How to Improve Your Levels of Happiness and Mindfulness Today

Have you ever thought, “As soon as I get the promotion, house, spouse, baby, etc. then I will be happy”? If you are human and alive, then the answer is most likely yes. I certainly know I have. Even right now, as I write these words, I struggle with being at peace and focusing on the good in my current situation. You see my husband and I sold our home last November. We are now living in a much smaller place while we search for our next home. Although it’s taking some time to find the right home, there are blessings in this little abode. For example, we now live walking distance to a darling little downtown that we frequent often. I befriended a lovely homeless man who lived in the alcove of the library of the town. He was actually brilliant and taught me alternate nostril breathing which is a calming technique I use every day. I love being a “townie” as I call myself and I know I will miss this carefree life style once we find our next home.

The human brain loves to focus on the negative (apparently this was a genetic pre-disposition that kept our ancestors alive.) But we have evolved and we need to train our brains to focus on things that make us feel good. When we find ourselves in judgment (of ourselves or others) we cut ourselves off from our own joy. You see, joy and peace are states we can learn to create in our own minds. Many people think that someone (a spouse or child behaving exactly as we desire) or something (the perfect home, job or body) can make them happy. The truth is we come to this planet with our happiness gene pre-installed. The problem with this set-up is no one tells us this so we keep searching outside ourselves to find our joy. And we will never find it there.

So how do you learn to be more mindful and happy today? It’s easier than you might think. The first step is to slow down so you can listen to your body and soul. Who ever decided that busier is better? Set a timer on your phone several times a day to remind you to check in with yourself.

Take a deep breath and ask yourself “What sounds good to me right now in this moment?” You may need to stretch or take a brisk walk outside for 15 minutes. You may need to eat or drink some water. You may need to meditate or take a quick nap. It’s really figuring out what would make you feel a little bit better in this moment. Once you make this a habit you can start to build good feeling moments into your week, month and year. Maybe you schedule a weekly or monthly massage. Maybe you join a pickle-ball league (I recently did this and I’m amazed at how fun it is.) Maybe you schedule a weekly hike with a friend that always makes you feel good. Be intentional about creating joyful moments in your life. No one can create a joyful life for you except you. So start flexing your happiness muscle and watch your life transform right before your eyes.