15 Easy Life Tweaks That Will Make You A Whole Lot Happier
Think of these tiny shifts as shortcuts to happiness.
Look Studio / Shutterstock Forget the massive life overhauls and toss the idea that you need to change everything once and for all. The truth is that small changes can offer big rewards. Recent research shows that "relatively small changes" in sleep, exercise, nutrition and behavior lead to improved mental health.
In light of that information, I'm going to share some easy life tweaks that will make you happier and have you moving to the front of the line and leading the charge almost instantly.
Be warned: you're about to find yourself feeling so much better.
Here are 15 easy life tweaks that will make you a whole lot happier
1. Put yourself out there as a mentor
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The first easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is to put yourself out there as a mentor. There's a good chance the skills, talent, wisdom, and knowledge you've acquired and take for granted are exactly what a young college graduate is looking to learn more about.
Pay it forward and help someone else find their way.
2. Toss out three items every single week
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Another easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is tossing out three items you no longer use every week. If the whole de-cluttering trend sounds great in theory but gives you anxiety in practice, breaking it down into small but frequent increments like this can make the process much easier. In a year, you will have tossed or donated 156 items that were taking up space best utilized for something new, or nothing at all.
As Diane Roberts Stoler Ed.D., shared, "Decluttering increases self-worth, creates healthy habits, and boosts productivity. A clean and tidy home can also improve sleep, boost mood, and promote relaxation."
3. Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up
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And drink one every other hour. Within a week, your energy will be higher and your skin, hair, and tummy will be much smoother. Beauty from the inside out.
The generally accepted rule is that we should all be drinking eight cups of water each day. Most of us are aware that doing this is good for our physical health and energy levels, but a survey of 2,000 Americans found that "respondents who drank 10 or more glasses of water a day reported being 'very happy,'" as well as "very energetic" and "very successful."
4. Leave work at work
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An easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is leaving work at work. If you have an issue with leaving your mind at the office, try writing down your undone tasks at the end of the day and then add a line where you can note how you will complete them tomorrow.
Studies have shown that adding that extra information enhances your work/life balance and can even help make your working hours feel easier.
5. Crawl into and out of bed 20 minutes earlier
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Crawling into — and out of — bed 20 minutes earlier is another easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier. You can spend that time emptying your mind into a journal, gently stretching, or reading a few pages of a really good book.
Research has found that "rising early can boost mood, lead to greater life satisfaction, and minimize mental health problems." These effects are even greater as you get older, so starting this habit now can only help you feel even happier down the road.
6. Approach every human exchange with a desire to learn something
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Another easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is approaching every human exchange with a desire to learn something. We all have wisdom to share and lessons to pass along. Clear the filter and pay attention and you'll walk away a bit more developed.
Research from New York University found that "new and diverse experiences are linked to enhanced happiness."
Study co-author Catherine Hartley noted, "Our results suggest that people feel happier when they have more variety in their daily routines -- when they go to novel places and have a wider array of experiences."
7. Pay close attention to what you're putting out there
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Your vibes work as a magnet, attracting and repelling, so an easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is to pay close attention to what you're putting out there.
If you walk around scared, you'll attract people who want to perpetuate your fear either with their own anxiety or by controlling you. If you walk around owning your personal power, you'll attract a following. If you walk around finding things to be happy about, happy you will be.
8. Keep your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground
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An easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is keeping your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground. The idea that "being real" means you need to be negative is wrong, and so is the notion that being "positive" means you need to border on delusion with a smile plastered on your face.
After all, balance is everything.
9. Take responsibility for your own decisions
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Another easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is taking responsibility for your own decisions. The way others behave and live their life isn't under your control, and you don't need to walk around feeling bad about their choices. That said, what you choose to do is on you.
As F. Diane Barth L.C.S.W., explained, "Research has shown that a sense of agency provides us with a greater sense of competence, even when it involves taking responsibility for mistakes or negative behaviors." And feeling competent leads to greater happiness.
10. Embrace moderation
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Embracing moderation is an easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier. It sounds limiting, but in reality, a little bit of everything goes a long way.
Glenn Geher, a psychologist at SUNY New Paltz, shared that "We don't naturally moderate ourselves, because in ancestral conditions we didn't have to." However, multiple studies on a wide variety of topics have shown that people who take a moderate approach tend to be happier and more successful than those who go to either positive or negative extremes.
11. Focus on great decision-making
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If you want to be a whole lot happier, an easy life tweak to try is to focus on great decision-making. When you're making choices, think beyond the moment. Think about your greatest goals and how each decision will either bring you closer to them or push them further away.
Doing this may seem like it takes a few extra seconds, but it will save you huge amounts of time — and even more heartache — in the end.
12. Stop forcing things
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An easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is to stop forcing things. Pushing things usually does more damage than just letting them be. Learn to surrender.
"If you try to force things to happen, there’s a good chance it will feel contrived and unnatural," said writer and photographer Michael Hedrick. "It may even backfire on you."
13. Don't court rejection
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Another easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is not courting rejection. If someone walks away, don't take it as a sign you need to follow them.
Because humans are wired to want to be accepted by others for the sake of safety, rejection can lead to hurt feelings, jealousy, loneliness, shame, guilt, social anxiety, and embarrassment. There will be enough times in life when this experience is unavoidable. Don't set yourself up to go there any more frequently than you have to.
14. Say "please" and "thank you"
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Being sure to say "please" and "thank you" is another easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier. Do this every single time you ask for something and when someone does something for you, even if just giving you a compliment.
Being polite and expressing gratitude will change your relationship with the world, guaranteed.
15. Love being alive
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The final easy life tweak that will make you a whole lot happier is to simply love being alive. For all of the ups and downs, challenges and setbacks, there are amazing moments and gorgeous connections that make being here on this earth much more than the struggle we sometimes allow our fears, worries, and pains to convince us it is.
As Joshua Brown and Joel Wong wrote for Greater Good Magazine, not only have "many studies over the past decade have found that people who consciously count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed," but their own study found that "gratitude writing can be beneficial not just for healthy, well-adjusted individuals, but also for those who struggle with mental health concerns."
Finding a way to be grateful for and love the life you live, even with all of its shortcoming, will go a long way toward making you a whole lot happier.
Brenda Della Casa is the author of Cinderella Was a Liar, former managing editor of Preston Bailey, a Huffington Post Blogger, and a contributor for Divalicous.