The pursuit of happy-ness

These days when I catch up with my old friends, they all complain of panic attacks, vertigo attacks and anxiety. They get anxious about office work, promotions, finances, relationships, marriage, kids and everything under the sun.  While I know most of them from ages, this new fad of being anxious, having palpitations and being perpetually worried gets me thinking as to what’s wrong with the people of my age? What is the stress? What can make their lives stress-free and happier?  

And then I came across a study that theorized that while 60 percent of happiness is determined by our genetics and environment, the remaining 40 percent is up to us. It also listed down few things that supremely happy people do.  And, I am more than happy to share it, hoping to help my anxious, stressed and ageing friends.

 

Spend more time around happy people

As they say, happiness is contagious, it’s difficult to escape the effect of positive vibes in your life. Spend more time with people who uplift your mood, dump those who coax you to share your grief and most importantly, don’t look for a shoulder to cry on. Isolate yourself from the feeling of desolation.

 

Smile when you really feel like

   
Faking a smile when you have negative thoughts in your head can worsen your mood. There is not a bigger mood up-lifter than a genuine grin. When you are sad and want to get out of that feeling, just think of something nice, funny, and pleasant and smile.

Cultivate the spirit of ‘just do it’

You know what the opposite of depression is? No, it’s not happiness, it is resilience. Rise as many times as you fall and never give up. This will not only make you determined, but give you immense happiness of finally achieving something out of your grit!

Appreciate and celebrate simple things in life

Happiness is not only about achievements, it is also about connecting with the universe. Find little joys around you. A hot cup of frothy coffee. A small puppy (In this pic: Cuba) hopping around aimlessly .

Choose discussion over an argument and listen

Unblock the world and listen to what others want to say. It opens up various knowledge gates for you and lets the other person know that you are open to discussion. This is another way of showing respect to their point of view, which also tells them how positive and secure you are.

Listen to music

There is nothing more therapeutic than closing your eyes, disconnecting your mind and listening to music. The power of music is such that it is more likely to bring down anxiety levels than any sort of massage therapies.

Unplug and get spiritual

Disconnect yourself from the hyper-connected world. Give a break to social networking, take a few deep breaths and sit with your eyes closed. You need not meditate. Just try and concentrate on the energies that surround you. Some digital detox will surely keep your stress level in control.

Laugh out Loud!

‘Laughter is the best medicine.’ Ever heard of this saying? Try holding joke sessions in between your working-hours. This will not only increase your blood circulation but will keep your spirits high towards the end of the day, when most of us are quite tired, irritated and low on energy!

 

Reboot your brain and soul

Once in every 15 days, just reboot your brain. Flush out all the unpleasant thoughts by consciously calling them unimportant or immature. This will keep the bitter memories away from your mind and soul forever.

To all my friends who are reading this article, I want to tell them- “I love you all. Next time when we meet, we shall share more happiness and exchange genuine smiles.