Do you want to be a happier person? Here are some great tips to help you do so.
1. Distract yourself.
There is hardly anything as damaging to your happiness and well-being as mulling over the things that make you miserable. This could be the pandemic, the state of the political affairs or even boisterous neighbors that give you no peace. But the good news is that your happiness could be a matter of mental focus and perspective. Just as there are always going to be things about your life that make you miserable there is plenty that can make you happy. Try focusing your mind and energy on these points and watch your demeanor change.
2. If you meditate, be aware that it might not work for everyone.
There are many who find great help in gaining control over their mind through the practice of meditation. But this doesn’t work the same for everyone. It is essential to remember that meditation is a practiced discipline that only brings forth its benefits faster when plenty of time and discipline have been applied. For those starting out, meditation could be an invitation to be besieged by the many negative mental events that plague the mind.
The best idea would be to use distractions to snap the mind out of negativity, while meditation practices are being refined.
For mental health advice visit Clarity Clinic.
3. Reframe the situation.
Another good way to deal with these negative mental events and emotional upset they can cause is to change how they are framed. In other words, change the context of the situation. Derren Brown provides this important example in his 2017 book “HAPPY”.
A tennis player has entered a tennis match with more than a will to win, they are fully committed to winning and immersed in the concept. When they begin to face challenges and lose the lead in their game, their mind is suddenly filled with the condemnation that comes from “failing”. This is the trap of the perfectionist. Shame and anger add their weight to the mental events that flood the mind and the smooth focus and mental acuity needed to win is then lost.
On the other hand, a player who enters the game with the will “to play as best they can” will not be so caught up with the apparent direction of the game. The so called “signs of failure” have a different effect on this player as their expectations for themselves are quite different.
This is an important point to consider in the way you meet and surmount the challenges of daily life. Rather than focusing on what you have to do, like “I must stay healthy” focus on something you can actually control, like “I must keep my diet, hygiene, commute and habits healthy and on point”.
Understanding what lies within your locus of control is critical to your sense of accomplishment and fighting the guilt and mental torment that can accompany the thought of “failure”.
4. Don’t obsess over being positive or happy.
The truth is paradoxical: the more you chase down the illusion of happiness the more elusive it becomes. This is the obvious result from focusing on something that can’t really be controlled. But by focusing on the way of happiness, such as improving the happiness of the people around you, happiness seems to be created organically.
Once again, focusing on the results, as in focusing on the need to be a happy person, will be counterproductive. It is far more important to focus on the things that make you happy. Your friends, your good health, your interests, hobbies and passions.
This way when the inevitable negativity of your circumstances strikes; you will have the tools you need to regain your mental altitude.
