photo by Pink Sherbet Photography
Confession: Happiness doesn’t come naturally to me. And I used to feel guilty about that. But then I realized that’s a pretty normal part of being human. It turns out happiness doesn’t just happen. Who else is breathing a big sigh of relief over that with me?
As I mentioned last week, 50% of our happiness comes from genetics (a set point that we tend to return to but can influence), 40% come from things we consciously choose to do (ex: exercise), and 10% comes from factors we can’t choose (ex: age). So we can influence our overall happiness a lot.
That’s great news because it means we don’t have to be a victim of our family history, hard experiences, or current circumstances. There’s no such thing as living “happily ever after.” But there’s also no such thing as being doomed to live “gloomily ever after” either. And being happier doesn’t take huge things. It’s often the little things that help most.
Want an instant mood boost today? Here are five things you can do in less than five minutes…
Happiness Challenge 2: Pick one of the quick happiness boosters below
– Talk to someone you love
– Walk around the block
– Say a prayer
– Pet a dog
– Watch something that makes you laugh
What else should be on that list? Share your idea by leaving a comment.
XOXO
Every October The Nester invites bloggers to write about a topic of their choice for 31 Days. Ours is 31 Days to a Happier You and you can read the whole series here.
