4 Simple Things to Do to Sustain Your Happiness
Important keys to attaining bliss remain in these straightforward ways.
One breezy afternoon at a seashore, a playful child was writing something gibberish on the wet sand, waiting for the waves to wash it away. Once his writing gets washed away he would start over again, shrieking in happiness every time.
Sitting on a couch as I watched this scene being played on my old-fashioned television on a balmy summer’s evening, my thoughts raced about happiness.
How moments of happiness looked like the writing on that wet sand. One moment it is there and the other it’s gone.
According to various studies, happiness is a state of mind. It can imprint on our memories and come to our rescue when we need it the most.
We as humans are being endlessly chased and haunted by feelings of shame, guilt, anger, grief and even self-doubt. To most people, unpleasant memories are easily accessible in their memory reservoir than the positive ones, especially when the going gets tough.
How to achieve the opposite? What can make us happy in these moments when we have already lost our happiness?
Well, there could be many simple ways you can cache happiness as your treasure trove. However, I would like to share four sure ways to do so that are undeniable yet ignored.
1. Gratitude is thy name! — Let gratitude be your attitude
The touch of a muscly cat, petting your dog brings in emotions of love, care and indispensable bond. Likewise, an exchange of a smile while you thank those around you for things they exude exuberance.
I am sure just to remember these minuscule experiences would make you smile. All I say is that you should be more aware of your life, people, and the surrounding that touches lives.
Happiness is contagious, much like yawning. You just need to allow it to do its part.
Learn to journal daily. Journal about your unacknowledged feelings, happenings of the day and how it affected you. Write about your dreams.
I have been journalling practically every day and I must confess there’s nothing more blissful than penning down your emotions and dreams.
2. Freeze your happy moments and relive your positive experiences
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” — Aristotle
Be mindful of the happy moments as they happen.
Do you remember your childhood days when the game of Statues was fun to play? What if you play the same game in a different context?
Nothing could be more magical than If you could freeze blissful occasions and go through your mind remembering your joyful experiences as if they were statues of happiness. Whenever haunted by anxiety and tormented by life events, stop complaining for the moment, close your eyes and remember those gleeful memories frozen in time.
Imagine,
At the moment’s heat, when you are angry while arguing with your partner, suddenly in a flash you remember the good time you’ve spent together.
How would you feel then? Would you still be arguing with the same intensity as you were earlier?
Contrary to a worse end, possibly you both would end up hugging each other.
When you imprint strong positive experience in your mind it binds you to be happy than by curating a negative experience.
I know it’s idealistic, but there is no harm in doing something which would add buoyancy to your life. Let the thought of love be more powerful than the action of anger.
Learn to……. Let go.
3. Appreciate yourself — Don’t fall short of your existence.
Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than what you have become.
– Mufasa, The Lion King
You might fall short of many things in life, be it our earning, dreams, ambition or relationships. Nothing seems perfect. What could be more tragic than failing to realize your own existence?
Your focus should be on a positive engagement with yourself daily in every passing moment. Your existence was for a purpose, all you need to do is to make a difference in other people’s lives.
Why should you do this?
Well, life is not a linear line but a curvy one similar to seismic waves captured in a seismograph. You will not be alive for infinity, so you need to be the best version of yourself while the clock is ticking.
Indulge in:
- Self-Care — Grab your favourite shirt or dress and wear it if you feel so. Dress for the day. If the thought crosses your mind that you will make a fool of yourself getting dressed while being at home or looking pretty without an occasion.
Then my reply to you would be — Does it matter?
Self-care is a virtue you must uphold not to become self-absorbed but to avoid self-sabotage. Spread it in all spheres of your life — mental, emotional & physical.
- Practice Smiling — Small gestures of kindness sometimes have a powerful impact on the world.
- Take a deep breath and meditate — Meditation can make you happier long term, it can rewire your brain for further happiness.
4. Live in the Present
While we all know a ubiquitous fact, that nothing remains permanent. However, many of us don’t want to make the most of ‘now’.
Why should we remember terrible memories and ignore the good ones in the testing times? Have you ever fallen in this trap?
You must learn to live in the present. Dwelling in the past is futile, you don’t know what future entails, hence your present is the Holy Grail you need to hold tight.
If you do so three things would happen:
1- You would feel more in control,
2- It would be easier to process your happy thoughts both with your conscious and subconscious mind.
3- You would become increasingly confident and self-reliant by nurturing positivity.
In Conclusion
Happiness is truly in our hands, live in the present. True joy comes from little things in life. If tomorrow is unpleasant, just move on to your haven in your curated world of happy moments. Always remember positive experiences and relive those thoughts.
The bottom line, as we experience happiness which is always momentary, we need to internalize it and save in our consciousness.
When shackled by a hard time, learning to do the opposite is the best recourse. Instead of bottling up your tensions, let it go, positively approach your problems.
“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action” — Benjamin Disraeli
