Henry David Thoreau writes "Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder."



It's easy to think of happiness as a result, but happiness is also a driver. The best way to be more productive is to just be happier. Happy people accomplish more.

Here are four ways to be happy:

1. Excercising Your Body Makes You Happy


Think exercise is something you don't have time for? Think again, you don't need all that time. A seven minute workout routine is more than enough. That's a workout any of us can fit into our busy schedules.

Exercise has such a wonderful effect on our happiness and well-being that it is an effective strategy for overcoming depression.

You don't have to be depressed to benefit from exercise, though. Exercise can help you relax, increase your brain power, and even improve your body image, even if you don't lose any weight.

So true: Even if your actual appearance doesn't change, how you feel about your body does change.

2. Get Enough Sleep: You'll Be Less Sensitive to Negative Emotions


We all know that sleep helps our body recover from the day and repair itself and that it helps us focus and be more productive.

It turns out sleep is also important for happiness. Medically, at least eight hours of sleep is needed at minimum

3. Meditate: Rewire Your Brain for Happiness


Meditation is often touted as an important habit for improving focus, clarity, and attention span, as well as helping to keep you calm. It turns out it's also useful for improving your happiness.

Meditation literally clears your mind and calms you down, it's been often proven to be the single most effective way to live a happier life. According to psychologists, meditation can actually make you happier long-term.

Studies show that in the minutes right after meditating, we experience feelings of calm and contentment, as well as heightened awareness and empathy.

And, research even shows that regular meditation can permanently rewire the brain to raise levels of happiness.

The fact that we can actually alter our brain structure through mediation is most surprising to me and somewhat reassuring that however we feel and think today isn't permanent.

4. Get Outside More

Psychologists recommend spending time in the fresh air and sunny outdoors to improve your happiness:

Making time to go outside on a nice day also delivers a huge advantage; one study found that spending 20 minutes outside in good weather not only boosted positive mood, but broadened thinking and improved working memory...

This is pretty good news for those of us who are worried about fitting new habits into our already-busy schedules.

Twenty minutes is a short enough time to spend outside that you could fit it into your walk to work or even your lunch break.

It also found that happiness is maximized at 57 degrees (13.9°C), so keep an eye on the weather forecast before heading outside for your 20 minutes of fresh air.

How happy are you―really? If there’s room for improvement, try one of these suggestions and use it to start your own Happiness Project. I promise it won’t take you a whole year.

http://www.healththismoment.com/2017/12/the-four-proven-ways-to-be-happy.html?m=1

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