Executive coach Blaire Palmer suggests easy ideas to see the world differently and put you into a happier head space!
1. Dust off your music collection
Listening to the soundtrack of your happiest years is just one of 8 simple ways to put the joy back into life and it’s the musical equivalent of Prozac. Re-living positive memories through music encourages a huge dose of the happy hormone, dopamine, to surge through you.
2. Rewrite your list of rules
Over the years, you’ve probably picked up a set of rules: “I don’t like Thai food”; “I could never wear yellow”; “I hate karaoke”. It’s probably been a decade since you last tried any of these things – challenge them!
3. Take a risk
Identify a fear that holds you back and take an action that confronts it. You could apply for a promotion, host a dinner party or learn to swim. Overcoming one limitation will go a long way toward giving you the confidence to face up to others.
4. Take a holiday from routine
Give your senses a wake-up call just by altering the start to your day. Changing simple daily rituals, like the shampoo you use, your weekday breakfast or your route to work, can trick your mind into thinking it’s having a brand-new experience and keep your subconscious on its toes.
5. Laugh out loud
Overdosing on reruns of Friends, can actually be the perfect remedy to all manner of ailments. Humour is a natural stress reducer that has been linked to improved health, increased life expectancy and overall wellbeing.
6. Rediscover the real you
Dig out your photo albums and study photos of happy times – they’re packed with hidden clues of the key factors that make you feel good. Was it the people you were surrounded by, what you were doing or even how you looked that made you smile? Think laterally to see what happiness triggers you can recreate.
7. Be inspired by a biography or memoir
It might be the memoir of an ordinary person with a pretty extraordinary life, or an extraordinary person sharing some ordinary feelings and experiences we can all empathise with. Often, through someone else’s voice, you can find inspiration and the motivation to change your circumstances.
8. See the light
Our bodies respond to light in the morning, which automatically lowers levels of the sleep hormone melatonin and raises levels of energising cortisol. Try spending some of your weekends or lunch hour in the warm sunshine to help uplift your mood and brighten your spirits.
