Factors of happiness

Voluntary Activities:
If you want to change your happiness baseline for good, there’s two ways to do that: Change your thoughts, or change your actions. Here’s a few examples:

Thoughts:

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  Keep a gratitude journal: Writing down three things you are grateful for in the morning is one of the best ways to start your day right.
  
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  Forgive yourself and other people: Most people carry with them all their past failures, mistakes, pains, and fears. Learn to let go of what was, so you can focus your energy on what is. The past cannot be changed, but your future can.
  
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  Learn to love yourself: The day I learned to love myself and all my flaws and shortcomings was probably the happiest day of my life. When you truly love yourself, happiness is not an option, it’s a must because you value yourself enough to know that you deserve only the best.
  
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  Have goals: Pursuing goals is probably the most energizing and exciting thing in the world. Just think about it: When do you usually feel most alive? Chances are, it’s when you’re growing in the pursuit of a goal worth accomplishing.
  
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  Meditate: From increasing happiness, concentration, health, and willpower to regulating moods and reducing stress, meditation is the medicine against everything. It’s hard in the beginning (and still is for me), but you get the benefits nevertheless.
  

Actions:

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  Exercise: Running, lifting, and biking, are some of the quickest ways to improve your mood and reduce stress.
  

“On exercise days, people’s mood significantly improved after exercising. Mood stayed about the same on days they didn’t, with the exception of people’s sense of calm which deteriorated.” — Jo Coulson, University of Bristol

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  Get enough sleep: People often think they can get away with cheating on their sleep, but research has shown the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation: Bad moods, lower concentration, worse memory, and decreased performance. Do me the favor, and get in your sleep.
  
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