6 Simple Ways to Increase Your Happiness

Who doesn’t want to be happier?  This brief article will give you six ways to increase your happiness.
You can apply one or all of these keys.
6 Ways to Increase Your Happiness:
1. Workout
“If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all.”  –Joey Adams
Research confirms that individuals who workout regularly are happier than those who don’t, all things considered equal.
So why are they happier?  The answer is because they feel better about their bodies, because they’ve found an excellent way to relieve stress, and because they’re getting healthier.
Carol Welch said, “Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.”

2. Sleep
“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.” –Carrie Snow
Without sufficient physical energy, it’s very difficult to be happy, and sleep is the foundation of physical energy.  Ninety-five percent of us require 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night in order to be fully rested, although the vast majority of us get somewhere between 6 to 6 ½ hours of sleep.  Which is perhaps why Thomas Wehr, the chief of  the Section on Biological Rhythms at the NIH said that “we modern humans have never really known what it is to be fully awake.”
3. Get Organized
“Don’t agonize, organize.” –Florynce Kennedy
Order, the accurate arrangement of things.  You may think you need Prozac, when what you really need is to clean your house.
Order creates a sense of wellbeing.  Disorder creates confusion and uncertainty.  So get organized, organize your day, organize your closet, organize your bathroom, organize your life’s priorities, and your happiness will increase.
John Steinbeck wrote, in Travels with Charley, that “Everything in the world must have order or the human mind rejects it.”  You must give your mind order, or it will reject happiness.
4. Meditate
“During meditation your metabolism and your breath rate go down to a level of rest, twice that of deep sleep.”  –Mike Love
 Why does meditation make you happier?  Primarily because it relieves stress.
Most of us run all day long, like computers; running as many applications simultaneously as possible.  But we’re not computers, so less we burn out, it is necessary that we stop and reflect.
You will get more done in the long run, and you will be happier, when you take time to meditate.  Remember, time out is better than burn out.
5. Improve Your Diet            
“The cardiologist’s diet:  If it tastes good, spit it out.”  –Author Unknown
Although nothing maybe as satisfying as a juicy hamburger and although it may give your brain a temporary sense of happiness, the after effect, as well as the long-term effect is not as positive.  Research confirms that individuals who eat healthier, are happier and live longer.  These individuals have found ways to deal with stress without the use of food.
Edward “Grandpa” Jones wisely noted, “If food is your best friend, it’s also your worst enemy.”
6. Take a Break (or Vacation) and Laugh
“Laughter is an instant vacation.”  –Milton Berle
All systems in your body pulse rhythmically when you’re healthy – brain waves, body temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat, and hormone levels.
How you spend your time should “pulse” as well.  It’s true that all work and no play will make Johnny a dull boy.  It will also make Johnny sad and depressed.
Take a break, research suggests that the most we can work continuously, while maximizing productivity, is 90 minutes at a time.  So after 90 minutes of work, or less, take a few minutes to take a break, take a walk, read something funny, close your eyes and do some deep breathing, go talk to a co-worker, spouse or friend, or just take a few seconds to relax your mind, if you do, you will be happier.