What if I told you that happiness is a choice? Did you know that happiness is actually a state of mind that we can control?
Happiness is directly related to your health. Depression and anxiety are correlated with several diseases including arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Not to mention being sad or worried all the time. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, depression affects one in ten US American adults. I personally think that the statistic is much higher. Allow me to help you get happy!
Take your gratitude pill
In my opinion, gratitude is a medicine. Why? It has the ability to alleviate the drama in my life. When life throws me several curve balls, my secret to staying happy is being grateful. It has become my habit to stop, breath, stretch, and think about what I am thankful for. I am grateful for my husband, church, family, friends, health, home, career, Strabucks, and much more. It has become my medicine. Once I take a dose, life’s curve balls don’t seem so bad. So don’t forget to take your pill.
Stop and smell the Starbucks
As Americans, we fly though life at excessive speeds trying to get everything done. We have these profound moments every day where we experience moments of happiness – your boss gives you a genuine compliment, someone tells you “I love you”, you get to enjoy your favorite dessert, you have an inspirational conversation with a friend, and the list goes on. The problem is that we move through life so fast that we don’t take the time to fully experience these moments of happiness. We’re often in a different place in our minds, whether it be the next task on our to-do list, responding to a message on our phone or dwelling on the last conversation we had. What if we stopped and smelled the Starbucks? I wonder if we would smile more? I wonder if our relationships would be deeper? Try it. Stop and smell the Starbucks.
Smile about the future
Last Friday, my husband was having a challenging day. Later he told me that he was able to get through the day, keeping a smile on his face by thinking about our nephew’s facial expressions when we surprised them by taking them to the Monster Truck show later that evening. When you begin to feel overwhelmed and stressed with all that is on your plate, begin to think about something in your future that you are looking forward to, maybe it’s a vacation, date night, favorite TV program, dinner with a friend, church service, etc.
“Cognitive psychotherapy has shown that a positive outlook of oneself, the world, and the future leads to much lower likelihoods of depression.” – Michael Geraci MA, Licensed Professional Counselor
What simple pleasures in life bring a smile to your face?