8 Things *I* do to Stay Happy

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One of my least favorite movies of all time is “The Pursuit of Happyness”. Not only does the title contain a typo, but the amount of time that Will Smith and his son spent suffering is ten times longer than the tiny scene at the end where they are finally “happy”.

But regardless of how I feel about the movie, chasing after happiness describes my life. It describes your life. It describes the life of anybody that has any kind of ambition to be anything more than ordinary. So I got to thinking…about some of the things that I do and almost anyone else can also do to get happy and stay happy for a while. Here we go:

1. Procrastinate

Yep, i said it. Procrastination isn’t always the devil. We all know that worrying doesn’t resolve anything–but we still do it. A quick and easy way to quit worrying is to make a list of “things to worry about later”. Writing down your worries gets your brain to think you’ve taken action so you can stop stressing out. I don’t really know all the science behind this but I do it all the time and it works. try it

2. Eat Salmon

If you’re allergic to fish, I’m sorry but you’re missing out. I don’t know if it’s the omega fatty acids or there’s just good mojo in that stuff but it works. When i eat my salmon (in moderation), i think more clearly, feel more balanced, and tend to be happier overall. If you’re too cool to eat fish, pop some fish oil capsules instead *rolls eyes*

3. Keep a Gratitude Box

When something really good happens to you, write it down on a piece of paper and save it in a small box. There’s nothing like sitting on the couch on new year’s day to read through the highs of the year gone past. By the way, the box doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can pick one up from the store here.

4. Think Smart

Contrary to popular belief, there’s this thing called self control and it’s not a taboo to practise it. Pay attention to your thought patterns so that you can control them, rather than have them control you. It’s sometimes difficult, but it can be done

5. Get Some Sun

I found this one out the hard way. The cells of our bodies rely on sunshine for vitamin D and other important processes. If your body isn’t happy, you’re not going to be happy either. So if you live in a part of the world with gloomy, long, winters, don’t underestimate the power of getting a good dose of sunshine. It’s good for your body and great for your mood as well

6. Laugh Like Crazy

As we age, expression lines form on our faces so take advantage of every excuse to laugh. You’ll be happier for it today and when you’re all old and wrinkly, you’ll have happy expression lines instead of neutral or angry ones. now, that’s a great deal

7. Lose Control

In the grand scheme of life, there is very little that you or I have control over. Once you come to an acceptance of the fact that you cannot control other people’s thoughts or actions, it’s easier to find amusement in even the most absurd situations

8. Go to the Gym

I can’t say I actually exercise when i get there, but I do like to take up space at the gym on a regular basis. My “work out” is usually a 20 minute stroll on a treadmill while listening to my ipod or the occasional comedy of me trying to bench press 50 pounds ( 25 kg). Either way, the accomplishment of making it to the gym on a regular basis is incredibly rewarding—and for that reason, the gym is numbre huit on the list

FYI

Finally, as a general rule of thumb, the more you have, the more you get. So anytime you find yourself radiating happiness, hang on to that feeling. Don’t let something someone did or didn’t say take it away from you. After all, at the end of the day, the decision to be happy is yours to make.