I think it is safe to say that we could all use a little extra ounce of happiness in our lives’. With society becoming more and more stressful as the days go by, we often forget to take proper care of ourselves. Being well taken care of is key to being productive and successful! While I could name 100 tips to becoming happier, I’ve chosen my top five that you can seamlessly add to your day to become a happier, healthier you!
1. Give warm hellos and goodbyes.
Think about the way you typically greet people. Most likely it’s automatic and not very cheerful. Something simple you can do every day to boost your happiness is to give warm greetings and salutations. I know, it may just be someone you sit next to in your 8 a.m while feeling the onset of coffee deprivation, but research shows that making others happy will naturally increase your own happiness. Plus, I’m sure that person gains a little hope for humanity because of a nice “good morning” on a dreadful Monday.
2. Enforce a "power hour."
This is absolutely one of my favorite happiness tricks. Every once and awhile, schedule a “power hour’ into your day. This is when you take one hour and dedicate it to getting stuff done. But there’s a twist: you do things that are not at the top of your priority list but, nagging things you’ve wanted to get done forever. For example, if you have been telling yourself every week for the past six months that you're going to clean out your closet and haven’t, do that! You know that lightbulb that has been burnt out since last semester? Change it! Until you try it, you have no idea how refreshing one hour of getting things done can make you feel.
3. Think about what you did when you were 10.
This may be a challenge, but think about what you did for fun when you were in about third grade. Did you play store? pretend you were a news anchor or do crafts? The reason this might be important is because it can give you some insight into what you may enjoy doing now. As college students, we often have a hard time knowing what hobbies we have besides watching Netflix. This can also lead you in the right direction of a potential career path. For example, I lived for playing school when I was younger. I had a classroom, made worksheets and had imaginary students. Low and behold, I’m an elementary education student now and couldn’t be happier! Take a few minutes to think about yourself at age ten. This may just lead you to a new hobby.
4. Make your bed.
Okay okay, things just got less fun, I know. Making your bed is probably the least of your concern with working, classes and trying to squeeze in an evening spinning class. Despite our busy lifestyles, making your bed can create a significantly more productive day. Studies show that if you accomplish a task as soon as you wake up you, you will feel more motivated to get things done throughout your day.
5. Schedule "me time."
Ahh our favorite tip! Personally, I find scheduling “me time” to be crucial to my happiness. It can be little as 30 minutes of doing whatever you want. My perfect me time includes going to the farmer’s market early on a Saturday morning, getting coffee and taking a visit to the public library down the street. Now, I know to some people that my sound awful but it’s all about what makes you feel good, even if that includes a three hour nap! Doing something like this is especially important in college where our lives revolve around meeting deadlines and studying for exams. Now ready, set, YOU time!
