Quick Hacks for More Happiness

Feeling overwhelmed, over-stimulated or just a bit over it? Pause, take a deep breath and follow these 5 feel-good hacks.

Prioritise brain health

It might sound obvious, but keeping your brain in good physical health is vital for your mental health and wellbeing. To do so you need to remember to hydrate properly, eat whole and unprocessed foods as much as possible, avoid stimulants that will interfere with sleep, get at least 7 hours of good quality slumber a night and reduce your screen time. Not only will this lessen your exposure to melatonin-inhibiting blue light (and help you sleep better) it will rebalance your natural dopamine levels and reduce the false “high” that comes from excessive screen time.

Write it down

Whether it’s good or bad, getting things down on paper is a powerful tool for wellbeing. While noting down any stresses or worries helps get them out of your head, helping you to rationalise more easily, writing down anything that’s positive or makes you happy is good too. Reminding yourself of the small but great moments in life is a good exercise in gratitude and may help you when you’re not feeling so positive.

Get some perspective

What we focus on, magnifies. And that’s true regardless of whether you’re focusing on something positive or negative. With that mind, try and give rise to the things that fulfil you and make you happy and try not to let negative thoughts or worries take hold and begin to magnify in your mind. The mind is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal, just don’t forget that you’re in control.

Start saying no

For most people, trying to please everybody is an exhausting part of daily life. Freedom comes however, when you realise that you only need to say yes to the things you know nourish you and make you feel good. In fact, saying yes to non-priorities and expending your mental (and physical) energy often means less times for your real priorities. Learning to say no if you’re a lifelong people-pleaser can take time to adjust to but once you start, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner.

Surround yourself with the right people

Choosing to spend time with people who lift you up, give you energy and make you feel good about yourself is vital for improving happiness and a sense of self-worth. If there are people in your life who drain your energy, make you question yourself or leave you feeling depleted, then avoid them. Life is too short to surround yourself with people who make you feel anything less than magic.