HOW TO BE HAPPY: 10 STEPS TO A HAPPY LIFE - LOVE-E-PSYCHOLOGY

How to be happy: 10 tips to achieve happiness

Man has always asked himself about what happiness is and how it is possible to achieve it. Great authors have tried to give it a definition, but given the complexity and abstractness of the concept it was not so simple. In any case, each of us would like to find the key to how to be happy, not just for a moment or a few hours, but In short, can happiness become a constant in our life?

While for some people this is impossible, for others it is not. For example, Raffaele Morelli, a doctor, psychiatrist and psychotherapist, has written various books, including The handbook of happiness And Happiness is within you, in which he tells how to be happy. All this demonstrates that happiness should not be seen as a "utopia, but rather as a goal that is not so difficult to achieve. In fact, it is not a cliché: it is the little things that make us live happily.

So, we have compiled a list of 10 tips for you, which we could call the "10 steps to happiness". Before revealing them, however, we suggest you watch this video with some simple self-esteem exercises to do every day, a first step to feel good about yourself always.

1. Smile while beating sadness

Everyone has had a moment or even a whole period of bad mood and sadness. It is absolutely normal: daily stress, worries of various kinds and different importance or even a more or less serious episode can significantly compromise your mood. However, both in these more complex situations and in normalcy, try to keep always an open attitude towards happiness In fact, maintaining a right attitude is the first step: it is not enough to say "I want to be happy", you have to be convinced, trying to observe everything around you in a positive way.

To do this, get away from those activities or people that make you unhappy, choosing instead to surround yourself with hobbies, friends and family that always bring you a smile. Also, Science says: smiling, regardless of whether you are happy or not, improves your mood. So why not do it as often as you can?

2. Carpe diem

"Whoever wants to be happy, be it: there is no certainty about tomorrow." It was the year 1490 and Lorenzo de "Medici, known as Il Magnifico, returned to the epicurean concept of Carpe Diem, or rather of "seizing the" moment, enjoying every moment of life without thinking about what will happen next. We are aware that we cannot always follow this philosophy, but sometimes happiness is also dictated by knowing how to accept new challenges and seize the right ones It is not enough, therefore, to repeat over and over what you want to do, but you should talk and try to achieve what you want to do.

Switching from the use of the conditional to that of the present indicative is fundamental on a mental level: it helps you to set a goal, to feel stimulated and not to work mechanically. Just like before, determination is essential to be happy. In this regard, Raffaele Morelli says: "Every moment is good to take your life in hand, the train of happiness is passing right now."

3. Take care of yourself

It is always a noble gesture to think and worry about others. However, if you want to be happy, you don't have to let yourself be overwhelmed by the problems of others, forgetting about yourself. Give yourself time for yourself and your passions at least two or three times a week: go shopping, make an appointment for a relaxing massage, go for a run, paint or attend a concert. Any activity as long as it makes you feel good and brings a true and sincere smile to your face. In fact, we tend to underestimate how these little things are a remedy for the body and soul, fundamental to achieve happiness. Remember that taking care of yourself is not a selfish choice, but a right.

4. Value friendship

Friends are our greatest allies in facing the challenges of every day. In fact, family support is not always enough: we need to interact with people "outside" the family, with whom we share interests, personality traits or other characteristics. For this reason, friends are considered one of the best antidotes to all. "unhappiness, both when they take care of you and vice versa. In fact, they always bring some of that happiness you need into your life.

Furthermore, it has been shown how dialogue with individuals to whom we are connected - especially if of profound themes - contributes significantly to our being happy. The scientific explanation refers to the release of endorphin and dopamine, responsible for the sense of happiness and relaxation, while at the "soul" level we are happy for the sociability and for the awareness of having established a strong and lasting bond. who leaves less and less time to human relationships, tries to value friendship in order to live serene and happy.

5. "You are not the money you have in the bank"

“You are not your job. You are not the amount of money you have in the bank; you are not the car you drive or the contents of your wallet. You are not your designer clothes. " This is one of the most famous phrases of the famous film Fight Club, which contains that saying known by all of "money does not make happiness". Surely, you could object to this saying, which may even seem past time to you. In reality, we are not denying the usefulness of money, but it essentially serves us to have a home, enough food, other goods - such as shoes and clothes - and to be able to take a few whims. Once you manage to earn enough to satisfy your basic needs, your happiness will no longer be dictated by the money you have in your checking account, but by your optimism.

In fact, money gives us an illusion of being happy. You may have already bought something and feel happy, almost euphoric. However, this feeling lasts for a few hours and soon runs out. This does not mean that a good shopping session it is not good for you, on the contrary! But you should not lose sight of true happiness, made up of people and feelings, not material things.

6. Accept forgiveness, reject resentment

"Forgiveness is good for the heart." No, this is not a saying, but reality. It is scientifically proven that not constantly harboring anger and resentment and keeping a more permissive attitude contribute to improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system. We know that forgiving is not always easy, but it is necessary to do it in order to take the path to happiness. A first piece of advice to do this is to ask yourself the question "Is it worth it?": Unless the wrong committed by the other person is really serious, most of the time the answer is "No." it makes you feel good from a physical point of view, but also from a mental point of view, a fundamental step to be happy: no longer carrying a grudge and empathizing with the other, you can feel a "real weight" lift from the soul.

7. "Those who are satisfied enjoy ... only halfway"

In the course of life, a change always frightens, even those who are open to new things. To change means to meet the unknown and it is normal to feel a little fear of an unknown situation. However, it is often necessary to embrace the changes in order not to remain anchored to situations that have become tight or unbearable over time. Accepting anything unconditionally and being contented leads to frustration and stress. It is not enough for you to dream of a turning point in your life, you have to make it possible yourself by making a commitment to make it happen.

8. Follow your instincts

While it is true that we learn something new about ourselves every day, so is the fact that no one knows us better than ourselves. Therefore, when you are faced with a "crossroads" and you are forced to choose, you must weigh the different options, but never neglect the instinct. Letting go and following your instinctive part, not just the rational one, are two actions essential to achieve happiness and not always feel "forced" into a pattern. In any case, never regret your decisions. Follow the 3 C's of life: Choices, Chances, Changes, or "Choices, Opportunities, Changes". Making a decision is the first step to having an opportunity or your life will never change: you know, no one likes deadlocks.

9. Drive away those who have a negative effect on you

There are people we may have known for a lifetime, but who have a negative effect on our mood. The solution is only one: don't be afraid to push them away. In fact, those who always complain, who "dismantle" your every project and who find your every idea impossible to realize, only negatively affect your self-esteem and compromise your way to be happy. Surround yourself with people who, like you, try to look at every situation in the right perspective and who help you to get up in the most difficult times, not to break you down. Remember, happiness and negativity don't go together.

10. Don't live by rules

To live in a society, you need rules: this is not discussed. However, whenever possible, try to break out of the box and not carry on a life similar to a "roadmap": perfect organization and precision are not everything! How to do? It's really easy because there are endless possibilities: turn up the volume of your favorite song a little and sing alone in front of the mirror, stop dieting for a day and indulge in the tastiest foods you love, change the arrangement of the furniture in the house or set off last minute for a weekend out of town. These "shocks" or simple insanities are little things that get you out of the rut and are necessary to be happy.