10 daily habits that will help you feel happier

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Healthy Expert lifestyle and bestselling author of One Habit a Week. Change yourself in a year” Brett Blumenthal is sure that the technique of small changes works. It is not necessary to go on a diet from Monday, sign up for 5 training sessions a week and train yourself to never be late for work. On the contrary, small steps will help to achieve a stable result. Therefore, we have selected for you 10 simple habits, with which you can start pleasant changes right now!

Keep a diary

There are no rules on how to keep a diary. Only one condition is regularity. Write down your feelings, thoughts, victories and experiences every day. At first you will force yourself to take these notes, but soon you will find that you enjoy journaling. Why is this necessary? Psychotherapeutic studies have proven that keeping a diary helps you cope with stress, fear and anxiety, release unexpressed emotions and feel happier as a result!

Listen to music every day

The positive effect of music on a person is a long-proven fact. It's not difficult – let music be your daily companion. Find time for your favorite tracks, even if you are so busy that you usually forget to press play. Brett Blumenthal advises you to take the time to organize your media library, make playlists and turn on your favorite music whenever you can listen to it – on the way to work, during your lunch break or cleaning. Every day is important!

Smile

Our emotional state and facial expression are connected – scientists have proven that even if you make a smile artificially, later it becomes sincere. Start following this and you will notice that you used to smile unforgivably rarely! The author of the book advises you to smile every time you think about something bad or start to get nervous, smile at strangers and at yourself in the mirror – preferably from the very morning.

Meditate 20 minutes a day

There are many types of meditation, but you are still a beginner and you don't need to jump into complicated practices. Just make a promise to yourself to meditate every day – for example, before going to bed – to sit in a comfortable position, watch your breathing and try to avoid any thoughts. Start with 5 minutes, and then gradually increase the duration of meditation to 20 minutes a day. Soon, you will notice that you have become calmer, it will be easier for you to concentrate and control your emotions.

Achieve your goals one at a time

The result of meditation can be felt in practice if you train yourself to do only one thing at a time. We live in informational noise and in multitasking mode, this leads not only to stress, but also to a decrease in productivity. It turns out that people who constantly switch from one task to another are 50% less effective. Therefore, make it a habit to set yourself only one small goal, achieve it, and only then move on to the next one. We believe that you, like Julius Caesar, can do three things at once, but for your happiness and psychological health it is better to refrain from such feats.

Drink green tea

Include green tea in your daily diet. Ideally, drink 1-2 cups a day. This pleasant Asian tradition has several reasons. Green tea is really useful, it invigorates, but, unlike coffee, it does not give side effects, such as rapid heartbeat or hand tremors. In addition, green tea contains polyphenols that activate the production of dopamine, the hormone of joy.

See the good in others

We often focus on negative moments in communication with other people, but life will become easier and more pleasant if you make it a rule to find several traits with a “plus” sign in each person. How does it work? Most often, people “mirror” each other, so if you learn to be positive about the interlocutor, he will most likely reciprocate.

Read for pleasure at least 20 minutes a day

Reading teaches concentration, develops imagination and relieves stress. Not to mention expanding your worldview! Set aside at least 20 minutes each day to read without distraction. It's about books and voluminous texts, not news or Instagram posts. To make it easier, set yourself a goal – for example, to read a certain number of books per month or per year.

Say “thank you”

Thanking yourself and others improves the quality of life. Don't hesitate to thank your loved ones for everything they do for you – whether it's a simple call asking “how are you?” or help with a minor issue. Say “thank you” more often – it promotes closeness and emotional attachment. At the same time, do not forget to thank life itself – for feeling good, a sunny or rainy day, a beautiful November or a delicious piece of cake. Say “thank you” to yourself or out loud – this word has incredible magic!

Touch the people around you more often

We often don't even realize how simple touches affect our brains , hormonal system and mood. When we touch a close, pleasant person, the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, decreases in the blood. Hug a loved one, a child, hold friends' hands, stroke pets. May every day be filled with such moments!