3 habits that make the biggest contribution to a happy life

Life has taught us holding back our emotions and clinging on to unhealthy beliefs. Turn to these 3 habits to stay happy and mentally healthy.
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What you see can make you happy. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Devina Kaur Published: 18 Apr 2022, 18:59 pm IST
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Human beings are creatures of habit. Changing habits can be challenging. It takes a lot of time and energy to change what has been taught to you or what you are comfortable with, especially if your habit doesn’t want to budge. There are many ways to approach a change in your mental state and stay happy. One way to do that is by finding out which habit makes the biggest difference in your life with the least effort.

4 habits that help you stay happy and make a huge difference in your lives:

1. Gratitude

We all know what gratitude is, but it isn’t talked about as much as it should be. Gratitude is the foundation of any success, and with the world’s current state of affairs, the more grateful you are for what you have, the better off you are. The next time someone does something nice for you—whether it be an act of kindness or simply lending a helping hand—stop and reflect on it. Take three seconds to figure out why they did that and how grateful you are for them. Gratitude is the fastest way to being happy and, in my opinion, one of the easiest things that you can do to make a big difference in your life with the least effort.
To be more specific, gratitude gives you joy because it results in the following:

Joys of today

When we are grateful for what we have today, our minds focus on the good things rather than on what is missing. We appreciate where we are and what we have, which gives us a sense of peace and excitement about everything that’s happening now.

tips for a happier life
Feeling happy is not as hard as you think. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Joys of tomorrow

When we are grateful and stay happy for what we have now, we can anticipate our future joys with greater enthusiasm and energy. Rather than focusing on what might be missing in our lives, we focus on what could be a great part of our lives that is coming up.

Joys of the past

When we are grateful for what has happened in the past, we give ourselves permission to appreciate and enjoy it again, which helps us relive some of our happiest moments when needed most. Plus, when we reflect on how fortunate we’ve been in the past, it’s easier to be hopeful about our future.
The goal is to be constantly grateful for what we have.

2. Letting go (release)

This concept of release is more of a process than something that you can do in five minutes, but I believe that it is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself. Think of letting go as a way to stay happy and completely release yourself of your habits and not worry about them anymore. How often do we care about things or people until they are already gone, and we wish we didn’t care as much?

Letting go isn’t easy, but it is necessary if you want to let certain things go and if you want to move on with your life. Make it a daily practice to take deep breaths and meditate. Use your time in stillness and silence to let go and release what no longer serves you. It all begins with self- awareness and knowing what you need at this moment.

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PERSONALISE NOW
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To stay happy, it’s better to let go of a toxic romance than to linger on. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

3. Acceptance

Acceptance is the most underrated trait in the world. I believe that everyone knows what acceptance means, but it is rarely practiced by many, and it isn’t even in their vocabulary for some people. Acceptance is essential to moving on from what happened or from your mistakes or from things you are embarrassed about. Not accepting these things can lead to regret; regret is a poison for happiness. When we accept things for what they are we make room for more non-judgmental behavior, which allows us to find inner peace. So accept what you cannot change as this adds present moment awareness and joy in our lives.

Affirmation to stay happy:

One of the easiest ways that I have found to make a huge difference in my life with the least effort is by being grateful for what I have. I am grateful for opportunities like this one because it has made me think about what habits make the biggest difference in my life and how important it is to unlearn the ones without benefit.

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About the Author

Devina Kaur is an inspirational speaker, radio host, and producer. She is also the author of the self-help book called "Too Fat Too Loud Too Ambitious". ...Read More

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