Most people who know me would say I am a pretty happy guy. The thing is, happiness in not always naturally present for me, and at times I have to really work at it. The following are my tried and true secrets for raising your vibe and make you happier in under and hour.
1. Drink at least a liter of water. It will give you energy and will likely improve your mood with this one simple action. I put this as number one for a reason.
2. Skip. Literally, skip for 30 seconds like you did when you were a kid. In a case study conducted with one participant on three occasions, skipping produced a 100 percent success rate in raising happiness by as little as 10 percent and in one case, 87.5 percent.
3. Meditate for 10-15 minutes. Silencing your mind is so powerful. Sometimes what is stopping us from happiness is the stories we tell ourselves and the ensuing monkey-mind that can put us in a downward spiral. Meditation is one of the best ways to shift this energy.
4. Write down three things for which you are grateful in your life. They can be big or small. For me for instance, a typical daily appreciation for me might be: 1: My comfortable bed. 2: My new friend I recently made. 3: Simple things, like the fact that I can get great photos on my Iphone.
5. Piggybacking on number four, identify an unhealthy, limiting story you may be telling yourself, and CHOOSE to tell a new story. An example of an outdated story I have told myself my whole life is "I am too sensitive". It was a story placed into my head by an authority figure early on. My new story is "I am a sensitive guy, and it really helps me understand people and empathize". I really like it, and as I embrace it, I ironically feel less of the negative connotations associated with sensitivity (such as neediness, weakness, feeling hurt". Changing your limiting stories is one of the most powerful things you can do. And it makes you happy.
6. Look in the mirror, up close, deep into your eyes and say, "I love you". It's ok, no one is watching (I mean, probably). This is even more beneficial if you imagine yourself as you were when you were a little child, and you are saying "I love you" to this child.
7. Take a 10 minute walk outside. Spending even a short time in nature is a powerful way to raise your vibe. Pay attention to the trees. Imagine their roots underground, spreading out and anchoring the tree. By the way, soothing positive self talk has the same affect on our spirit as the roots have on the trees they support. It's nourishing
8. Perform an act of kindness. Again, this can be big or small, and doesn't need to take a lot of time. For instance, take just a few minutes and pick up litter on your block, send a text to a friend or family member just saying that you are thinking about them, donate to a cause that matters, or send me money . There are truly countless simple things we can all do to better the lives of others, and doing so raises our own vibe.
9. Watch YouTube stand-up comedians or blooper outtakes from your favorite comedy shows. Recently I watched old bloopers from the show "friends" and it had me laughing so hard. You only need to do it for a few minutes, but if you are having fun, go longer. A wise person once said, "laughter is the best medicine". Does anyone know who said that? Like, who said that? Is it a famous quote? I don't even know.
10. Listen to fun, energetic, empowering songs. For the longest time my go-to jam has been:
Megan Thee Stallion - Savage Remix (feat. Beyoncé
It's everything. I listened to it on repeat while writing this. Now I just really want to twerk.
Have a great weekend! I hope this helps anyone who may be feeling down, or anyone who simply wants to feel even better.
And remember, "Happy people don't kill their husbands. They just don't" ~Elle Woods, "Legally Blonde
