How to Lead a Happier Life
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Original video done live on Facebook February 21, 2018
My disclaimer, I’m not a doctor, physiologist or psychiatrist---if you are dealing with depression you should seek professional help
Having a happy life is something I’ve struggled with so I will be sharing with
you what I’ve done to have a happier life that anyone can do and have a happier
life too.
My
disclaimer, I’m not a doctor, physiologist or psychiatrist---if you are dealing
with depression you should seek professional help
How does someone
become happy?
It takes a change of
behavior, perspective, and mental exertion.
It doesn’t just happen
overnight, it’s a process—below are some tools I’ve used as well as some extras which I know work
Did you know it takes
about 21 days to form a habit—why am I talking about habits---being happy is a
habit as well as being unhappy, did you know that? Toward the end of this blog are the 21 Day Happiness Challenge videos which I hope you take a look at--if you take the challenge comment below to tell me how it went
When we’re happy our
brains produce; dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and
endorphins---all of which are addictive by the way---so the more happier you
are the more you want to be happy and seek out ways subconsciously to be that
way---the brain craves these chemicals
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| http://radiagelisim.com/blog-detay/113/mutlu-kimyasallar-icimizde |
Conversely when you’re sad or depressed---higher
amounts of cortisol, a deficiency
in serotonin,
melatonin and other neurotransmitters----so
the more sad you are the more you want to be sad and seek out ways
subconsciously to be that way---the brain craves these chemicals like drugs
"The frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls important cognitive skills in humans, such as emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language, judgment, and sexual behaviors. It is, in essence, the 'control panel' of our personality and our ability to communicate" https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/frontal-lobe
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| https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/pet-scan/multimedia/-pet-scan-of-the-brain-for-depression/img-20007400 |
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| http://brainpictures.org/Depression-Brain-Pictures.php |
The
follow are the habits of being happy
1. Thankful
When
I was 22 serving a mission for my church in Indiana Indianapolis I had a
terrible case of homesickness. This was the first time I had been away from
home and family for an extended time. I spoke to my mission president
(President Floto) about my homesickness and he asked me to do something for the
next whole month. He asked me in my personal prayers to only thank Heavenly
Father and not ask for anything---for a whole month. I agreed to do what he
asked me to do. The first prayer was difficult; because I really didn’t know
what to be grateful for because I was so homesick…I didn’t think there was
anything to be grateful for….so the first prayer went…Dear Heavenly Father
thank you for the blue sky?...the second prayer was similar Dear Heavenly Father thank you for the blue
sky and the green grass?...and so it continued…I’m not sure when it happened
but my prayers became longer and there was so much to be grateful…and you know
I noticed the grass was greener, the sky was bluer and the people were
kinder…nothing changed in my exterior but what changed for me was interior and
my perspective and it was all because I was thankful
During
the 21 days they ask you
to keep a thankful journal (Walmart or dollar store cheap composition
notebook)---write down 10 things every day you’re thankful for 21 days (
2. Music
find at least 1
song/music that makes you happy and listen to it daily
Here’s my playlist—I call
it my happy songs
3. Self-Love
look in the mirror every
day and find something you like about yourself and say it out loud to yourself
Good books about this topic
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
Psycho-Cybernetics
4. Smile
look in the mirror and
smile for at least 1 minute every day. Your mind doesn't know the difference
when you're real and fake one---the same happy chemicals released when you're
smiling because you're happy are the exact same chemicals release when you’re
faking smiling
Smile, it's
free therapy.
Douglas Horton
5. Be in the now
6. Happy Thoughts
everyday think
of 5-10 things that make you really happy (real or imaged)
7. Perspective/Reframing
There’s a thing called reframing---so if it’s raining
instead of saying “oh it’s raining that’s a bumper we can’t go do what we
wanted to do today” say “wow it’s raining right now the pants will grow better
now…why don’t we do xyz instead”
So reframing is when you take a possible negative thing
and change it into a positive one instead
Change your sentences from
"I have to...." to "I get to..." for example change
"I have to go to work" to "I get to go to work"
or
"I have to change the babies diaper" to "I get to change the babies diaper"
"I have to go to work" to "I get to go to work"
or
"I have to change the babies diaper" to "I get to change the babies diaper"
8. Authenticity
be authentic to yourself
and others
9. Forgiveness
forgive yourself as well
as others
10. Laughter
just like a fake smile,
the brain doesn't know the difference between when you laugh for real or
fake. Make it a habit to laugh---find something every day to laugh at
A funny Video
This video is about
laughter yoga
The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is
laughter.
