days by purposefully acknowledging at least one thing you’re thankful for. You can make this a habit every time you brush your teeth. As you’re brushing away count those blessings in your head. 

Another great option is keeping a gratitude journal. This can be as simple as a plain notebook where you write down something you are grateful for each day.

These do not have to be big grandiose things, notice the little things, there are blessings all around you. 

By developing this habit of counting your blessings, you’ll find yourself focusing on what you have instead of what you don’t. Because you’ll begin to easily see all the good in your life, every day will become a celebration!

Powerful things happen when you choose Gratitude!  

6. Smile More

According to an article from NBC News, “Science has shown that the mere act of smiling can lift your mood, lower stress, boost your immune system and possibly even prolong your life.”

While it’s natural to smile when we are happy, smiling more will actually make you happier, even if you’re not feeling that way at the moment.

Just the physical act of smiling releases the hormone dopamine, which is known as the “happy hormone”. This is why smiling makes us happier.

So the next time you’re feeling down try smiling. Think of a happy memory, watch a funny video or just simply smile at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself of the amazing person you are!

7. Declutter Your Home

One of the big things that interfere with our happiness is that we don’t appreciate the impact our environment has on us. If we are living in a cluttered and disorganized environment it affects how we feel. It is well documented that clutter increases our stress and has a lot of other negative effects.

This is why one of the best things you can do to increase your happiness is decluttering and simplifying your home.

This does not have to be a big project you tackle all at once. You’ll be amazed at how a 10 to 15 minute decluttering session will add up to make a big impact when done consistently.

Pick an area of your home that’s been bothering you or causing extra stress and set the timer on your phone for 15 minutes. Tackle the clutter in that space and see how much happier you feel. 

Even if time is an issue you can declutter as you go about your day. Eliminating things you don’t need and creating a peaceful and calm environment in your home will have a lasting impact on your happiness.

Happiness really is about the little things we do each day. When we are purposeful and intentional in creating habits that increase happiness we feel happier and more content with our life.