Last week we went through a couple of my fav happiness hacks that I learnt from Ekhart Tolle and Dean Graziosi and I got so much feedback on this (if you missed it, hit reply and let me know so I can send it) that I decided to do another week of happiness hacks! 😀
So, here are some more simple ways to boost your mood and increase your happiness…
- Smile – One of the easiest things to try when you’re feeling low is to simply just smile. Smiling triggers your neurotransmitters that release your ‘happy hormones’ dopamine and serotonin. So I guess we can think of it as a natural anti-depressant! And bonus, it’s scientifically proven that smiling is contagious, so spread the happiness!
- Dance – Obviously this is one of my favs and most fun ways to boost my mood. Being a professional dancer and dancing since I could walk, I can’t remember a time that I was simultaneously dancing and upset. Yes, in low times I’ve used it as a form of expressive therapy and literally danced my worries away. But you don’t need to be a professional dancer to use this as therapy! Everyone can dance – even with two left feet – and doing this not only stimulates us physically and emotionally but there are cognitive and social benefits too. PLUS, you’re exercising which releases proteins and endorphins that make you feel happier. So put on your dancin’ shoes!
- Get your nature fix – Connecting with nature is an extremely important part of human well-being and maintaining positive mental and physical health. Being exposed to nature and the sounds of it not only lowers stress levels through a number of ways but it also changes our brain state back to what you could call our natural state or what scientist like to call the ‘default mode network’ (or DMN). To give a brief explanation, DMN is a complex circuit of communication between parts of the brain and is essential to mental processes that develop our understanding of human behaviour and helps us realise our identities- Deep! I could go on forever about the benefits of nature and how vital it is for optimal health, but maybe this is a topic for another newsletter. It doesn’t matter if you only have a few minutes – You can simply boost your mood by putting your feet on the grass or turning to face the sun (PS sunlight and the bacteria in soil also boost your serotonin levels) – a few hours to maybe enjoy a picnic or a full day to go on a hike! After all, we evolved in nature and we’ve only lived indoors for a tiny fraction of our existence, it seems strange to be so disconnected! Don’t you think?
Notice none of these are material based or cost a cent? Yep, it’s true what they say, money can’t buy you happiness – It’s really a choice you make. So instead of a little retail therapy next time you’re feeling down, try these simple happiness hacks above or one of last week’s hacks of gratitude and being present and see how that works 🙂
Ahh the simple things in life, now I’m off to take my dog for a walk!
Have a beautiful week!