If Your Goal Is To Be In A Good Mood For The Rest Of Your Life, Say Hello To These 10 Habits
Changing your habits can lead to an eternal good mood.
Humans tend to adjust to positive experiences quickly. The initial high of something good fades over time, leaving us searching for the next thing to make us happy again. Focusing on the positive aspects of life and expressing gratitude can boost happiness levels and lead to a good mood.
For most people, happiness seems like an elusive feeling that they'll always be chasing. Good moods come and go, but it will always be there. What constitutes happiness varies significantly from person to person, making it difficult to define and achieve. Here are some easy ways to get in a good mood again.
If your goal is to be in a good mood, say hello to these habits:
1. Slow down a fraction
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: slowing down makes life easier and thus more enjoyable. This doesn’t mean pottering along like a sad little tortoise.
I mean going fractionally slower so that you can view life in full 4K, not black and white like everyone else. In a world where everyone is rushing around, this gives you a wicked advantage.
2. Embrace being goofy
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Most of us shuffle around, wondering why life’s so hard. You gotta be loose and fun to experience a looser, funner life. The reason people are all serious around you is because of you.
You created this reality. Create a fun frame, and people will leap into it. According to psychologists and humor researchers, it depends on context. More specifically, how we use humor can have positive or adverse effects.
Laughter releases dopamine, increases blood flow, and strengthens the heart. Still, beyond its many health perks, a good sense of humor leads to increased optimism, which, in turn, boosts our resiliency and enables us to thrive when we’re faced with adversity.
3. Take three slow breaths
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After me…and breathe. Don’t rush this bit. Five seconds in through the nose, then five seconds out. Do this three times, then drop to your knees, and scream to the sky.
4. Welcome instant happiness
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Most of us mope around like we lost a winning lottery ticket because we’ve been hypnotized into thinking that feeling good takes time.
If I could just have things in this exact order, just the way I want it and the wife isn’t giving me the silent treatment … then I’ll be happy, we murmur.
Great — now you’re deferring your happiness to a future that doesn’t yet exist. Your joy springs out of the now and the now only.
The concept of welcoming instant happiness, like a small positive experience, can put you in a good mood because it triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward.
A study published in Psychological Science concluded that it can then create a positive feedback loop, enhancing your overall mood and making you more receptive to other positive experiences throughout the day.
5. Smile from the inside
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Try this: gradually allow a smile to erupt from within you — growing ever-brighter.
Do this to electrify every fiber in you. Walk around with an inner grin, and your authentic smile will come without effort.
6. Say no to energy drains
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Next time you plan on stuffing your face with jelly doughnuts when you feel low, say this: ‘Hey buddy — don’t do it.
We got this.’ We win when we can turn away from temptations and vices and be present instead.
We are immediately rewarded with energy and a lifted mood. Exert some control over those things you know are bad for you. Taking responsibility like an adult will lift you.
Learning to say no can help you protect your mental health and well-being by shielding you from people who take advantage of your kindness or gentleness. This is why being assertive is a necessary skill. The good news is that you can learn and develop assertiveness.
Learning to say no takes practice. A study published in the International Journal of Listening suggested starting small by saying no to little things, like turning down an invitation to a social event that you don’t want to attend.
7. Play air guitar
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Before you step out of the house, adopt a wide stance, lean back, and do your best Jimi Hendrix impression.
Sound effects are optional. You may at this point think that I’m winding you up. You’re only partly correct.
The critical point I’m making here is that you always have a choice regardless of how ugly life is for you right now.
Are you a slave to the perceived ‘seriousness’ of your life — or are you free?
8. Awaken your dragon
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Drake the dragon is snoring out smoke rings somewhere in the darkest corner of your psyche. He’s asleep because he’s bored. You keep ignoring him because you believe that aggression is rude and naughty and should be suppressed.
Get aggressive for a change. Awaken Drake, decide to be strong today, and unleash chaos.
9. Be slow to speak
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Several good things happen when we close our mouths: We breathe through our noses, which has been proven to improve oxygen intake (and even posture).
We eat less and take back control over comfort eating. Fasting also gives you energy because your body has finally stopped working to digest what you’ve been eating.
Talking less prompts us to demonstrate our worth through action. When we show what we’re capable of, instead of telling everyone, things start to happen, and we turn heads.
10. Make someone feel better
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The secret to joyful living is this: we make ourselves miserable thinking that others should make us happy. Stop.
People will do what they do no matter what — great or bad. Your happiness is rooted in you forgetting yourself, getting out there, and making someone else feel happy.
Do it now. Message someone and tell them they rule.
The phenomenon of making someone feel better, leading to a positive mood in yourself, is often explained by the feel-good, do-good phenomenon.
A study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology explained that performing acts of kindness or helping others can trigger positive emotions and improve your mood due to connection, self-worth, and social reward.
Now you’re lifted, and this is precisely the state you need to be in.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.