How to Be Happy - Tips for Cultivating Contentment

8/13/2019 How to Be Happy - Tips for Cultivating Contentment

1/6

1

http://ireleaseendorphins.com/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-to-be-happy/MY01357

http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/anxiety/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment-1

How to be happy: Tips for cultivating

contentment

Can you learn how to be happy? You bet. Discover greater contentment with these tips.

Do you know how to be happy? Or are you waiting for happiness to find you? Despite what the

fairy tales depict, happiness doesn't appear by magic. It's not even something that happens to you.

It's something you can cultivate. So, what are you waiting for? Start discovering how to be happy.

How to be happy: Whatscience tells us

Only 10 percent or so of the variation in people's reports of happiness can be explained by

differences in their circumstances. The bulk of what determines happiness is your personality and

more modifiable your thoughts andbehaviors.So, yes, you can learn how to be happy or

at least happier.

Although you may have thought, as many people do, that happiness comes from being born richor beautiful or living a stress-free life, the reality is that those things don't confer lasting

happiness. Indeed, how to be happy can't be boiled down to one thing. Happiness is the sum of

your life choices. People who are happy seem to intuitively know this, and their lives are built on

the following pillars:

Devoting time to family and friends Appreciating what they have Maintaining an optimistic outlook Feeling a sense of purpose Living in the moment

How to be happy: Practice, practice, practice

The good news is that your choices, thoughts and actions can influence your level of happiness. It's

not as easy as flipping a switch, but you can turn up your happiness level. Here's how to get

started on the path to creating a happier you.

Invest in relationships

Surround yourself with happy people. Being around people who are content buoys your own

mood. And by being happy yourself, you give something back to those around you.
http://ireleaseendorphins.com/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment/http://ireleaseendorphins.com/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment/http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-to-be-happy/MY01357http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-to-be-happy/MY01357http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/anxiety/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment-1http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/anxiety/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment-1http://www.bing.com/search?q=science%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22science%20is%22+sid%3a%22986ee91d-c841-91f1-5880-50f906e4d04c%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://www.bing.com/search?q=science%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22science%20is%22+sid%3a%22986ee91d-c841-91f1-5880-50f906e4d04c%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://www.bing.com/search?q=science%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22science%20is%22+sid%3a%22986ee91d-c841-91f1-5880-50f906e4d04c%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://www.bing.com/search?q=behavior%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22behavior%20is%22+sid%3a%2229d85b8f-90e3-9af8-c8c7-afa9f83b2d27%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://www.bing.com/search?q=behavior%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22behavior%20is%22+sid%3a%2229d85b8f-90e3-9af8-c8c7-afa9f83b2d27%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://www.bing.com/search?q=behavior%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22behavior%20is%22+sid%3a%2229d85b8f-90e3-9af8-c8c7-afa9f83b2d27%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://www.bing.com/search?q=behavior%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22behavior%20is%22+sid%3a%2229d85b8f-90e3-9af8-c8c7-afa9f83b2d27%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://www.bing.com/search?q=science%20is&filters=ufn%3a%22science%20is%22+sid%3a%22986ee91d-c841-91f1-5880-50f906e4d04c%22&FORM=MSNLHEhttp://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/anxiety/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment-1http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-to-be-happy/MY01357http://ireleaseendorphins.com/how-to-be-happy-tips-for-cultivating-contentment/


2/6

2

Friends and family help you celebrate life's successes and support you in difficult times. Although

it's easy to take friends and family for granted, these relationships need nurturing. Build up your

emotional account with kind words and actions. Be careful and gracious with critique. Let people

know that you appreciate what they do for you or even just that you're glad they're part of your

life.

Express gratitude

Gratitude is more than saying thank you. It's a sense of wonder, appreciation and, yes,

thankfulness for life. It's easy to go through life without recognizing your good fortune. Often, it

takes a serious illness or other tragic event to jolt people into appreciating the good things in their

lives. Don't wait for something like that to happen to you.

Make a commitment to practice gratitude. Each day identify at least one thing that enriches your

life. When you find yourself thinking an ungrateful thought, try substituting a grateful one. For

example, replace "my sister forgot my birthday" with "my sister has always been there for me in

tough times." Let gratitude be the last thought before you go off to sleep. Let gratitude also beyour first thought when you wake up in the morning.

