Inner Activities to Create Happiness
1.
Do things to keep in touch with who you truly are. What can you do? Write down two things you appreciate about yourself every day for a week and at the end of the week read your list out loud. Stop beating yourself up. Identify the demeaning chatter you repeatedly tell yourself, and interrupt it whenever you hear yourself thinking it. Substitute a contradiction that affirms who you are, such as "I'm whole and complete" or "I'm doing the best I can."
2.
Do listen within for answers and speak and act accordingly. Instead of looking to others for guidance, pause for a minute and look for what the answer is. This is an answer devoid of those "shoulds" and "what will they thinks." If you pair your behavior with your inner knowing, you can be confident you're honoring what's best.
3.
Give up your expectations. Not accepting the reality of what is, will fuel your anger. Accept that people and situations are the way they are, not the way you think they should be. From this stance, you can take dynamic, loving action.
4.
Just say "NO" to negative thinking. Praise! Appreciate! Be joyful. Look for what's good in life and others before you leap into a rant about what's bad. Be grateful! Studies show that gratitude measurably increases your psychological and physical well-being.
5.
Turn emotions into motions. If you feel angry, go to a safe place and move the energy out of you by hitting, stomping, or yelling. If you feel sad or victimized, allow yourself to cry until you feel relieved. When you are anxious, worried, or panicked, act it out by making yourself shiver, quiver, tremble, or shudder. Express all your emotions physically and constructively.
6.
Pursue your dreams. Do something you love or try a new activity. If singing, dancing, playing music, painting, surfing, or yoga bring you joy, do that. Or learn a new skill. Join an exercise class, learn to cook, pick up a musical instrument and take some lessons. Mastering some new endeavor feels really good.
7.
Get moving. We humans were built for motion--not just from the bed to the couch to the computer, but real action. Walking, exercising, and getting involved in team sports are all good for our muscles, organs, bones, and minds. Recent studies show that
too much sitting can shorten your life as much as smoking. So get moving!
8.
Remember to rest. When you let your body and brain come to a complete stop, this integrates your experiences and gets you back into balance again. Maybe what works for you is to take a walk, meditate, or take a short nap. Taking a time out for your brain is a counter-balance to all your activity. It will help you maintain clarity and allow you to enjoy the moment.
9.
Eat well. Our bodies need regular fuel to continue to run optimally. That means limit the quantity and go for quality.
9.
Laugh. Life is funny. It is full of wonderful surprises, and yet we often see these as disruptions and inconveniences. We can laugh about them, cry about them, or ignore them. Research shows that laughing not only releases stress, it lifts our spirits, and connects us with other people.
10.
Do spend time in nature. Take in the harmony and beauty that abounds. This will connect you to your place in the world and inspire you as you see the perfection in the whole picture. Relish the relative silence.
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