Small changes in our day to day can achieve big positive changes in our lives.
If many times we approach a new year as a challenge, this 2021, after the very complicated, to use a mild term, 2020, we are eager to “start again.” As if this return to the start were a new opportunity to forget and make amends for everything that has happened to us , we started the year wanting to start from scratch. And if perhaps, last year’s resolutions have been a failure, this year you have a new opportunity to allow yourself to be happy. From GrupoLaberinto, a psychotherapy center, they propose 20 habits with which to start (and continue) 2021 on the right foot. Or at least what is in our hands:
- Live in the present:Obsessing over the past or the future, both out of your control, is one of the main causes of anxiety and anguish. Enjoying what you live “here and now” is essential to feel satisfied with your life and therefore, be happy.
- Happiness is in you:Something very common and very wrong is to believe that other people are responsible for our happiness. It is important that learning to be happy independently, other people (family, friends, partner …) are complements of your happiness, not its origin.
3. Set goals: In this way you will be more aware of your achievements. Set realistic goals and do not saturate yourself, the purpose is to see results, not to collapse. Each goal set and exceeded is one step closer to happiness.
- Exercise:Scientifically, physical activity produces proteins and endorphins that make us feel happy, and if we add to this the improvement of the image, we have a bomb of happiness at our fingertips. You can start small with a few minutes a day, and increase as time passes and according to your needs.
- Sleep more:Sleep helps the body to recover, makes us more productive and positive. Getting adequate rest decreases our sensitivity to negative emotions, which will bring benefits to your mental health and happiness.
- Go outdoors:Take a walk, feel the fresh air on your skin and see the light of day, it will make you feel refreshed and rested. Just 20 minutes a day can bring big improvements in your mood and help you face the day and the week ahead with a better attitude.
- Volunteer:Acts of kindness are rewarding. No matter how small the help, feeling that we are supportive of a cause gives us a purpose, makes us feel part of a community and improves our personal image, making us feel as a consequence: happiness.
- Smile:Laughing not only appears to be happy, but also causes it, reducing stress and increasing endorphins. The body is not able to distinguish between a fake or a real laugh, so you can start by forcing yourself a few minutes a day, until you get a real smile.
- Meditate:Meditation is a way to clear the mind and calm thoughts, so it helps to maintain a clear vision of our goals. A few minutes a day can help you cease doubts and maintain a good attitude.
- Give thanks: Give thanks, from the heart. Being aware of everything that has to be appreciated generates emotional benefits and increases levels of personal satisfaction.
- Connect with what makes you happy:Routine and age are sometimes the reason why we believe that certain activities are not made for us. Forget all this and find something that amuses you and makes you happy.
- Look for something new every day:Being more observant, and noticing the small details that often go unnoticed, is a good way to live in the present. The known brings less and less satisfaction, besides that you will surely find something that before seemed insignificant and that now gives you happiness.
- Disconnect from problems:Doing activities that you enjoy and that require a high degree of concentration are ideal to forget our problems for a period of time, and thus give our minds a much-needed rest.
- Put yourself first: Weneed to balance our agenda. No matter how busy you are, at some point in the week there should be a space, exclusively for you.
- Build your social network:No, we are not talking about those social networks. We talk about meeting people, meeting friends or family who are really there for you. Socializing has infinite benefits, and doing it behind a screen does not give you them.
- Learn from experiences: Youhave to live experiences in the present. If we pay more attention to building memories, and less to objects and pessimism, you will achieve notable improvements in your mood.
- Stop pessimism: Youhave to be able to see the “glass half full” and try to find the positive side of each situation, whether good or bad. We must bear in mind that in the end, everything we experience leaves us learning.
- Redefine your values: Youhave to get away from everything that causes us anxiety or stress, and that we justify with the fact that they are obligations. Sorting your priorities will help you decide if what makes you unhappy is worth pursuing in your life.
- Avoid comparisons:Comparing yourself to another person will not bring you anything positive. You have to keep in mind that each person has their own and different story, which has nothing to do with yours. The only story that matters for your happiness is the one you live.
- Forgive:The only way to leave the past behind is with forgiveness. The weight of grudges prevents you from moving forward on your path to happiness, so your first task is to reflect on what has hurt you, in order to start the process of forgiveness. It’s tough, but taking the weight off your shoulders will be worth it.