Cultivate optimism

Develop the habit of seeing the positive side of things. You needn't become a Pollyanna after

all, bad things do happen, and it would be silly to pretend otherwise. But you don't have to let the

negatives color your whole outlook on life. Remember that what is right about you almost always

trumps what is wrong about you.

If you're not an optimistic person by nature, it may take time for you to change your pessimisticthinking. Start by recognizing negative thoughts as you have them. Then take a step back and ask

yourself these key questions:

Is the situation really as bad as I think? Is there another way to look at the situation? What can I learn from this experience that I can use in the future?

Find your purpose

People who strive to meet a goal or fulfill a mission whether it's growing a garden, caring for

children or finding one's spirituality are happier than those who don't have such aspirations.Having a goal provides a sense of purpose, bolsters self-esteem and brings people together. What

your goal is doesn't matter as much as whether the process of working toward it is meaningful to

you. Try to align your daily activities with the long-term meaning and purpose of your life.

Research studies suggest that relationships provide the strongest meaning and purpose to your

life. So cultivate meaningful relationships.

Are you engaged in something you love? If not, ask yourself these questions to discover how you

can find your purpose:

What excites and energizes me? What are my proudest achievements? How do I want others to remember me?


3/6

3

Live in the moment

Don't postpone joy waiting for a day when your life is less busy or less stressful. That day may

never come. Instead, look for opportunities to savor the small pleasures of everyday life. Focus on

the positives in the present moment. Don't spend your time rehashing the past or worrying about

the future. Take time to stop and smell the flowers.

http://www.tyackhealth.com.au/how-to-be-happy

How To Be Happy: Tips For Cultivating

Contentment And Resilience

by Madeline Romaniuk (Psychologist)

Only 10% or so of the variation in people's reports of happiness can be explained by differences in

their circumstances. Factors such as the type of job you have and how much money you make, do

not equate to lasting happiness. Research suggests that the concepts of contentment (life

satisfaction) and resilience account for a large part of happiness.

Being resilient means that when stress, adversity or trauma strikes, you still experience anger,

grief and pain, but you're able to keep functioning both physically and psychologically. Resilience

isn't about toughing it out, being stoic or going it alone. In fact, being aware of the problems,

putting healthy coping strategies into action and knowing when to ask for help or reach out toothers for support is a key component of being resilient. Resilience won't make your problems go

away, but resilience can give you the ability to see past them, find enjoyment in life and better

handle stress.

Research has also shown that people who demonstrate high levels of resilience and contentment

seem to consistently embody the following qualities:

Strong connections and relationships

Have a purpose

Live in the moment

Grateful

Optimistic

Proactive with problems

Take care of themselves

This list of qualities seems logical and fairly straight forward and you may be doing these things

already. But for some people it can it can take some effort to cultivate these qualities. This article

will examine each quality and give you some practical tips and strategies on how you can build

these things into your life.

1) Invest in relationships
http://www.tyackhealth.com.au/how-to-be-happyhttp://www.tyackhealth.com.au/how-to-be-happyhttp://www.tyackhealth.com.au/how-to-be-happy


4/6

4

Strong social connections and relationships are a huge protective factor when faced with

adversity, for a wide variety of reasons. Friends, family and social connections are important in

helping you celebrate life's successes, gaining confidence and a feel a sense of belonging as well as

providing support in difficult times. Although it's easy to take friends and family for granted, these

relationships need nurturing.

How?

-let people know that you appreciate them (we often think it but dont say it)

-schedule social activities every week, for example phone a friend, send an email or text even if you

dont have time to get together, ensure you keep in touch regularly

-Be there for loved ones in times of need

-Establish wider social connections by doing volunteer work, joining a community group, or

introduce yourself to your neighbours

2) Live by your values

Having a life purpose can feel like a daunting prospect, so you can look at it in terms of living by

your values. If you do this your life satisfaction will increase because you a living in a meaningful

way, and your sense of what you would like to be, and how you are, come together.

How?

-First find out what you truly value, take time to think about it. Ask yourself:

-What things are important to me in relationships/work//leisure etc-Am I living by these things right now?

