In desperate need of some foolproof tricks to lift your mood? You can have them! For example, how about these 3 everyday rules for more happiness …!
When we are happy, life is simply more beautiful. We are more creative, more open to the people around us, and more resistant to problems and conflicts. On the other hand, when we are unhappy – just one wrong look is enough to lead our thoughts astray all day long …
But is there anything we can do to be happy as often as possible and dance through life instead of struggling through it? Or is happiness purely a matter of luck? We can – fortunately – actually do a lot to help our positive energy soar!
And in this case, for once, we’re not talking about lengthy things like learning self-love, overcoming loneliness, or training emotional intelligence (although there’s no getting around it sooner or later, of course …?). We have picked out three clever tricks how you can positively influence your mood and immediately become happier. Best of all, you can use them every day, they won’t cost you two minutes and they’re super easy!
the “this-is-good” rule
Tuesday morning, the alarm clock rings, you’re lying in bed and you’re not ready to get up yet. Same shit, every day! But why don’t you apply the “that-will-be-good” rule? Think of three specific things you’re looking forward to. It could be the delicious Poke Bowl during your lunch break, the movie date with your girlfriend or even your next vacation. It doesn’t matter if the events take place on the same day or in the near future, the main thing is that your heart does a little jump when you think about it, and you’re sure: it’s going to be really nice! Think about these three things from time to time throughout the day – and you will surely be amazed how your mood changes …
the 2 minute rule
The 2-minute-rule serves in the narrower sense to increase productivity and should help to keep more order in your life. It says, “Do anything that takes less than two minutes right away!” Examples would include sorting/throwing away mail, rinsing your coffee cup, answering a simple email, putting away clothes instead of throwing them on the chair, etc. – any little things you frequently put off, I’m sure you have too.
The great thing is that if you stick to the 2-minute rule and get these little things done right away, you’ll benefit twofold. You feel a sense of happiness and “success” because you got something done. And you avoid that the little things accumulate and annoy you at some point, because to cope with them then – in total – costs you significantly more time.
the “just say thank you” rule
When we are grateful for something, our body produces more of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin – and these brighten our mood. Nice, you might be saying now, to have something to be grateful for. But you won’t get off that easy. In a recent study from the University of Indiana, psychologists found that the sensation of gratitude can be assigned to a very specific region of the brain – which, in short, can be trained much like a muscle. In other words, gratitude can be practiced!
Hence the “just say thank you” rule: take a moment every day to think of three things for which you are grateful that day (for example, on your way home in the evening or during your last trip to the bathroom before going to bed). This could be your hairstyle, which held up great today, the dear colleague who noticed that you weren’t feeling well, or something general like your beautiful home. In this way, you not only give yourself a small moment of happiness, but also train your eye for the positive – and in the ideal case, this even turns into deep and long-term satisfaction over time.
