8 Habits of Happy and Content People

Happiness is About Doing

Happiness is about DOING

Photo by Denise Jones on Unsplash

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Happiness and contentment are the results of thinking and doing the “right” things each day, so they are the byproducts of having a certain set of habits.

You’re much more likely to feel good each day with the proper habits. The wrong set of habits can make you miserable about life.

Most people think and approach life in a way that makes happiness unlikely to occur regularly. However, you can stack the deck in your favour!

Habits are an essential part of feeling happy and content.

Happy and content people practice gratitude each day.

Gratitude is a popular topic these days, and there’s a good reason for that.

Gratitude keeps your mind in a positive place and enhances your perspective.

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Their minds are on the present moment.

Our mind only does a few productive things:

● It can make a plan for the future.

● It can learn from the past.

● It can deal with what’s happening right now.

Nearly anything else your mind does creates unhappiness, such as worrying about the future, regretting the past, or wasting time by amusing itself in non-productive ways.

Keep your mind on what you’re doing as much as possible, and you’ll experience more feelings of happiness in your life.

Exercise. Spending all day sitting is a recipe for misery. After a good workout, notice how much better you feel. It takes a little practice to figure out how much is too much, and how much isn’t enough.

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” — William James

Get enough sleep. Try getting three hours of sleep each night for a week and notice your mood! Most experts agree that adults require 7–9 hours of sleep each night. If you’re getting less, you’ll probably feel better if you sleep longer each night.

Work on their goals. People who are making progress toward their goals tend to be happy.

Look at the area of your life that you feel needs the most work. What are a couple of goals you can set that are related to this part of your life?

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

They spend time with those who support their happiness.

Everyone in your life is either making you happier or more miserable. Spend time with those who support your happiness, and stay away from others as much as possible.

They are optimistic.

Optimistic people are happier than those who have negative expectations. However, being overly optimistic when faced with great risk can lead to disaster. Be realistic, but give the future the benefit of the doubt.

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” — The Dalai Lama

They control what they can control.

Unhappy people worry about what they can’t control. They also fail to control the things they can control. If you fail to control what can be controlled, your life spins out of control.. When you lack control over your life, you will be unhappy.

Look at your habits and decide if someone with that particular set of habits is more likely to be happy or unhappy. What are a few habits you need to add to be happier? Which of your current habits do you want to eliminate?

Key Point

The right habits can greatly enhance your happiness and contentment.

The wrong habits make those emotions less likely to occur. Adopt positive habits and enjoy life as your happiness grows.

Thanks for reading

Alan /|\