Tips for Staying Happy and Stress Free
2019 Is The Year Of Happy
Have you spent a lot of 2018 wishing that you were happier with your life and less stressed? A lot of the time, we take our happiness cues from the outside, especially ones that other people can see. And if we don’t meet these standards or ideals, we can quickly feel that happiness is out of reach. Rather than putting your ideals of happiness onto other people or in material things, it’s super important to recognize that true happiness has to come from within you. Ready to start finding your happy in 2019? Here are some tips for being happier and less stressed in the year ahead.
Tips for Finding Your Happy, Stress Free Place
Move away from negative thinking
If negative thinking is a problem for you, it’s definitely something you’ll want to change in 2019 to achieve your year of happy. Negative thinking can be a vicious cycle that leads to a lot of stress, anxiety and depression. Breaking this cycle is one of the best things you can do for living a happy and stress-free life.
Be Present
Being in the present moment is super important for stopping negative thinking in its tracks. It helps to put some distance between yourself and the things that trigger your negative thoughts. It forces your mind to become aware of negative thoughts and take a step back from them so that they lose their power.
Reframe Your Thinking
Reframing your thinking is also a good goal for promoting a happy, stress free life. Do you always tend to think negatively about situations? It can be a big challenge to flip this around and see the positive side of things instead. Start trying to put a positive slant on situations that would normally cause you stress and bring your mood down.
For 2019, aim to reframe your thinking at least once a day. Over time, you’ll train your mind to look for the positives and encourage different thought patterns.
Immerse yourself in authentic experiences
Linking your happiness to outside factors often fails to achieve the happiness you were hoping for. Instead of setting goals relating to money, status and other things that you think will make you more satisfied with your life, swap them for authentic experiences that make you feel genuinely happy. Focusing on things like your hobbies and friendships can help you to feel emotions such as joy, contentment and relaxation.
This has been backed up by a study carried out by a psychology professor at Cornell University. He set out to see whether spending money or having experiences ultimately made people happier. The end result? Experiences had the power to increase happiness, partly due to the fact that we tend to experience them with other people. This gives them more meaning and makes them more memorable.
I know this is true. When talking with my kids, it’s always the vacations they remember, not the Christmas and birthday presents!
Practice Self-acceptance
In a 2014 study that looked at “happiness habits”, self-acceptance was one of the habits that was deemed most likely to lead to genuine happiness. We’re often a lot kinder to other people than we are to ourselves. If this is true for you, it’s time to change this.
Being kind to yourself is one of the best things you can do to make 2019 the year of happy but it can be difficult to achieve, especially if you’re used to being negative about yourself.
If you feel you’re not good enough, you’re more likely to look outside of yourself for happiness. If you’re setting intentions around happiness in the New Year, it’s hugely important to work on self-acceptance first and commit to self-love in 2019.
Show compassion and gratitude
As you may know, gratitude and random acts of kindness have both been shown to improve happiness and life satisfaction. One of the reasons for this is the fact that it helps you to feel better about yourself.
Being thankful can have a major impact on your wellbeing and studies have linked keeping a gratitude diary to optimism, improvements in mood and better physical health. Having a more positive outlook on life can help to reduce stress and cut back on negative thinking, which makes gratitude a very underrated way to feel happier about life.
A gratitude diary isn’t the only way to feel more thankful. A few ways that you can practice gratitude can include sending heartfelt and handwritten notes to people who have made a positive difference to your life, taking a walk in nature and feeling grateful for the natural world around you, and reflecting at mealtimes on the work involved in getting food onto your plate.
Research has repeatedly linked kindness to feeling happier. One theory for this involves the production and release of neurochemicals that create a “high” … not that dissimilar to a chemical “high”! It also encourages your brain to release oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone”.
References:
https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/want-happiness-buy-experiences-not-more-stuff
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-mindful-self-express/201511/how-gratitude-leads-happier-life
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/emotional-nourishment/201711/why-random-acts-kindness-matter-your-wellbeing
In Health & Happiness
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND
Naturopathic Doctor Focusing on Anti-aging and Hormone Optimization
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND is a Board-certified Naturopathic Doctor and leading authority on Anti-Aging & Bio-Identical Hormones. Dr. Clapp, ND has taken numerous courses to advance her knowledge and has received certifications in Intravenous Nutrient Therapy, Mesotherapy & Injection Therapy for Anti-Aging & Pain Management, as well as First Line Therapy Weight Management.
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND uses specialized, leading-edge laboratory testing for better diagnostics & health. Dr. Tara Clapp, ND has special interests in anti-aging, bio-identical hormone therapy, food and nutrition, metabolic and hormone imbalances and digestive disorders.
Being a naturopathic doctor has proven to be an especially rewarding experience to Dr. Tara Clapp, ND as it allows her to take part in people’s transformation and realization of their health potential. Consequently, Dr. Tara Clapp, ND continually updates her skills through new courses and conferences, and uses this information to better her clients.
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND is a dedicated and caring physician, taking personal interest in her clients’ health and life.
Dr. Tara Clapp, ND has a passion for self-development programs that push her beyond regular physical and mental performance. Dr. Tara Clapp, ND enjoys practicing yoga and meditation, has a love of photography, and relaxes by scrapbooking and enjoying long walks with her dog.
