9 daily habits that guarantee happiness

Do 5 daily acts of kindness

Doing five kind acts every day is a simple yet powerful way to make life more meaningful, improve your mood, and strengthen connections with others. Good deeds don't have to be big – even small gestures can have a big impact.

Here are examples of such good deeds:

• Smile and greet someone sincerely
• Help an elderly person carry their bags
• Write a warm message to a friend or relative
• Donate clothes or things to those in need
• Compliment someone on a job well done

Focus on gratitude

Kristin Neff, an associate professor at the University of Texas in Austin and a researcher on self-compassion, suggests making a list of things you're grateful for, both big and small. Gratitude is an antidote to stress. A person can set themselves on a more positive path for the day by starting the morning with gratitude.

When you wake up, think about something you are grateful for.

Experience nature every day

Go outside every day and let natural light, sounds, smells, and surroundings reduce stress and boost your mood.

Studies show that spending time in a natural environment lowers the level of the stress hormone, cortisol. Even a short walk in the park can help you relax.

Light, fresh air, greenery, and natural sounds have a calming effect. They stimulate the production of dopamine and serotonin – the "happiness hormones."

Active outdoor activities – walking, hiking, swimming – strengthen the heart, immunity, and improve sleep.

Reframe negative events to find a silver lining

Bad things happen, and they will continue to happen. Acknowledge the pain, discomfort, and anger, and work hard to change your perspective by finding value in daily struggles.

If you feel stuck in a pessimistic lifestyle, try changing your viewpoint and finding something more neutral about failure or resentment.

Let go of anger through compassion

It’s natural to get angry when someone causes you harm. But focusing on these painful emotions traps us in an emotional whirlwind, and when we try to push these feelings away, they only get stronger.

If we can replace these negative emotions with compassion, we can develop empathy without denying the fact that we’ve been hurt.

Be in a relationship with yourself

Dive into the future and think about your ideal family, romantic, and social life.

Instead of fixating on past obstacles or disappointments, focus on how the future can be brighter and get creative.

According to research, specifically framing what you want optimistically can give you a greater sense of control and motivate you to take steps toward your ideal future. Try doing this exercise for 15 minutes a day for two weeks.

Take a self-compassion break

When we face difficulties or stress, self-criticism only amplifies the pain. Try replacing it with self-compassion using this exercise by researcher Kristin Neff.

Think about a difficult or stressful situation in your life and how it makes you feel. Now, tell yourself – this is suffering or pain.

Suffering is part of life and a way to acknowledge that you are as human as anyone else, and experiencing this painful situation doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.

Now, place your hands on your heart and say something comforting to yourself.

Do a digital detox

Every day, try to take at least a half-hour break from your devices. Or remove the app that steals your time, tempting you to mindlessly scroll through pages.

By reducing the time spent in front of screens, we regain time for truly valuable activities, can be more present in real life, and avoid the urge to negatively compare ourselves with others.

Humor in life

Humor increases the level of neurotransmitters that create a good mood and reduces the physiological stress response. For a week, make it a habit to spend a few minutes every evening writing down three funny things you heard, saw, or did during the day, and explain why they were funny.

In a study, participants who performed this exercise every evening for a week almost immediately reduced their depression, and even six months later, they felt happier than the group that didn’t do this exercise.

You may be interested in:

• Scientists found the hours of the day and age when people are the happiest
• What you must do in the evening to wake up happy in the morning

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.