Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Omar Eduardo.
During my Junior year in college, I started to take a real interest in learning about happiness and the differences between those who seemed to have abundance of it vs. those who seemed to lack it. What intrigued me was the disparity between these groups. Some people seemed to have everything they ever wished for, yet were unhappy, while others seemed to be happy even when not having much.
There are three simple things I tried out during this time that have made a drastic difference in my approach to life. Not only have these changes altered the way I think about life, they have made a great difference in how others perceive me and how often they approach me for a conversation or even advice.
Be aware of these during your day; they will positively impact you and those around you. These are simple, and sort of logical, but require practice and discipline to really keep it and enjoy the powerful benefits they have.
1. Smile. Keeping a smiling face during my day-to-day life has allowed me to feel better about myself. Did you know that, according to scientific research, when you force a smile on your face, a genuine-looking one, your brain reads your face and goes: “Oh my god, you’re smiling, you must be happy!” and goes into parade mode and lifts your moods. Really, don’t just half-smile, genuinely smile. And if you feel silly forcing it, even better, just go ahead and laugh out loud at your silliness. It will do wonders for you.
2. Work on your thoughts. What is going on in your head is more important than anything that is going on around you. Every time you start a task doubting that you will be able to succeed at it, you have defeated yourself before you even started. Limitations and problems are usually only in our head, stop them. If you don’t know how to finish something, seek advice from an expert, don’t give up.
Not only work on limiting thoughts, also work on any negative thoughts. Your final goal should be to only have positive thoughts. It doesn’t mean to be aloof to reality, but what it means is that instead of focusing only negative aspects of something, you will think about those negative things and look at the silver lining. Ask yourself: ‘how can I improve this situation?’
3. Strive for overall health. Exercise and diet are essential to a healthy living, and translate into further happiness for you. What you put in your mouth will affect you at every level possible. Our bodies were not designed for a sedentary life. Our ancestors used to walk several miles a day on average, and our bodies really crave that movement. Get over your sedentary life and start moving. After a few weeks of active exercise you will notice how you start needing the workout more and more.
Go ahead and indulge your body in a good workout. At the very least, get a pedometer for ~$20 from Amazon.com and see how many steps you take in a day. You’ll be amazed. For people who do not “workout” to not have what is considered a sedentary life, you should be taking 10,000 steps a day. That’s right, ten thousand. Either inject some rigorous exercise on your daily routine, or get that pedometer and take a walk around the neighborhood to get those steps in.
How to Make Simple Changes
Stop waiting for the perfect moment – start today.
There are many, many diets and exercise plans that promise to make you feel energized and better. There are so many you could probably try a different one every week for the rest of your life. The problem is, many people want to pick the single BEST diet & exercise program out there before they start doing anything. Don’t! Stop it. Go ahead, research for 10-15 minutes, and choose a good exercise program for you to start. Then, start today! You can make adjustments and keep researching every day for the single best program, but if you don’t start moving your body starting NOW, you never will.
Make small adjustments.
Also, if you don’t know what’s the best diet program for you, don’t worry. Most people can feel an amazing difference by substituting coffee with tea, coke with water or freshly squeezed juice (not heavily processed), and increasing the vegetable portions in their meals. Reduce the amount of fatty and sugary foods in your meal and instead eat more fruits and veggies. Try not to mess it up by adding a fatty dressing to it, there are some really good and healthy dressings that you should consider, a little oil and vinegar being simple and good enough. You can add some fruits for dessert, and you’re golden. Most people would be surprised at how much healthier they can eat and still feel satisfied (not full, satisfied) after they add a larger portion of greens and fruits to their meals.
So everyone, let’s start today to smile, strive to think positively 24/7, eat healthier, and exercise even if it’s only 15 minutes a day. The powerful effect these relatively simple steps have in your mood and in how you experience each day are magnificent, and you shouldn’t miss out. Let’s try to keep the excuses down to ZERO, nada, when it comes down to living a healthier & happier life. I look forward to your happiness & success!
To read more from Omar, head over to his blog and subscribe to his RSS feed.
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Excellent post… you are absolutely right, this works and best of all it doesn't cost a penny!
Thanks for the article Omar. I think you nailed point number 2 exactly. With regards to healthy eating/exercise, I think one of the overlooked points about this is that if we are eating healthy and good shape, it just takes a load off our mind, which supports point number 2.
What I mean is, I really don't have to worry about a lot health issues or guilt issues because I am sort of strict about working out and eating, but people who neglect this may be distracted and not able to put their mental energy to good use as often.
Thank you, Sue. That's very true, these tips are possible for anyone to follow, they just require some self-discipline! :)
That's an excellent point, Jarred. Healthy eating and exercise are definitely a great way to make point number 2, working on your thoughts, easier. I also find that getting a good workout and eating healthy regularly definitely allows me to clear up my mind and makes it easier for me to focus on positive feelings and thoughts.
Thank you! :)
I think a lot of people want to be happier. The one thing I would add is to stress less. So many people worry about things that they cannot change – which is pointless.
Definitely, there is a very powerful effect that comes from learning where to focus your energy, and that would allow us to stress less and solve more of our problems. Thank you, Tom. :)
Omar,
What I love about your post is the simplicity of it. Most people over-complicate happiness. The smile is one of the most powerful, yet simple mechanisms we have at our disposal. Yet, we try to find so many things outside of ourselves. I look forward to checking out your blog.
Consistent small adjustments is key. Even a simple smile changes your brain chemistry, releases endorphins, conditions you towards happiness and well-being. Excellent, excellent advice Omar!
I completely agree, simple steps can go a long way. Thank you, Srinivas!
Thank you for the extra information, Steven! Smiling is definitely an easy and powerful approach to improving your mood and reaching that happier state.