12 Tiny Ways to Lighten Up and Change Your Day

Quick fire tips to inject some happiness into your lives…

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” — Dalai Lama

It’s a powerful statement from the Dalai Lama — you are in control of your happiness. You can choose to do things to alter your mood. If anything, it is your duty to try and ensure you’re feeling good.

I think it’s vital you all have tricks up your sleeves that can instantly make you feel a lot happier. Whether it’s because you’re having a rough day, someone’s upset you or you’re simply feeling tired, you need to know how to create happiness for yourselves.

Here are 12 tiny ways to turn your day around.

1. Picture The Best Possible Version of Yourself

It’s been found that your emotions and wellbeing improve dramatically if you picture the best possible, future version of yourself. That is you picture things going to plan for you or visualise achieving your goals.

So try to imagine the best possible version of yourself if you need a bit of a happiness injection. To help:

• Have a clear description of what your best possible version of yourself is. The clearer the picture, the easier it is to visualise.
• Visualise the process. Imagine, in-depth, the process of what it is that you’re looking forward to/want to achieve. For example, if the goal is to lose weight, visualise the process of you training and eating well, not only the end goal.

2. Do Something For Others

Research has found a modest link between prosocial behaviour and better well-being. Couple this with psychological theory, which states that helping others is great for your well-being if you do not expect anything in return, it gives us a clear picture of the positive effects helping others can have on the way we feel.

It doesn’t have to be anything big. It could be opening the door for someone, smiling at them, buying someone food or giving them a compliment.

Make a list of small things you can do for others every day. Try to implement them for a change in your mood. We often feel great when people selflessly do things for us, so give back.

3. Be Sure to Have Your Own Time

It’s easy to get caught up in the fast-moving nature of life. But what happens is we forget about ourselves sometimes. And, when we stop looking after ourselves, of course, our wellbeing and happiness will dip.

So, make sure you take time every week to have some time on your own. Whether that means watching a movie on the weekend, ordering some food in, having a massage, reading your book in peace and quiet or doing some exercise, try and schedule it in.

It gives you optimism as you’ll have things to look forward to.

4. Use Distraction

It’s been shown that distracting activities can help people manage their low mood. Specifically, ‘active distracting activities’, such as exercise have been shown to have a greater ‘remedy’ effect than activities that are passive and involve more deep thinking, such as journal keeping.

It can instantly take your mind off any worries you may have that are dragging you down.

Have a think about what you can do to distract yourselves if you need that boost in mood.

5. Have Things to Look Forward to

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found people became more excited in anticipation of positive events, such as Thanksgiving Day or a ski trip, rather than remembering past events.

So, have things planned in your diary that you enjoy. Sometimes it only takes a simple reminder that you’ve got that holiday coming up or that you’re spending time with your other half later to help increase your happiness.

6. Don’t Stop Reading Stories

An extremely easy way to light up your day is to read or hear a story. Research even shows that reading stories can improve someone’s life satisfaction.

It can literally be anything. Read a creative book, read a short story or read a story about someone detailing their journey. It can give you that feeling of “Wow!” And, you never know, you could be inspired by that story too.

7. Focus on Your Strengths

We spend way too much time examining our weaknesses. This only leaves us feeling like crap.

So why not work with your strengths? Highlight them. Make them bold. Embrace the strengths you have within you. Noticing that you have a good sense of humour or that you’re a resilient person or that you’re a reliable person are all important.

You should appreciate how skilled you are. So, highlight your strengths for a positivity boost. Ask yourself — what do I do really well? Realising this can make you notice just how amazing you are which will no doubt leave you feeling happier!

8. Prioritise Your Values

We compromise on our values way too much just to suit others’ needs. And when we do this, it’s easy to feel discomfort within us because we value something but do something completely different because we give in to others too much.

However, a study found individuals who prioritised their values such as religion and social relationships were more likely to be happy than those who did not.

Sticking to your values gives you a sense of achievement. It can make you feel proud of yourself and gives you meaning in life. So think about what your values are and ask yourself — how can I practice these values in my daily life?

If you value family, how can you show that to your family and to yourself? For example, could you go out for a meal together?

Think about what your values are and stick to them for a mood boost.

9. Do a Random Act of Kindness

A study that reviewed 27 different research papers found a random act of kindness has a significant impact on someone’s well-being. A random act of kindness was able to boost one’s wellbeing and mood significantly.

A random act of kindness could be anything. Complimenting someone, holding the door open, asking someone how their day is, buying food for someone, giving a donation to a charity, leaving a review for a service you just had and more — the list is endless.

Try to perform a random act of kindness each week to help increase your wellbeing and mood significantly.

10. Create Positive Images

In one study, stronger negative emotions were brought on by negative mental imagery. Another study found when individuals are probed to generate positive mental images, there is an increase in positive emotions.

The impact positive imagery can have on us is clearly powerful. So why not utilise this as a tool when feeling low?

Use guided imagery to help. This involves being instructed/talked through a guided imagery task. This can help the image feel more powerful. And, the more you’re clearly able to see the positive image, the more intense, positive emotions you may feel.

11. Remember Your Blessings

Many of us will have moments where we feel so blessed. Despite some of my tough moments, I’ll always think that I am blessed with a great family, my other half and being able to make a difference in people’s lives through my clinical psychology work.

Sometimes reflecting on these moments can bring back some happiness. It shifts your attention to positive moments.

When you are feeling a bit down or negative, just ask yourself “when have I truly felt blessed?” Realising or raising awareness of the fortunes you may have can be a massive mood changer.

12. Be Around People Who Make You Smile

It can be quite frustrating when you’re constantly with someone who brings you down. That negative energy can make you feel horrible.

Instead, when you’re with people who are smiling, joking or having a good time, that will immediately rub off on you. Trust me, being around happy, positive people is so underrated and can instantly change your mood.

If it’s your best friend who can make you smile or if it’s a family member who has positive energy, stick with them. Let them boost your ability to be happy. It’s infectious!

Final Comments

We’re in control of our happiness. We need to actively do things to change our mood, and the quicker you realise that you can change how happy you are, the more enjoyment you will feel.

You’ll start to do more things to turn your mood around. So, take note of these 12 tips that can instantly change your mood:

• Picture the best possible version of yourselves.
• Do things for others.
• Have your own time.
• Use the power of distraction.
• Have things to look forward to.
• Read stories.
• Focus on your strengths.
• Prioritise your values.
• Do a random act of kindness.
• Create positive images.
• Remember your blessings.
• Be around people who make you smile.

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