The happiness workout
It’s the number-one feeling we all want – happiness. But, how do we get it? One possible answer: a happiness workout.
As people get older, health and wellbeing becomes a much greater focus. While this usually involves physical activities, such as going to the gym or a swim at the local pool, it doesn’t often involve the same discipline in practisingmindfulness. However, if we applied the same dedication of cultivating healthy bodies to cultivating happiness, we’d all be better off for it.
While depression and anxiety can be a common ailment for people of all ages, it’s been found to impact a wider percentage of older Australians, according to the Department of Health. The good news is that depression isn’t a part of ageing and it comes back to the thoughts and feelings you can cultivate each day to help put you in a good mood.
Positive psychology researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky described happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive wellbeing, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful and worthwhile”. By putting a definition on it, happiness instantly becomes something that can be cultivated by anyone. Why practice it? Well, in addition to making you feel good, it’s great for your health, relationships, mental wellbeing and ultimately longevity. Research has also shown that happy people are more generous with others and can cope better in stressful situations.
Everyone loves talking about happiness, specifically how to get it. Researchers around the world are always trying to explore different ways of how people can achieve happiness. Stanford University says one way to achieve it is to focus on boosting the happiness of others while another study suggested seven minutes of exercise could be enough to boost your happiness levels. One thing researchers all agree on, however, is that it’s all up to a person’s perception of life. The better this is, the better you feel!
Dr Tim Sharp, the founder of The Happiness Institute and author of the recently released Live Happier, Live Longer: Your Guide to Positive Ageing and Making the Most of Life, says it’s just as important to regularly engage in certain practices to keep our happiness levels in good order as it is to regularly exercise our bodies – another great way to reduce stress and enhance your mood.
“At The Happiness Institute, we’ve said for years now that enjoying happiness requires nothing more than practising a few simple disciplines each and every day,” he explains. “Happy people tend to engage in more happy or positive habits. If more people approached their happiness like this, as something they could create and maintain via diligence and work (rather than waiting for it to just happen) then more people would be happy.”
Ultimately, happiness is something a person can choose and boils down to you and how you choose to perceive the world and your place in it.
Six things to do in your happiness workout
Follow our happiness workout to help take you from blue to blissful in six easy steps.
Think happy thoughts. In a downward spiral? Stop those negative thoughts in their tracks and find a positive angle on the situation. Negativity saps your energy. Learn to stay calm and let the small things go. (And remember, most things are small at the end of the day.)
Exploit your personal strengths. Just like a personal trainer comes up with a program for a client at the gym, devise a plan to make the most of your talents. You’re great at yoga, love to garden and cook like a Michelin-starred chef? Then make a list of achievable goals built around your best skills.
Build and maintain quality relationships. Research shows that almost everybody feels happier when they’re around others. Even smiling at someone in the street or saying thank you to the bus driver will do wonders for your mood.
Start a gratitude journal. Spend time each day writing down what makes you smile. It doesn’t matter how small or silly it seems, it will help give your brain a boost.
Get moving. Improving your physical health raises your energy levels and releases endorphins.
Fake your way to a smile. Even if you’re not convinced, pretend you are in fact happy and act that way. Studies show that merely acting happy can bring on the real thing.