How To Be A Happier Person

"To be happy, you must be your own sunshine" - C. E. Jerningham.

Happiness has a different meaning for everybody. The Oxford Dictionary defines the term 'happy' as 'feeling or showing pleasure or contentment'. But why should anyone try to make themselves a happier person? The answer is quite clear. When you are happy, you are generally more confident, more enthusiastic and radiate your happiness to others, thus having better relationships. It is possible for someone to train their brain to see the benefits of every situation and make happiness a way of life, rather than a temporary emotion.

Ask yourself why. "Why was I previously unhappy? What was I doing in my life that made me have such low spirits?" Whatever it was, eliminate it right now. You cannot aspire to become a happier person, if you are still doing something that makes you the exact opposite of that. It just won't work. If it was a certain thing that you do in your morning routine that did not start your day right, then you need to stop whatever you were doing. If it was a certain image you saw on your way to work, take a different route. Once you have recognised what it was, and you are making maximum efforts to stop it, then, and only then can you truly say that you are trying to become a happier person.

Take care of your body. In 1999, a team of study researchers divided a group of 50+ males and females who all suffered from severe depression, into three groups. Group one did aerobic exercises three times a week. Group two took Zoloft, an anti-depressant. The third group did both the aerobic exercises, and took Zoloft. "What was the result?", I hear you eagerly ask. After four months, all of the participants had benefited, as they all had increased self-esteem and happiness. In fact, six months later, the group who did the aerobic exercises were less likely to relapse into their depression, than the group who only took the anti-depressants. So it's proven - exercise is a miracle worker for happiness!

Smile. Smiling is not only a response to happiness. It can also boost our happiness, or make us happy if we were unhappy to begin with. The reason this works, is because your facial muscles send direct neurological messages to your brain. If you are smiling, it is associated with happiness and your brain understands these signals. If your smile is remarkably large, a muscle in the corner of your eye is being flexed. This immediately tells your brain "You must be feeling ecstatic!", because this muscle is only used when you are truly smiling.

Surround yourself with positive people. There's no way you will become a happier person, if your peers are constantly complaining or are in a gloomy mood. When you spend a great quantity of time with a person, you may start to pick up their habits. Similarly, if you spend plenty of time with a perpetually saddened person, eventually you too will become as sad as them. If these people do not benefit you in life, then move on and meet some new people. Although it may be difficult at first, in the future you will realise a difference in your frame of mind around the miserable people, and the new, optimistic people.

Do what you want to do. Whether that be running a few miles everyday or learning a new language, putting the time and effort into an activity you know you will take pleasure in doing will make you happier. When you provide time for your dreams, you're providing time for yourself. In other words, you're saying that you are important, you matter. If you only ran one mile that day, don't kick yourself about it. Ask yourself why that happened, and what you can do to improve next time. Above all, never give up on yourself or your dreams.