Aging sometimes creates a door to the blues on a daily basis. There are so many reasons to feel sad. But if you don’t deal with each of those reasons they can pile up and take you down. I have found that you have to choose to be positive and happy everyday. Here are some simple ways that you can choose to be happy everyday!
Prayer and Meditation
Knowing that there is a living God who hears my prayers and answers them is very comforting to me. It doesn’t matter the time of day or night nor the amount of money that I have in my bank account. Pouring out my heart’s troubles in prayer is a way to drain the emotional build up. Prayers that may include a moment of crying. Our tears are scientifically known to be chemically different when we are stressed or emotionally upset. Tears actually contain a neurotransmitter leucine-enkephalin. God created our bodies to make leucine-enkephalin as a natural pain reliever when we cry. It is good to let it out and have a good cry as we pray. God doesn’t mind. He has also given us His Word to be a source of comfort. I find comfort and strength in reading and meditating on Biblical scriptures daily.
Sunshine
Sunshine just makes everyone’s day brighter. It’s warmth and light immediately reduces the effects of stress on our bodies. Sunshine combats depression and worries. Phototherapy, therapy using light, is still used to treat health issues like Jaundice, mood and sleep disorders. It helps our bodies to release Serotonin, a vital neuro-transmitting hormone that stabilizes our mood and feelings of well being. In addition to boosting Serotonin levels, sunshine helps our bodies produce vitamin D which is crucial to our bone and wound healing health. Early morning sun is the best time to take in all the benefits without being subject to the strongest heat. What a great way to start your day by enjoying the sunshine!
Think Thankful – Be Grateful
Not everyday is a day that starts out with sunshine to chase away the blues. I am reminded of a R & B hit song in 1961 by the Shirelles, “Mama Said.” The lyrics specifically mentions that “Mama told me there’d be days like this, there’d be days like this my Mama said.” You know…those days when everything goes wrong. On these days we have to really be intentional and search out things to be happy about. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” We can choose to dwell on all the things going wrong but it is healthier to be thankful for what is going right. Start by setting a small goal of finding 3-5 things that you can be genuinely thankful for. Then increase it to 10-15. Be intentional and purposeful in thinking thankful thoughts for all the good things in your life.
Eat Healthy
Thinking thankful thoughts is an effective mental tool to be happy and healthy. But eating healthy fuels our physical body and also keeps our Serotonin levels up. Decrease your sugar intake gradually and keep your sugar intake level to a minimal. High sugar foods actually begin working against your body the moment they pass your taste-buds. Increase your Serotonin naturally with foods that contain Tryptophan like turkey, bananas, pineapple, and eggs. Nuts, seeds, tofu, and cheese also are fantastic healthy choices. Stable Serotonin levels release an overall sense of well-being to help promote overall health and happiness.
Sleep
Eating healthy is not the only physical need we should meet to increase our options of being happy on a daily basis. How well we sleep is interconnected to how happy are. When we are running on empty in the sleep department the body releases more cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone that controls our “fight or flight” response. Adrenaline boosts our heart rate and blood pressure and cortisol increases our glucose levels to fuel the response. Sleep is the number one key to keeping our cortisol in check. Lack of sleep also increases chance accidents and injuries. Nobody is happy when that happens. Turn in for the night no later than 10 p. m. to ensure a solid eight hours of sleep. Waking up refreshed is one of the best ways to feel happy and alright with the world.
Have Fun With Friends
Having fun with your friends is not only beneficial to your happiness but is actually a basic human need. God created us to be relational beings. Spending time with friends will always lighten your mood as there sure to be good humor and lots of laughter. A good friend will give their honest opinions and advice which helps alleviate worry and stress. Friends offer empathy and support lending a listening ear when it isn’t a good idea to dish at work or home. It is no surprise that being around good friends increases our Serotonin levels and well being. Having fun with friends is vital to being happy everyday as simple as it sounds. It’s true!
Help Someone In Need
Having fun with friends may be my number one when it comes to being happy because we all know that money can’t buy you happiness. However, helping someone in need can make you and them genuinely happy making it a very close second. Even something as small as picking up a dropped item or holding a door open. Acts of kindness have a rippling effect in the happiness department and have been known to be contagious. A simple act of kindness can decrease loneliness while increasing connectivity and a sense of purpose or value. It is an incredible Serotonin booster. Instant gratification for a good deed done. Our brain happily releases endorphins when we have been kind to someone in need. Helping someone in need also takes our eyes off ourselves and our worries for a moment giving us a little reprieve.
Good ideas as always.