-Develop some goals in line with those values

-Make sure your goals are:

- Observable (a behaviour)

-realistic and achievable

-time specific

-worded in the positive

-If you have a large long term goal, break it into smaller tasks and goals that you can accomplish

each day/ week.

-Remember that setbacks are likely to occur, but go easy on yourself setbacks and mistakes

always help the learning process

3) Be present moment focused

Don't spend too much of your time the thinking about the past or the future. This can lead to

rumination about past mistakes or unhelpful worry about future challenges. Try to live in the

moment as much as you can, and remain focused on the task at hand whether it is completing a

work deadline, doing the washing, cooking dinner or spending time with others.

How?

-participate in informal and structured mindfulness activities to help get you practised at being


5/6

5

present moment focussed

- take the time to notice all things blue in a day

- notice 5 things activity: Notice 5 things you see around you right now, notice 5 things you can

hear right now, notice 5 things in contact will your body right now.

4) Express gratitude

It is often easier to focus on the things we dont have in our life, or things that go wrong and forget

about all the things we do have or things that are going right. Expressing gratitude can help you to

have a more balance view on life. It can also be more than saying thank you, it can help create a

sense of wonder, appreciation and widen perspective of things in your life.

How?

-Each day identify at least one thing that enriches your life. Choose a time of day when you have

several minutes to step outside your life and to reflect. It may be first thing in the morning, orduring lunch, or while commuting, or before bedtime.

-Write a gratitude letter to someone you are grateful for (you dont ever have to give it to them)

-Express gratitude in the moment when something you are appreciative of occurs

-Create a gratitude journal, write each thing you are grateful for down and then you can always

look back over the list

-your list can include small things (grateful there is enough milk left for a cup of tea), to big things

(grateful that you can sit and watch a beautiful sunset)

5) Cultivate optimism

Being optimistic comes naturally to some, but for others being pessimistic is the usual way they

may view a situation. Being optimistic doesnt mean you have to be positive about everything all

the time, it means being able to have a more balanced view of things, having a wider perspective

and seeing the good with the bad. Optimistic people view setbacks and difficulties as transient and

believe they have the skills and abilities to overcome challenges.

How?

-Start by recognizing negative thoughts as you have them, increase your awareness of when,

where and how often they occur.

-Challenge some of your negative thinking or pessimism by questioning yourself:

-Is the situation really as bad as I think?

-Is there another way to look at the situation?

-What can I learn from this experience that I can use in the future?

-Think about how you've coped with hardships in the past and consider the skills and strategies

that helped you through rough times.

6) Be proactive and problem solve

Some people are proactive with problems and attempt to solve them as soon as possible whilesome people may be avoidant of problems and try to ignore the problems or wait for them to go


6/6

6

away. Research suggests that those that are proactive generally have much better outcomes, and

have greater well-being while those that avoid solving problems have greater levels of stress.

How?

-Practice structured problem solving skills-Define the problem

-Brainstorm possible solutions

-Evaluate the possibilities (positive and negative of each option)

-Select a solution

-Implement the plan and follow up

-Practicing problem-solving skills on a regular basis will help you be better prepared to cope when

a serious challenge emerges.

-Start working on resolving the issues/problems immediately. While there may not be any fast or

simple solution, you can take steps toward making your situation better and less stressful.

-Also focus on the progress that you have made thus far and planning your next steps, rather thanbecoming discouraged by the amount of work that still needs to be accomplished.

7) Take care of yourself

When stressed and busy, participating in activities for your own pleasure or relaxation is often the

first thing that goes out the window. But keeping up these activities on a regular basis can protect

against increased distress and metal health difficulties.

How?

-Schedule activities in your routine that you enjoy and find relaxing; reading a book, going for a

walk, taking a bath, getting a massage.

-Practice stress management and relaxation techniques; yoga, mindfulness meditation, guided

imagery, deep breathing or prayer.

-Participate in activities and hobbies you enjoy as well as tasks that give you a sense of

achievement.

-Nurture a positive view of yourself; remind yourself of your strengths and accomplishments.

Each of these tips are logical, straightforward and simple, but by making a small change in your

life today and practicing just one thing out of each of the above tips, you will see that small

changes can lead to big changes with a little commitment and effort.

Documents

How to Be Happy - Tips for Cultivating Contentment