Mark Twain
Laughter is an instant vacation. Milton Berle
11. Joyful Activities
write down 5-10 activities
you find joy in---do at least one of those things every day
12. Social Interactions
write down 10 ways you can
boost your social interactions, schedule one of these ways
13. Nature
write 5-10 ways you can
better connect to nature and do one of those things every day
14. Simplicity
write down how you can
simply your life and do one of those things
15. Boundaries
decide what you will allow
in your life
16. Spontaneity
choose something that
makes you get out of your comfort zone--change your routine today
17. Contribution
commit one act of kindness once a day. When you lose yourself in service you actually find
yourself….while in Alberta I found, along with being thankful, nutrition that
service too did a lot for my happiness….my moto became look up and look out…
look up (as in out of the hole of darkness and up to God) and look out (as in
looking for people who needed service)
Only those who have learned the power of
sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true
fulfillment.
Tony Robbins
18. Nutrition
2
years after I was married to my sweet heart we moved to Alberta Canada. Again I
had a terrible case of homesickness but this time I became depressed---this
time I was gone from my family and my gram wasn’t doing well and I didn’t know
if I’d ever see her again in this life, thankfully my husband’s sister Edith
Jarvis (shout out to Eddy) noticed what was going on and she suggested that I
start taking a product that her company sold, Hardy’s nutrition….they were
vitamins that doctors have prescribed to their patients dealing with
depression, anxiety...and such…there isn’t a need for a prescription to use
them, they’re over the counter packed full of all kinds of goodness
My disclaimer, I’m not a doctor, physiologist or psychiatrist---if you are dealing with depression you should seek professional help
…I
started to take the vitamins and noticed I was feeling a lot better and my
perspective was totally changed from depression to feeling a lot better and
coping with things…I called them my happy vitamins….my husband called them his
happy vitamins too because my attitude was changing for the better and it made
our marriage better because of it
Hardy
Daily Essential Nutrients--you can contact my husband to purchase and explore these nutrients for yourself and a family member
….there
has been tons of research that have gone into these supplements by the way…on
my blog you will find a TedX video about some of the research as well as link
to order these vitamins
My
disclaimer, I’m not a doctor, phycologist or psychiatrist---if you are dealing
with depression you should seek professional help
19. Rest
Getting enough sleep makes a difference in our
perceptive…have you noticed when you don’t get enough sleep you have a harder
time/day?
20. Surround yourself
with positive people
Get rid of the toxic people in your life…you know who
they are…just stop being around them---they will suck the energy out of you
21. Exercise
“Getting your body moving for
as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain
feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses….”
Ten Habits Of Incredibly Happy People Travis Bradberry Feb 14 2017, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2017/02/14/ten-habits-of-incredibly-happy-people/#5b8140ec11ba
22. Take the time to smell the roses
Too often we’re rushing through life so
fast that we don’t take the time to appreciate the simple things in life
Recently it snow and there was ice on the
roads where I live and work so it forced me to drive slowly as well as take a
different route…I felt so relaxed when I went into work that day because I
slowed down and didn’t rush. As I slowed my driving I had the chance to enjoy
the soft snow falling, it felt like everything was going in slow motion.
23. Learn how to become resilient
When someone is resilient they’re able to bounce
back even when there’s a setback.
Here’s a great article talking about how to
become more resilient
24. Prayer/Meditation
Hymn Lyrics: Did You Think to Pray?
25. Self-Care
Hymn Lyrics: Did You Think to Pray?
1. Ere you left your room this morning, Did you think to pray? In the name of Christ, our Savior, Did you sue for loving favor As a shield today? Oh, how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day. So, when life gets dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray.
2. When your heart was filled with anger, Did you think to pray? Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another Who had crossed your way? Oh, how praying rests the weary! Prayer
will change the night to day. So, when life gets dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray.
3. When sore trials came upon you, Did you think to pray? When your soul was full of sorrow, Balm of Gilead did you borrow At the gates of day? Oh, how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day. So, when life gets dark and dreary, Don’t forget to pray.
25. Self-Care
Take time to brush your teeth, shower, wash
your face, use moisturizer, put makeup on (or at least put some lipstick on)---
I used to think it was selfish, not any more, because I know when I feel good I
can serve more, and I can deal with a lot more than if I wasn’t taking care of myself
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