5 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Significantly Up Your Happiness Game and Well-Being
Did you know researchers determined that three primary factors affect happiness levels, and only 10% of happiness is determined by external circumstances? Genetics (50%) and intentional activities (40%) make up the primary pieces of the pie. This was a very powerful revelation for me. It suggests that intentional activities offer the most promising means to increase and sustain levels of happiness.
I became an intentional warrior about everything—thoughts/affirmations, diet, sleep, exercise, gratitude, faith, social support, vision, goals, etc. Literally everything. Cultivating happiness is a constant practice. Your daily life, ergo your state of mind, is dictated by your daily choices day in and day out. Small, consistent steps are the foot soldiers that win the crusade for hope and happiness. You have to be in it to win it.
This means living with intention and not just operating on autopilot; creating a life based on choices, not habits; and practicing the sort of person you want to be each day. Sounds simple? It is. But it's not easy. It takes commitment and intention. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Here are 5 lifestyle tweaks that can significantly up your happiness game and well-being.
1. Gratitude
The research on the benefits of gratitude is undeniable. Studies show gratitude to be associated with greater happiness, life satisfaction, joy, and self-esteem. An attitude of gratitude is also associated with reduced depression, anxiety, bitterness, and loneliness. It rewires your neural pathways for good. It’s the easiest thing to practice and the payoff is enormous.
2. Thoughts/Affirmations
Excessive and ruminating negative thoughts and emotions are literal poison to your soul and use neural pathways as their means of attack. When you subject your brain to constant negative thoughts and emotions, you actually change its physical structure—and not in a good way. Sadly, the brain can’t differentiate between actual threats and perceived threats. Losing one’s job and worrying about losing one’s job can wreak the same neural and emotional havoc. Ironically, research suggests that approximately 85% of what we worry about never happens. So, you need to guard your thoughts and internal dialogue.
Moreover, evidence-based research shows that affirmations rewire the brain on a cellular level. It makes sense, really. If crappy self-talk can adversely wire the brain, then positive affirmations can interrupt those maladaptive neuro-nets and rewire your brain for happiness. When you engage in positive affirmations, the neural magic happens. Remember how the brain can’t tell the difference between a real threat and a perceived threat? The sword cuts both ways and works to your benefit with positive affirmations. Since the mind can’t tell the difference between real and pretend, affirmations can program your mind into believing a stated concept. Ah-mazing!
3. Social Support
The Beatles were on to something with their hit “All You Need is Love.” Countless studies show that love and social support are associated with greater happiness, life satisfaction, longevity, and physical health. Moreover, a meta-analysis of studies found that lack of social connections/loneliness carries the same health risks as smoking, obesity, not exercising, and alcoholism—sobering statistics. So, grow your garden of social support…it’s one of the best investments you can make.
4. Faith.
I’m not looking to proselytize. I avoid people who do that like the plague. But there’s just no getting around the fact that studies have determined faith to be an integral and significant predictor of happiness. And by faith, I’m not talking about confidence in Tom Brady’s throwing arm or J. Lo’s unparalleled ability to twerk. I’m talking about the Big Guy (or Girl), Universe, Spirit, Supreme Being, or whomever that higher power may be to you. For me, it’s God.
By “faith,” I’m referring to spirituality in all its forms, not any type of organized religion. Spirituality is universal. The specifics may vary, but all cultures have the concept of a sacred, divine force. Spirituality acts like a lamp, a guidepost. It lights your path during life’s darkest moments and allows the joyous moments to shine even brighter. Believing in something bigger than you; being about something more than you…is where it’s at.
5. Sleep/Diet/Exercise.
Lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and sleep patterns affect your brain’s health and neuroplasticity and your happiness. If you don’t think your daily habits affect your happiness, you’re fooling yourself. You can read every self-help book, keep a gratitude journal, and meditate daily, but if the rest of your lifestyle is junk food, sugary energy drinks, alcohol, little exercise, and poor sleep habits, it’s a happiness house of cards. Life and happiness are the sum of all your choices. Choose wisely.
I would love to cultivate “happiness happening” where people become intentional and invested in daily practices to maintain their mental well-being.
In Happy AF: Simple Strategies to Get Unstuck, Bounce Back, and Live Your Best Life, we explore a whole host of strategies, all backed by research, that can help you up your happiness game. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, which is why we examined so many different strategies. Try each one on and see what works best for you. Just like any road trip, there is more than one way to get there. Have happiness habits be the norm rather than the exception. That way, the next time a storm comes (and it will), your happiness will not be easily swayed, helpless like a leaf in the wind; you’ll be firmly tethered, rooted in your happiness.
Beth Romero was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. After a thirty-year sojourn on the West Coast, she recently moved back to Philadelphia. In addition to having made her a pizza aficionado, her Italian American, East Coast background inspires the straightforward, humorous, and self-deprecating narrative style that characterizes her writing. With a background and degree in psychology, Beth channeled her creativity into a successful sales and branding career. From Veep to Boss to Happiness Junkie, persuasive storytelling is her superpower. She showcases those skills to their fullest in this practical and entertaining how-to guide for happiness.
Website: https://bethromeroauthor.com/
