5 habits of the happiest people

Some of the most powerful habits and traits that happy people possess are not what you’d generally expect — they’re simple yet profound. Developing new habits and re-educating your brain takes time and dedication before the charmed ‘happy change’ occurs, so be patient. As compiled from rodalewellness.com and Prevention magazine, read on to kick-start your voyage toward lasting happiness.

Be deliberately optimistic

Some people are just naturally optimistic, and science has even proved that optimistic individuals have healthier hearts. Just like positivity can become a routine, so can negativity. The happiest people know an optimistic outlook is imperative to emotional wellness, quality of life, and even the consequence of some situations. As a result, they put added deliberate effort into being positive and encouraging others to be positive as well. Even if you’re not optimistic by nature, you can change it by doing the daily work of attentively shifting to a positive point of view about what each day may bring and any situations that come up in your life. Living with a positive outlook and seeing the best in every situation is something we can choose. It’s also contagious. When you’re optimistic, you will elevate the energy of the people around you, creating a cycle of positivity that boosts everyone up.



Prioritise sensibly

Happy people have trained themselves to align their choices, intentions and actions with the highest priorities of love, happiness, and health. They put joy, love, health and passion first; the rest follows. They dismiss what’s insignificant, and they largely ignore trivial intricacies. Also, you must focus on what is entirely aligned with the life you truly desire, and let the rest fall away without guilt. This includes regularly spotting even small killjoy moments and quickly making edits. With awareness, you can train your mind to do this, and you’ll notice yourself not caring about or being bothered by the little stuff that used to annoy you to bits, because your thoughts and energy are way too treasured to be spent on those things any longer. Your top priorities in life should be your health, your happiness, and making sure everything you do and every choice you make comes from a place of love.

Create an instant uplift

Happy folks are extremely aware of the specific things that lift them up, and they frequently use them when they need a physical and emotional boost. Everyone’s different but we all have those little spirit-lifters that instantly make us feel lighter, happier, and more energised. These resources cost very little or nothing at all and don’t take a bunch of effort but they provide noticeable results. It’s all about creating the habit of reaching for them more often. Create your own list of a few easy things that never fail to give you an instant mood or energy lift — it could be a pedicure or a trip to the bun kebab stall! Begin to work them into your life as little happiness rituals. Create a regular cycle of small, happy items and experiences that can be a standard part of your daily routine, and not just occasionally, as well as be there for you when you need an extra lift.

Place yourself first. Always

The word selfish is unfairly maligned. The truth is, sometimes being a bit selfish is actually the best thing we can do for the people we care about. The happiest people frequently tune in to their own needs —without hesitation—and make their own happiness a top priority, which then helps them bring their A game to the people and projects in their lives. If you were taking incredible care of yourself more often, how would the way you show up in the world, change? Think about how your life, certain relationships, and parts of your work might improve dramatically. When taking care of yourself first, you’re also taking care of everyone else who matters in the process, and knowing this will make it so much easier to focus on. Thorough, loving, enthusiastic care of your body, mind, and spirit should always be top priority. It’s the way to be your most implausible self on every level.

Don’t make things personal. Ever

Here’s a fact that can be extremely hard to accept, but when we do, it’s life changing. Ready? Absolutely nothing others say or do is about you ever. Isn’t that a huge respite when you really think about it? Here’s the thing: it’s their stuff. When others talk about you, do things you feel are against you, or try to wrap you up in unnecessary drama, it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with their own interests and mindset. By resisting the temptation to make things about us, we increase our own happiness and peace while at the same time, finding more compassion and understanding for the dilemmas and motives of others. The happiest people have the pattern of going straight to this inner knowing that it’s not about them anytime a relevant situation comes up, and you can even engage in a quick meditation for compassion that’ll reignite your positivity.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2016.

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