7 Amazing Mindful Happiness Habits to Improve Overall Wellness
Small changes can make a big difference. These mindful happiness habits are incredibly useful and effective, improving overall health and wellbeing. Find more joy in life by implementing these psychology-based tips that actually work.
Find out what mindfulness is, and how these habits can make a huge difference in improving your mental and physical wellness with ease.
What is Mindfulness
The essence of mindfulness is being focused on the present moment. It can be done as a part of meditation or in various everyday activities such as mindful eating. This is a cognitive skill that relies on sustaining your attention without worrying about the future or thinking about the past. When used in meditation, mindfulness can help observe, reflect on, and accept your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It can be used to let go of unwanted emotions and work through any issues that may flow into the mind.
When mindfulness is incorporated into everyday activities, it can help reduce cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is a common stress hormone that is a major cause of inflammation, which can have detrimental effects on physical health. When you use mindfulness during a meal, this tends to improve digestion, reduce overeating, and allow you to fully enjoy your meal. Other ways mindfulness can be incorporated into your day can be found in this simple guide here.
7 Mindful Happiness Habits
Without further ado, here are seven mindful happiness habits that can help you find more joy in your everyday life. These are simple yet effective tips based on psychology and can work for anyone, whether you are an expert in mindfulness or a beginner.
1. Focusing on What You Can Control
This is simply a life-changing mentality. In any given situation, there will be aspects that you can control and aspects that you cannot control. By focusing on what you can control, you put more time and effort into beneficial actions and reactions.
Much of the time, we may become obsessed over things we cannot change. This usually leads to mental health issues such as anxiety, due to forces beyond our control. This is a habit that can be difficult, as we tend to want everything to go perfectly. Check out this complete guide to mastering this life-changing mental attitude.
2. Letting Go
Letting go is a beneficial habit that can feel like dropping 50 lb dumbbells. It relates to releasing anger, regret, grudges, worries, and things out of our control. Our life will be full of ups and downs. Not everything will go to plan. Allowing yourself to let go of negative emotions can help you take adversity as an opportunity to learn, reflect, and grow.
This is not the same as suppressing your emotions. Letting go is about acceptance, not denial. Mindfulness can help you sort through negative emotions and deal with them, letting them go naturally.
3. Appreciating Connections
Social interaction with others and how we connect with the people we love is vital and needs to be cultivated. Connections are like a flame, they need to be tended to make sure they continue to burn. We need to make time for bonds we want to keep strong.
This can be simply reaching out and wishing someone a good day. It can be giving someone your full attention during a conversation. Simple actions like these require mindfulness. They require being present and engaging with that person without allowing distractions to get in the way.
4. Gratitude Practice
Gratitude is a habit often talked about, but rarely implemented well. It’s a very powerful happiness habit, as studies suggest it can raise your overall level of happiness. Thinking about what you are grateful for simply reminds you to not take things for granted. Something that you think is normal, maybe amazing for others.
That is why it is important to reflect on daily gratitude. Even if you think you have nothing to be grateful for, there is always something. Even if it’s just the Sun. On tough days, I give thanks to the Sun. It’s at the perfect distance from the Earth to allow life to flourish, to provide warmth, and to let my garden grow. Take a few minutes every morning to say out loud or write down things you are grateful for. Make this a consistent habit and watch how happiness blooms.
5. Live in the Moment
Have there been times when you go to an event, like a movie or a dinner, and all you’re thinking about is work tomorrow? These are missed opportunities to practice mindfulness and simply be in the moment. We need to challenge ourselves and live in the present. We need to stop our mind from wandering to the past and present, and instead keep it focused on what we are doing now.
By holding on to the present, we allow ourselves to fully experience life. We can enjoy our meals more, relax with friends, or simply exist with our breath and heartbeat. This is a great habit to take into mindfulness meditations. Take a couple of minutes and sit with yourself, focusing on your breath, and noticing sensations in your body.
6. Practice Positivity
Positivity is a mental state and a habit. We can look at the glass half full or half empty. It can help us look at things differently. Again, this isn’t about denial, ignoring negative feelings, or hiding the bad. It is about experiencing things and being more solution-oriented.
Life will not always go our way. Challenges will come. However, our mentality can change. We can look at difficulties as a chance to grow. We can allow ourselves to make mistakes and learn from them. At the end of the day, night comes, but the sun will always rise again.
7. Embracing Nature
Nature is an overlooked opportunity for an instant boost in overall health, both physically and mentally. In fact, there are many studies suggesting a plethora of benefits to nature, ranging from a reduction in stress to a boost in immune health. Nature is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a mindful moment.
Next time you feel overwhelmed, try going outside a bit instead of staying indoors and watching your comfort TV show. Spending some time outdoors improves mental health, boosts your mood, and can even help increase concentration. This doesn’t have to be a long hour walk or a huge picnic outside. You can eat your lunch outside, walk a bit in the evening, or see the sunset before bed. Take mundane, normal experiences and take them outside.
The Takeaway
Simple habits are really the key to happiness. These mindful happiness habits are based on science and can have lasting effects on your mental health and physical wellness. Try them out and make them a consistent habit to get the most benefit. Small changes can make a huge difference in the long run.
Remember that health comes from within. Eat nutritious food, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. Daily habits become the building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. Take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
