Most people treat happiness like it's something that happens to them.
A vacation…
A promotion…
A new relationship…
But the research tells a very different story.
Studies in positive psychology show that your circumstances play a surprisingly small role in your overall happiness. What matters far more is what you do every day, with intention.
In other words: happiness isn't something you wait for... It's something you build.
So today I want to share 3 simple practices that have been shown to raise your happiness baseline over time.
#1: Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is simply noticing the good things in your life, big or small.
A warm cup of coffee. A text from a friend. A roof over your head.
Take 5 minutes to write down 3 things you're thankful for.
UC Davis researchers found that people who do this consistently report:
Better sleep…
Lower stress hormones…
Higher levels of wellbeing…
You don't need to feel grateful to start. The feeling follows the practice.
#2: Manage Your Stress Response
Stress and happiness cannot fully coexist.
When your nervous system is chronically activated, your brain is literally less capable of feeling positive emotions.
The fastest way to reset this is something called the physiological sigh.
Double inhale through your nose, then a long, slow exhale through your mouth. Do it 2-3 times.
Stanford researchers found this is more effective at reducing acute stress than most meditation practices, and it takes less than 60 seconds.
Anytime you feel stress creeping in throughout the day, give it a try.
#3: Spend Time in Nature
This one is consistently underrated.
A growing body of research shows that time outdoors:
Improves mood…
Reduces cortisol…
Lowers blood pressure…
Increases feelings of awe and perspective…
You don't need to go hiking in the mountains.
A 20-minute walk in a park produces measurable changes in brain activity associated with lower anxiety and higher wellbeing.
Given that most of us spend 90%+ of our time indoors, this is one of the easiest wins available to almost everyone.
If you can layer these 3 practices into your week, you'll be amazed at how much better you feel.
But just like with sleep, I recommend picking one to start with (whichever feels the most doable) and building from there.
We've now covered 4 of the 6 Pillars.
Nutrition.
Sleep.
Movement.
Mental Health.
I also made a resource library for you where you can find more information on any of the pillars, which you can find here.
Next week we get into what one Harvard study pointed to as the single most important factor of all.
Pillar #5: Relationships & Community.
