10 Tips On Attracting Happiness

There is nothing in this world more important than self-care. If you are not loving and forgiving with yourself, then you cannot be loving and forgiving with others.

These tips are just that: tips. Every individual must find his or her own way to stay happy and positive. This list is unique, because it is based solely on me: my attitude and my anxieties, and I am sharing it in hopes that you will incorporate one or two of these tips into your own life. I also hope these tips inspire you to make your very own Happiness List.

1. Take Care of Yourself First

If you have ever been on an airplane, you have most likely heard the safety announcement about the oxygen mask. You know, the one where the flight attendant tells you to first make sure that your own mask is securely on and fastened before you assist others with theirs. Well, live your whole life like that.

In order to survive, you must take care of yourself first. You cannot give what you do not have. You cannot love and care for others if you do not first love and take care of yourself. I am not telling you to be selfish and only focus on your own wants, I am telling you that it is okay to look after yourself first. If you haven’t slept well all week, then it is okay to skip the party. If you are mentally exhausted, it is okay to call in sick to work/school to recharge. If you are in a toxic relationship with a friend or a lover, it is okay to distance yourself. Your first and foremost responsibility is to make sure that YOU are okay: mentally, physically, and emotionally.

2. Get Active

Before you curse me out and slam your laptop shut, hear me out. I am not telling you that in order to be happy you have to run a 5k or lift weights, however if you enjoy that type of exercise, by all means pursue it. What I am saying is that, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy”(Elle Woods). It also promotes mental clarity and releases stress.

Personally, I despise running. It’s boring and long and I get cramps. Instead I found that high intensity workouts, such as HIIT and Kickboxing, are a lot more my speed. Find a workout that works for you and do it 3-4 times a week.

For me, one of the best feelings in the world is taking a cold shower after a good morning workout. I love to start my day that way, because by 10 am I have done three things. I have completed a task on my to-do list, I have done something beneficial for body (and my mind), and I have released endorphins, and as we know, endorphins make us happy.

Bottom line, be active everyday. Take a walk, take a spin class, look up a 5-minute abs workout on YouTube, just do something. Your body will thank you, and you will feel accomplished and happy.

If I wake up in a grumpy mood, the last thing I want to do is workout, but I know that I always feel better afterwards, so I do it. Find what makes your body feel good and do it.

3. Breathe

Yes, obviously you have to breathe to be happy, if you didn’t you would be dead, but that is not the type of breathing I am referring to. I am referring to controlled and conscious breathing, the type of breathing that comes from meditation and yoga. When I was in a bad mental headspace, I tried yoga as a form of therapy. I needed to stress less and focus on eliminating my anxieties, and yoga did just that.

Yoga is a spiritual and physical form of discipline that focuses heavily on breathing and contouring the body into certain positions. You can read about the infinite benefits of yoga on any number of cites, but I am going to tell you about the personal benefits that I have experienced.

I have noticed that since practicing, my body has been getting toned, especially my arms, I have become more flexible, I have been less stressed, I have been extremely in tune with my body, and I have gained more mental clarity. After a yoga practice, I gain a better perspective on my life and my worries. In all, I have only felt better after practicing yoga, so I highly recommend it.

Meditation is also extremely similar to yoga in the way that breath is controlled. Meditation is a way to focus only on the present. The past cannot be changed, the future cannot be controlled, and the most present experience of all is breathing. Me