Stay happy and positive-Ten daily exercises

[megha]

Ask yourself in the moment"Are you happy".If it takes more than a while to say yes,there are probably things running at the back of your mind,things which are not under your control and create a moment of angst or regret. Everyone wants to break such a pattern of needless worry in their lives and rejoice in the present times but why doing all that seems so difficult at times?

Hearing from people ,and reading philosophies about the word 'Happiness',i have always discovered that happiness is not something which you can find out of reading a book or taking a class,Unfortunately there is no formula for it.But the good news is that if you find yourself a gloomy person often,you can always practice it.Yes,it is just like an exercise which can be performed daily to help change your approach towards life.
Every individual is different from the other,in terms of needs and perception,but the needs of all of us center around a common axis.The axis of"Love,power and money".These things may very well provide a temporary,and short lived happiness but the permanent solution for happiness resides within your ownself.

"There is no criteria to be happy.A poor man can be the happiest person on earth,because his needs are limited to square-meal a day.On the other hand a wealthy man may still feel unhappy because he has money but no time to eat all that he works for!"

So happiness is just a state of mind,which can be acquired by a positive attitude towards life and can be practiced each day.

Here's a simple exercise of ten steps to perform everyday that will bring positivity and exuberance to your mind.

Love Yourself
The first step to stay happy is loving yourself and your body.No matter what you do,You are never going to feel nice with those unkempt hair and shabby outlook.Stick to the saying"When you look good,you feel good".Believe me you actually do!

Do activities that you love
Most of us have jobs that we don't like and obviously a boss that we hate.But it is very important to do activities that you love to do.Even if it is talking on phone,dancing or playing a game of Pacman on pc.Make time for activities that you enjoy doing,for a minimum of half an hour,during the day.

Prioritize your life
Take out a piece of paper,and write in order about your priorities in life.We all must know what is the most important thing in our life,which we cannot do without.Then analyze,are you working on the priorities of your life correctly,else chalk out a plan on how you need to work towards them.Knowing you are doing justice to your priorities will always keep you satisfied and happy.

Share your feelings
Let it out!Loved ones and friends hold an important place in our lives.After a hectic day,talk to them about your entire day,good or bad,and seek for solutions if required.

Writing technique
In moods of frustration and depression,try the technique of writing everything in a letter.Express the deepest of feelings,and you will see that at the end of the letter,you have already started feeling better.

Engage in a physical activity
A routine physical activity helps in maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle.Exercise reduces stress hormones and increases endorphins,chemicals that improve your state of mind.

Hold on to a Positive thought during difficult times
During bad situations/circumstances,think about even worse situations that could have happened to you.
One of my friend talks about a brawl her husband got into with one of his colleagues,which got so dirty that the trouble maker colleague turned with a gun at their apartment that evening.The situation was controlled with the police intervene at the right time.But eventually both of them lost their jobs.During those recession times,it was a blow to lose a job,but she always said that job would return sometime again but the husband would never have.
A moment of positive thought can change the whole perception of what we call a bad situation!

Fight the Demon inside you-Negativity
Negativity in any form,people or thoughts is the reason of sadness in life.Stay away from people who are cynical and always talk bout negative aspects of theirs or others life.Also,your own negative thoughts can be a major reason for the negative things happening in your life.I still remember watching a Duck-tales episode where the right side of Donald's brain is occupied by an "angel,a white little Donald with wings",who always motivated him to do the right things and the other side occupied by a "black demon",who urged him to do all the bad things in life.
Fight your negative thoughts by deciding that you have to defeat that black demon inside,which tries to control your mind and ruin your life.

The Joy of giving
When you do something genuinely good for others,particularly the ones in need,the feeling is exhilarating.Try doing something for others selflessly everyday.Doing a small thing such as feeding a stray animal or donating old clothes to the needy,will give immense joy and satisfaction,as never felt before.

Always Thank God for the things you have
Think about people who don't have what you have and who are less fortunate than you are.Thank god for everything,and for whatever he has blessed you with.

and lastly keep saying to yourself,"I am a happy person",as i said happiness is a state of mind,you can be happy only if you think you are happy.

[Vidya Prabhakar CB]

Nice tips, Megha!

[megha]

thanks Vidya,glad you liked it!

[VinayDBhagat]

Thanks a lot for posting such nice thoughts about becoming happy :-)
Being alive, in good health, and being able to do small little things makes you happy means happiness :-)

[megha]

Thanks a lot for posting such nice thoughts about becoming happy :-)
Being alive, in good health, and being able to do small little things makes you happy means happiness :-)

thaxx fr the response vinay.appreciate it..

[hsmiths]

In today's fast paced world, where everything seems to come and go in a jiffy, happiness is no exception... It is true that happiness is subjective, and a state of mind... What makes me happy today, need not make someone else happy. And what makes me happy today, need not make me happy tomorrow... In this context, it is great to read your post on the broad mantras to happiness and joy.. Thanks for this!

[Aditi]

Great tips Megha...enjoyed reading them

[lovetowrite]

It takes time and effort to stay happy and positive! Cool tips, Megha

[jayashree]

good ones...Megha

[nayakramya]

Great advice Meghna. Being happy really is so simple... and yet so rare!!

When I was young we had a prayer in school that went like this...
Thank you God for the world so sweet, Thank you God for the food we eat.
Thank you God for the birds that sing, thank you God for everything.

This prayer is taught in schools even now...I hope the kids are also taught to realise what each word means!!