Follow these three daily practices to build a happy life
Happiness often takes more than positive thinking – it requires constant and consistent effort to live your best life, according to Eric Zimmer, host of The One You Feed podcast.
If you want to start your journey towards a happier life, try following these steps, as Business Insider reports:
1. Meditate
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Even two or three minutes of meditation a day can be helpful. Meditation can make you more present, focused and empathetic, according to Zimmer. It also helps avoiding mental autopilot. Beginners can start by sitting in a quiet place for a few minutes at the same time every day. They should be attentive to what is happening in the moment, concentrating on the breath. If a thought comes up, they should return to the breath. Other types of meditation can also be practiced – such as running or cleaning up – as long as being in the moment is the goal.
2. Set phone alarms to prevent zombie scrolling
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr & co. are designed in such a way that they tempt you to keep scrolling. YouTube and Netflix’s autoplay features are there to get you to keep binge-watching. While the desire to distract yourself with your phone is natural, mindless Internet use is best avoided. For instance, if you only want to scroll through Facebook’s newsfeed for 10 minutes, set an alarm. When it goes off, exit the app or log off. “The more we are conscious about how we spend our time and do things that matter to us, the more content we will be,” Zimmer says.
3. Play the alphabet game to derail negative thoughts
Negative thoughts occur even in the happiest of people. Whenever negative thoughts start to overwhelm you, you should try playing the alphabet game. Start with A, naming something you appreciate that starts with this letter. Move on to B, than to C, and keep doing this until you get to Z. Unhealthy thought patterns are inevitable and hard to overcome, but you can stop them in their tracks with this game, according to Zimmer. “It brings your brain back and can be more effective than just positive thinking. The puzzle aspect helps gratitude stick more,” he said.
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