10 Simple Things You Can Do Right Now To Feel Happier

We all seek long-term happiness and joy. But we know it is not possible to be chronically happy in the literal sense of the word. What we can look forward to is living a life that’s full of happy moments while keeping a mindset of gratitude and optimism during the downtimes.

In the meantime, however, there are short-term things that we can do to bring us a quiet joy and establish constructive habits that lead to a positive mindset. That is what will take us to the other side of happy.

Practice These 10 Habits for an Instant Happy Boost

1. Start a gratitude journal. Each day, jot down one thing you are grateful for.
2. Give someone a compliment.  And mean it.
3. Go outside.  Smell the fresh air.  Take a 10-minute walk. Studies show that when you’re outside and present, communing with nature reduces feelings of negativity and stress.
4. Listen to music.  Music has the power to heal the soul. The relaxing benefits of music are based on biology. Listening to music that you love can reduce blood pressure, curb depression, and lower stress.
5. Unplug from social media.  Being virtually connected actually causes depression and anxiety.  Take a break from your device and actually go meet your friend face to face.
6. Eat some chocolate.  Especially dark chocolate has the power to release endorphins and lift your mood. So go ahead and have that piece of chocolate you crave!
7. Get a massage–a massage is relaxing and can lower your stress levels.  By releasing feel-good neurotransmitters like endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine.
8. Hug someone. It also has stress-reducing benefits by lowering cortisol levels and improving your connection with others.
9. Bake some cookies. And eat them too! There’s nothing like engaging in a creative task to beat the blues. And whipping up a batch of your favorite chocolate chip cookies can stimulate the release of the happy hormone called dopamine.
10. Think of the next thing to look forward to. When we have something to look forward to, it gives us hope and motivates us to soldier through our current circumstances.

C’mon Get Happy!

These are just some of the things you can do right now to feel happy and find immediate pleasure. Knowing that life is made up of the little moments that shape your mindset can put you on a path to finding true joy. Make some of these habits part of your daily routine and see the needle in your happiness meter rise.