Principle #6 – Move into Action
The gifts have been opened, and the family has gone home. It’s tough to get back into the groove of things after the holidays. We are on a happiness high, and for some of us, happiness comes crashing down and the winter blues start to settle in. How do you sustain the holiday happiness all year? You know what I’m talking about, the warm, goodwill toward all, feeling? I’ve battled the post-holiday blues a lot throughout the years, so I get it.
Cindy and I attended Brendon Burchard’s Experts Academy last fall and I had the same happy feeling. As we were heading home, Cindy asked me how I was going to sustain the warm fuzzy feelings of happiness I felt while we were at the seminar. It stopped me in my tracks and I just stared at her. I told her “Um…I don’t know”. I’ve never thought about how to sustain happiness or even that happiness fades. Seriously, that’s kind of deep!
“Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves.” – Helen Keller
I’ve learned what helps me sustain my feelings of happiness. Maybe they will work for you.
- Surround yourself with happy and positive people. Happy people are contagious. When people are laughing and having a good time, it’s hard not to laugh with them.
- Be nice to people. Complimenting someone or giving back by helping people in need, feeds the heart and will put you in a joyful mindset.
- Do something that you love to do. What do you enjoy doing? Maybe reading a book or going to a movie.
- Get outside for a little fresh air. I know what you’re thinking, it’s cold out there! But you know, getting out in the sunshine and getting much-needed Vitamin D energizes you. So, bundle up and go for a walk.
Happiness affects our health and well-being. We should make happiness a priority. And through self-awareness, we can retrain our brains to think happier and to be more optimistic. There’s a sense of peace and contentment when you are happy. Which leads to a feeling of personal freedom.
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., the author of Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence, states that research has shown that we can retrain our brain to sustain positive emotion. He explains that positive experiences don’t remain in the brain and give us long-lasting happy feelings. But negative thoughts and events linger and trigger feelings of being worried or frazzled. The negativity prevents healing and from letting go of bad experiences. Dr. Hanson developed four simple steps based on scientific research on how to rewire our brain for joy. Read more about his four steps in his article Hardwire Your Brain For Happiness.
Most people want happiness and to sustain it when they find it. So, how will you move into action to find your true happiness? Maybe a good place to begin is to build on the happiness found during the holidays. Don’t let it slip away!
Freedom is possible!
Love,
Deb