Everyone wants to live a healthy and happy life, but what are the differences between happy and unhappy people? What is the secret to a happy life? Is it love? Is it money? Is it a fulfilling career? Simply put, your thoughts have a more powerful effect on your happiness than you might think.
Here are our top tips for you, for living a happier and healthier life.
#1 Stop negative thinking
A negative mind will never give you a positive life. Stop thoughts that are limiting and self-defeating like “I can’t do that“or “I’m not good enough“. Don’t believe everything you think. Negative and pessimistic thinking is unhelpful and will hold you back from achieving your goals and greater self-confidence. Replace negative thoughts with words that are positive and motivating. In the beginning, it may be difficult, but the more you repeatedly send positive messages to yourself, the better and happier you will feel.
“Be careful how you are talking to yourself because you are listening.”
Lisa M. Hayes
#2 Stop comparing yourself to other people
It is an extremely unhealthy habit, but even the most confident people do it: comparing. We all do it. It’s human, but constant comparison with others make you feel bad about yourself and lowers your self-esteem. You begin to question your own worth. And this can lead to frustration, depression, eating disorders, over-spending, and simply to the feeling of not being good enough. Life is not a competition. If you make it one, nobody will win. It’s always a losing battle because the only person you’re really hurting, in the end, is yourself. Stop comparing and start to be happy in life!
“The reason why we struggle with insecurity is that we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel. “
Steven Furtick
#3 Don’t be a victim
You create your life. You have to take responsibility! Even if situations become unbearable, there is always a way out. You will always have the choice to make a change. This is one reason for how to be happy.
#4 Don’t be a people-pleaser
Respect yourself and others will respect you, as easy as that. Don’t spend your whole life trying to make everyone happy, because this can’t and is not the recipe for a happy life. Practice building self-awareness, discover what you are willing to do and what you don’t want to do. Start putting this into practice by saying no when something doesn’t resonate or align with who you really are. People might get mad at first, but eventually most will come to respect you.
#5 Start loving yourself
Self-esteem is all about how much you feel you are worth — and how much you feel other people value you. Your level of self-esteem affects your happiness and everything you do. Loving yourself is one of the best tips on how to be happy.
#6 Be yourself
Don’t try to be somebody else. Take control of your life and live it on your own rules. Find a personal style that feels great to you and is proud of it. There is no one like you and that is your power for living a happy life.
#7 Care for yourself
Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, drink plenty of water and sleep at least 7 to 8 hours per night. If you don’t get enough sleep, everything else will suffer. Sleep deprivation (which most of us suffer from) puts you in a pre-diabetic state, messes with your metabolism, makes you more likely to be overweight, increases your appetite, decreases your productivity, hampers your immune system, and makes you tired, moody, anxious and likely to be depressed. It is so easy to live healthier by just listening to your body!
#8 Don’t strive for perfection
Nobody is perfect. You will always find someone who is more beautiful, smarter, richer, better or worse. But you won´t find someone who is perfect. And not being perfect is the secret for happiness.
#9 Concentrate on your strengths, not your weaknesses
Focus on what you have already achieved and reached, not what you lack and miss. Be proud of yourself and know your strengths. Avoid negative people, places, and things you don’t like or that make you feel bad about yourself.
Being around toxic people can drain your energy, make you unhappy and insecure. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, give you energy and make you feel good about yourself – this will definitely increase the happiness in your daily life!
#10 Stay focused on the present moment
It is the only reality. When the past and the future feel painful, focus on the task at hand and do it with your full engagement. Enjoy your life, make the best out of it and by doing so you will find your way to a happy life.
#11 Be childish and play more
When it comes to certain things, children do them way better than we do. Who said you have to get serious while growing up? Never lose the child in you, the childlike faith, childlike hope, childlike play, and creativity. Children have no problem with living a happy life – and neither should you!
#12 Forgive yourself
Feeling bad about things you’ve done in the past can create a pretty painful present. Remember that you can begin new any day. Your past does not predict your future.
#13 Be grateful
Gratitude is an attitude and a way of living that has been shown to have many benefits in terms of health and happiness. Feeling and expressing gratitude, instead of wanting more and more, turns our mental focus to the good and happy things in life. Which will create more things to be grateful for. As you awake each morning, give thanks for your breath and being healthy. Life is a gift, never forget that.
