Seven tips for making yourself happier IN THE NEXT HOUR

contributed by: Michael Boase

What Day is Today, does it Matter? : Seven tips for making yourself happier in the next hour.

You really can make yourself happier ~ and this doesn’t have to be a long-term goal or ambition.  You can (should, MUST) startright now.  In the next hour, check off as many of the following items as possible.  Each of these accomplishments will lift your emotions, your positive mood, as will the mere fact that you’ve tackled and achieved some concrete goals.
1. Boost your energy: stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better; take a brisk ten-minute walk outside in the fresh air.  Research shows that when people move, their metabolism increases, and the activity and the sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information.  Plus, because of “emotional contagion,” if you act energetically, you will help the people around you feel energetic, too.

2. Reach out to friends: make a lunch date or send an email to a friend you haven’t seen in a while.  Having warm, close bonds with other people is one of the keys to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch.  Somewhat surprisingly, it turns out that socialising boosts the positive emotional moods not only of extroverts, but also of introverts.

3. Rid yourself of a nagging task: answer a difficult email, purchase something you need, or call to make that dentist’s appointment.  Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and cheer you up, and you’ll be surprised that you have been just procrastinating for too long.

4. Create a calmer environment: clear some physical and mental space around your desk, work area or even at home, by sorting papers, pitching junk, stowing supplies, sending out quick responses, filing, even just making your piles neater or creating your own space at home, your own physical comfort zone.  A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work or effort can make a sizeable dent.  Try to get in to the habit of using the “one minute rule” ~ i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute.  An uncluttered environment and mind will contribute to a more serene emotional mood.

5. Lay the groundwork for some future fun: order a book you’ve been wanting to read (not something you think you should read) or plan a weekend excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theatre ~ whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is a very important aspect of that pleasure.  Try to involve friends or family, as well; people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.

6. Do a good deed: make an email introduction of two people who could help each other, or set up a blind date (or not hahaha), or send someone a piece of useful information or gratifying praise.  Do good, feel good ~ it really does work.  Also, although we often believe that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act.  When you act in a friendly way, you’ll strengthen your feelings of friendliness for and towards other people.

7. Act happy: put a smile on your face right now, and keep smiling.  Research shows that even an artificially induced smile has a positive influence on your emotions ~ it turns out that just going through the motion of appearing happy can brighten your mood and lift your emotions.  Why?  Because to have thought, you have a sense of the happiness you want and need to feel and having a ‘happiness focus’ brings happiness in itself.  And if you’re smiling, other people will perceive you as being friendlier and more approachable.

Some people worry that wanting to be happier is a selfish goal.  On the contrary, studies show that happier people are more sociable, likeable, healthy, and productive ~ and they’re more inclined to help other people.  So in working to boost your own happiness, you’re benefiting others as well.

Feel happier yet?

Emotional Happiness ~ Recognise and Name Your Happy Emotions

Although many happy emotions arise spontaneously, part of the experience is the realisation that we feel them.  When you are joyful, you are aware that you are joyful in and at that moment.  Since consciousness of joy is part of the experience, it stands to reason that the more we tune in to the joy in our lives, the more of it we may feel.  Did you know that we can attract things into our lives just by focusing on them?

Although we have plenty of words to describe happy emotions, our brains (adult or child) tend to spend more time thinking about problems and negative states than positive ones.  We need to find the problem and fix it.  How often have you heard that admitting the problem is half the solution?  We human beings are creatures of habit.  Once we think in certain ways over and over again, our brains develop special pathways that make it easier to think that way again.  When we spend a lot of time looking for problems, the brain pathways that look for emotional happiness gets rusty and it becomes harder to navigate.

When I heard, as a child, that our brain cells were constantly dying if we didn’t think about something for a long time, I resolved to protect myself by periodically thinking about something I didn’t usually pay much attention to.  To this day, the thought of slimy frogs still comes to mind once in a while ~ just to keep the slimy frog neural net alive. Here are five motivational tips for using these words to increase your emotional happiness:

1. Pick one word and spend a whole day looking for that emotion in yourself and others. Notice who has it, who doesn’t or where you see more or less of it that day.

1. Spend some time brainstorming more happy words and add to the list. I have found that most people feel happier just by reading the list of happy words.

1. Pick your top ten positive emotional words. Again, the time you spend thinking about and evaluating happy words will tend to focus your attention on the happiness around you.

1. Write one or two of the words on a piece of paper, or make a poster. Post it somewhere you see frequently like the bathroom mirror, your computer monitor, or the dashboard of your car.  This is also called goal or mind mapping especially if you plot on the poster routes towards goals or happiness events/results.

1. Write each word on a card and pull one at random when you need a little boost.Then spend a moment thinking about whether that emotion applies to you now or could apply to you now.

120 Words for Emotional Happiness ~ Can you think of more?

Exhilarated	Celebrate	Accomplished	Pleased
Expectation	Cheerful	Adoring	Pleasure
Exultant	Climax	Advantageous	Polite
Fascinated	Compassionate	Affectionate	Positive
Fair	Competent	Agreeable	Proud
Faithful	Content	Amazing	Rapt
Fantastic	Contentment	Amorous	Relish
Favor	Delight	Amused	Satisfied
Favorable	Eager	Amusement	Serene
Fervent	Ebullient	Animated	Skilled
Festive	Ecstasy	Anticipation	Spell bound
Fine	Elated	Appreciative	Spiffy
Forgiving	Energised	Ardent	Sunny
Fulfilled	Engaged	Astonishing	Sunshine
Fun	Engrossed	Attracted	Superb
Glad	Enjoyment	Awestruck	Talented
Gorgeous	Enthralled	Beautiful	Tender
Grateful	Enthusiastic	Beneficial	Thankful
Gratified	Euphoric	Blissful	Thrilled
Great	Exalted	Breathtaking	Tickled
Groovy	Excellent	Brilliant	Triumphant
Gusto	Excited	Captivated	Virtuous
Merry	Helpful	Joyful	Well-mannered
Mesmerised	High	Joyous	Whole-Hearted
Nice	Hopeful	Jubilant	Wonderful
Noble	In high spirits	Keen	Worthy
Happy	Interested	Kind	Peak
Occupied	Involved	Lovely	Zealous
Optimistic	Jolly	Loving	Zest
Orgasm	Jovial	Magnificent	Joy

Think of these words often, notice how often they describe how you feel at that moment, and watch your spirits soar.

Now, make a habit of thinking of more positive and happy words/phrases through frequent self-examination during the day and night and write them down

Roland Gilbert

With over 20 successful years in corporate America, Roland Gilbert is now living his passion through helping others find and live theirs! Roland is a personal coach working with a wide range of clients’ issues through helping them change their thoughts and actions about their worlds – both personally and professionally.

Roland works one-on-one – via phone and face-to-face – and with MasterMind Groups. Through Couples Coaching Roland helps clients communicate better, find the love they want, and create relationships of significance.

Contact Roland at 800-974-3692 or rgilbert@perennialgrowth.com  to determine if coaching is right for you. www.perennialgrowth.com