Several reasons can make you sad and depressed. It could be losing a job or a loved one. But life must move on. Keep in mind that there are people who need you to get back up. Thus, start giving up those negative things and turn them into positive. These negative things are draining your happiness. To form new habits that can transform your life and make you happy again, you need to give up the old habits so you can make a new beginning. Giving up the things you are familiar with is not easy. However, as you give up your expired ideals and let go of the things, you can move forward and have a better understanding of life. Below are 7 habits that can transform you life and make you happy again.
1. Do the things that are meaningful to your life
You feel bored and you’re stuck not knowing what to do. According to Victor Frankl, if you can’t find a sense of meaning, you distract yourself with pleasure. By instilling a sense of meaning to your life, you can start feeling happy again. But what can you do? You can work on something that requires your skills and abilities. It can be anything that can help a company or someone in need. Then, make sure to immerse yourself in that experience so you can share it with people that you love in a non-judgmental manner. You will also develop a deep sense of meaning in what you do if you change your perspective on your suffering. If you have been diagnosed with a certain disease, for instance, don’t consider it as suffering. Rather, consider it as a way to improve your life.
2. Be thankful
It is easy to stress over the things that you don’t have. As you practice daily gratitude, you will experience a significant shift in your life. You can start by writing all the things that you are grateful for. No matter how huge your problem is, you must always count your blessings. Be thankful that you still have your spouse/partner, siblings, parents, etc. Consider it a blessing that you can still speak and walk. It does not matter how trivial the blessing is, you must write it down. Even if you have problems, you should be thankful for them because they might give you a different perspective and transform your life for the better. Those who practice daily gratitude tend to find great happiness. They are more optimistic about their future.
3. Never resist your problems
Each time you have a problem, your first step is to resist it. But don’t. Rather, think about the things that are not working and find out why. These details are valuable. Tough times can disrupt your stagnant patterns. Embrace the disruption that can purify the rust that you collect during your daily journey. If your plans didn’t work out as you expected them to be, don’t consider them as a failure. It could be that they didn’t work out because your plans could wreck your life.
4. Embrace the present
You can never find peace if you try to avoid it. Deal with your issues first before you can deal with your happiness. Don’t allow a difficult situation to harden your heart. The best lessons in life are learned during the worst times. Thus, when you lose your job, never consider it as a loss. Rather, accept it as a gift that will help you in finding your way that you were meant to go all along.
5. Exercise
It does not matter what workout you choose. Exercising daily can boost your mood, health and overall weight. You can start by aiming to take 10,000 steps a day. To help you reach that goal, consider parking your car in the farthest corner of the parking lot. It might not help you achieve the 10,000-steps-a-day goal but it could add up over time. In the healthiest places to live in the US, people choose to walking over driving. They find a way to help them achieve their daily steps goal. You can follow their habit too and start tracking your steps through your smartphone. Walking is a good form of exercise that can increase blood flow and enhance your mental acuity. And if you pair it with an organic lifestyle, you can surely beat depression and become happy again.
6. Satisfy your curiosity
Steve Jobs and Henry Ford are just two of the greatest innovators who engaged their curiosity to improve their worth. Why? As you satisfy your curiosity, it releases dopamine, which gives you a sense of pleasure. Curious people are at ease with the risks related to new challenges. They embrace uncertainty. They see those challenges as a way to help them learn and grow. If you start using curiosity to make you better at something, you see things in a new perspective and start finding your life more enjoyable. To become a curious explorer, start by remaining open when you talk to people. Listen to them without reacting or judging. Then try noticing those little details that you do every day that you didn’t notice before. Don’t control the flow. Just allow it to unfold. Also, allow the sounds, smell, and sights to guide your way.
7. Get out of your comfort zone
When you satisfy your curiosity, you are getting out of your comfort zone that can help in rewiring your brain. You might be unhappy because of your boring routine. You don’t want to try new routine because you are afraid of starting something new. To remedy it, begin by getting out of your comfort zone to help you live a more satisfying life. People who step out of their comfort zone are doing themselves a favor by increasing their endorphins in the brain, which increase the feeling of happiness. Thus, start creating new experiences in life. Consider those goals that you always wanted to accomplish.
8. Wrap up
Choose to invest your time and energy in developing these habits to uplift your spirits. They can improve your mood so you can become happy again, despite the many issues that you are going through. You will start embracing life and live it to the fullest.