5 Happiness-Boosting Things To Do To Start Your Year Off Right, According to Positive Psychologists

Embark on a journey of joy and positivity as we delve into five happiness-boosting activities, endorsed by positive psychologists, to kickstart your year. Discover how these simple yet powerful practices can transform your outlook and elevate your everyday life.

Happiness follows action

Instead of focusing on being happy, invest in the process of doing things that bring you happiness

• You can’t hunt for happiness directly. You have to find it through secondary means like deep fulfillment, intimate connection, and services to others
• Happy (happiest) new year!

Double down on sleep

Sleep has a major influence on your mood and well-being, and without adequate sleep, you will forever be stuck in reactionary patterns that govern unconscious habits.

• To improve it, you need to emphasize quality, quantity, and consistency
• All three factors matter in repairing long-held patterns of chronic sleep disruption

Move your body (even just a little)

Aim for 15 minutes of movement at least twice a day

Set short-term goals for yourself

When we set realistic goals it helps motivate us to achieve them which in turn boosts our mental health.

• Give yourself credit for partially meeting the goal and think about how goal setting can impact your job, relationships, and self-care this year.

Sit still

Mindfulness-slash-stillness practice can have revolutionary effects on your happiness levels

• The biggest ROI in terms of cost, time, and outcome, by far, is a stillness or meditation practice of some sort
• Think of things you’re grateful for, then extend feelings of kindness out to others

Fix Broken Boundaries

Setting boundaries is key to your mental health and well-being.

• Observe where you are overextended and try to assess the root causes of your over-eagerness and create and enforce boundaries accordingly
• Protect your free time

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