“Don’t worry, beee happy…” is genius advice, and oh my, how we all wish we could just do it. We live in a stressful world where we’re often led to medication to temporarily boost us out of our somber states. But the fact is that our greatest fighting chance is the happiness we create for ourselves. The Happiness Challenge will change the way you look at the world, and ultimately it will change your life. Try these 4 steps for a week and get ready for a major turn-around.
The Happiness Challenge Will Literally Change Your Life
Make A Diary
A diary doesn’t have to become a journal of “Dear Diary” entries, it becomes a log book of sorts. Every evening, after you eat dinner, whip out a pen and write down 3 things you feel grateful for. Try to make it as a simple and easy-to-understand as possible. It can be anything, like being grateful for having a job that gives you money, or simply having a moment to sit down and write this list because you want to improve your life! Three things, that’s it.
How It Helps
When you become thankful for the things that you have, big or small, you start to realize just how lucky you are. You could easily be someone who doesn’t have these things, so start focusing on the positive aspects of your life and avoid the negative. Trust me, we dedicate enough attention to the negative things!
Breathe And Switch Off
Our minds are incredible machines that hardly ever get a chance to rest. Set a time every day for 10 minutes to switch off your brain. Seems like an impossible task – well, because it is – but there’s a way to do it. In these 10 minutes, sit somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. Start to listen to your breathing, drawing in full and slow breaths and let them out with a “whoosh” that you can hear. We all have 10 minutes we can dedicate to this.
How It Helps
The Happiness Challenge incorporates breathing exercises because proper oxygen circulation is known to calm the body and mind. Just by focusing on your breathing, you will become more relaxed and will feel unnecessary stress evaporate from your body. Those who meditate swear by this method of calming oneself and connecting the spirit and the mind, so we should too.
Move Your Body
Once again you’re going to need 10 minutes, but this time you’re going to move your body. Choose a physical activity you enjoy (or suffer less from) and start doing it. Every day for 10 minutes do this task – it could be going for a run, for a walk, for a swim, or even playing Frisbee with a friend.
How It Helps
It’s no secret that physical exercise gets the heart rate going. When the heart is active, it pumps fresh blood throughout our bodies, giving us energy and helping each vital organ get a rejuvenating boost. Exercise is also a very effective method of fighting off illness and long-term health problems.
Move Your Body
Be Kind
And finally, choose one day this week to do as many kind things as possible for others. If you see someone searching for a quarter for the parking meter, hand them one of yours. Maybe someone has fewer items than you at the checkout counter, let them cut in front of you.
How It Helps
This is my personal favorite! It might seem counter-intuitive to some, but giving to others eventually starts to feel like you’re giving to yourself. When we help other people (and not just with money) we get a sense of fulfillment ourselves. Just think about how happy you’ve felt when someone has been kind and nicer-than-usual to you. It came as a surprise, but how grateful did you feel? I guarantee you that that person felt like a million bucks too.
Be Kind
The Happiness Challenge For Life
The Happiness Challenge is not supposed to stick around for just one week. You can look at this as your free trial version for your everlasting free membership to the club. By implementing these practices in your life, you will not only impact the lives of others around you, but most greatly, you will influence your own. You have the power to change the life that you live, and at any given moment. Make that moment now – take the Happiness Challenge!
The Happiness Challenge For Life