Life is a set of happiness and delicate situations, the latter more easily tend to grab us. And if we tried to to let us go on the bright side, rather than the daily hassle?
The pharmacist Emile Coué had already explored 100 years ago the Positive thought as therapy ("every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better"!). Since then, studies have shown impact on health and longevity.
here is 8 techniques to stay optimistic and take life on the right side :
1 / Keep a notebook of "happiness"
Buy a small notebook that you will put near your bed. Every night, take the time to write down a situation, encounter, smell or look that has touched you or made you feel positive emotion.
There is a variant of doing this on small papers once a week and you put them in a pot, you can consult them when you have a lower morale.
I did it last year. At the end of the year, I reread my little papers and I realized that even if thought that my year had been average, there were plenty of small joys daily that we do not pay attention.
A "thank you" that is nice, hear the voice of a relative on the phone, eat a piece of chocolate cake … there are so many good times in a day! An excellent tool therefore, which also allows to guard against depression.
2 / Exercise
Even a few minutes every day allow to to feel better in his body. Sport also allows you to empty yourself by focusing solely on physical exercises. It can also be a relaxing moment with family or friends.
In short, you will have understood, the sport helps us to stay in shape and also to be happier, it is besides the conclusion of a Dutch study which showed that those who make sport are more satisfied with their life than those who do not. All you have to do is find the sport that suits you and have fun.
3 / Live simply, no frills
The consumer society pushes us to buy anything and everything. But do we really need an umpteenth food processor or this DVD?
Often you will find that what you want to sell is not helpful. Come back to basics, sort, de-clutter your house and you will find that it will have an effect on your mind.
Marie Kondo, Japanese consultant, has also written a book on this theme, which I invite you to read. His method helps you to sort by keeping only the objects that make you feel joy, the others you give them.
She concludes that sorting in your outside helps you sort through yourself. Your vision will change and help you have a foolproof morale.
4 / Read
Plunge into a novel or read our favorite magazine allows us to escape, well stuck in our chair. But does reading have other unsuspected benefits? The answer is yes because it allows to work our brain: improving memory, helps keep a sharp mind, to express his ability to empathize …
The brain only wears out if it is not used!
Reading also makes it possible to set up an evening ritual and sleep better, which will have an influence on your recovery and your morale because it is much easier to be happy and optimistic after a good night's sleep.
In our lives at 200 per hour between work and children, we often forget this moment of relaxation necessary, so do not hesitate to get back in touch with the paper, the time of a few pages of reading.
5 / Meditate
Far from any religious concept, meditation allows to escape, to leave aside our worries and regain the inner calm necessary to rejuvenate. A few minutes a day are enough.
However, letting go is sometimes difficult. It may take several weeks to get to be zen but the game is worth the effort. You can regain wellness, emotional stability, restful sleep, or increased attention.
Its benefits are being studied by scientists who note that regular meditation has a physiological effect on the brain. There are several types of meditation (focused attention, mindfulness or compassion or altruism), it's up to you to test and find the one that will allow you to regain zen attitude!
6 / Sing, dance, laugh!
Sometimes we think nostalgically of our childhood, a time when we were free, happy not to ask ourselves existential questions. It is up to us to detach ourselves from our daily concerns, even for an afternoon.
Try at least once a week to have a moment just for you. Take the opportunity to join a choir, a salsa class or a theater class.
There are even classes of "laughing"! Doctors are also beginning to take an interest in it as preventive and curative medicine. According to Norman Cousins, precursor of this therapy, laughter helps resist stress, physical and mental pain, and promotes positive emotional states.
So what are we waiting for to laugh more?
7 / Stop moaning
Moaning can be felt as an outlet, but in reality it is a pollution in our daily relationships. We make our complaints to others but especially to ourselves because ultimately it does not move forward!
It is true that one often rattles without noticing it, on his children, his job, the clothes and the toys that hang around, the bills to pay …
As Christine Lewicki says so well To stop moaning is to realize that life is not against me, but with me ". She proposes on her blog, a challenge of 21 days to stop moaning. We realize that stopping to let go of highlight what we want and not what we hate.
This is an original way to stay optimistic that we could all test.
8 / Give your time
When we rehash bad experiences, we think that our life is terrible, that the positive will not come back soon. To relativize, I suggest you think about a commitment that you could take for the good of the community.
What are the associations in your neighborhood? What skill can you offer to share with others?
Distribute meals to the homeless, volunteer at the library or advocate for the welfare of animals, opportunities to do good do not miss.
Helping poor people and sharing your experiences with younger people can make you feel useful, support more unfortunate that is helps to relativize and regain confidence.
There are many ways to keep our optimism and see the good side of life. Which is the one that speaks to you the most among those proposed?
Do you have other solutions to propose?
Article proposed by Bonheuretsante