32 Little Habits That Can Change Your Life

Research says the best way to bring change into your life is by creating new routines and sticking to them until they become habits. The way to make sure we cultivate the new behavior is to reward ourselves. With motivation, we repeat the action again and again until it becomes ingrained.

1. Take care of yourself : A healthy body is the key to happiness. If you have poor health, it’s very difficult to be happy no matter how hard you try. So make sure you eat well, exercise and find time to rest. Take good care of your body, your mind and your spirit.

2. Live in the present : When you feel depressed, you’re living in the past. When you feel worried or anxious, you’re living in the future. But when you feel content, happy and peaceful, you’re living in the present. 

3. Cultivate compassion : When we try to step into other people’s shoes and understand a situation from another’s perspective, we’re more likely to handle the situation with compassion, objectivity and effectiveness. There will be less conflicts and more happiness.

4. Keep learning : Learning keeps us young and dreams keep us alive. When we engage our brains and put them toward productive uses, we’re less likely to dwell on unhappy thoughts and much more likely to feel happy and fulfilled.

5. Become a problem solver : Happy people are problem solvers. When they encounter a challenge in life, they don’t beat themselves up and fall into a depressive state. Instead, they face up to the challenge and channel their energies toward finding creative a solution. By becoming a problem solver, you’ll build up your self-confidence and your ability to accomplish whatever it is you set your mind to – and whatever challenges life throws your way.

6. Do what you love : Since we spend over one-third of our adult life working, loving what we do has a huge impact on our overall happiness. If this is not possible at the moment, then try to find enjoyment and meaning in your current work, or cultivate a hobby that involves doing something you love.

7. Attitude of Gratitude : When you have a grateful heart that is appreciative of life’s beautify, wonder and blessings, you’re automatically filled with happiness. Look around you, and pay attention to the little details in your life – the delicate purple flower on the sidewalk, the beautiful sunset, the hot shower that washes away your long day, and the smile in your partner’s eyes… 

8. Laugh often : Laughter is the most powerful anecdote to anger or depression. Research has shown that the simple act of curving the corners of your mouth can increase your feeling of happiness. So don’t take life too seriously. Try to find humor and laughter in life’s everyday struggles.

9. Practice forgiveness : Resentment and anger are forms of self-punishment. When you forgive, you’re actually practicing kindness to yourself. And most importantly, learn to forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s through our mistakes that we learn and grow to become a bigger and better person.

10. Say thanks often : Always be appreciative of the blessings in your life. And it’s equally important to express your appreciation to those who’ve made your life better in some way, big or small.

11. Create deeper connections : Our happiness multiplies when we connect and bond with another human being on a deeper level. And being fully present and listening are two of the most important skills to strengthening that bond and bringing happiness to ourselves, and to others.

12. Keep your agreement : Our self-esteem is built on the agreements we’ve made with ourselves. And high self-esteem has a direct correlation to happiness. So keep your agreements with others and with yourself.

13. Meditate : According to Harvard, people who take 8 sessions of mindfulness meditation training are, on average, 20% happier than a control group. Such training can lead to structural brain changes including increased grey-matter density in the hippo-campus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection.

14. Focus on what you’re doing : When you put your mind, heart and soul into what you’re doing, you’re creating a happiness state – called the “flow.” When you’re living in the flow, you’re less likely to care about what others may think of you, and less bothered by things that are not that important. The result? More happiness, of course!

15. Be optimistic : For happy people, the glass is always half-full. If your tendency is to imagine the very worst-case scenario every time you face a challenge, then train yourself to reverse that tendency. Ask yourself what good can come out of the situation or what you can learn from it. Optimism surely fuels success and happiness.

16. Love unconditionally : No one is perfect. Accept yourself for all of your imperfections. And do so for others. Loving someone unconditionally does not mean that you need to spend all your time with them or help them figure out their problems. Unconditional love means accepting people as they are, and allowing them to find their own ways, at their own pace.

17. Don’t give up : Unfinished projects and repeated defeats inevitably dampen one’s self-esteem. If you’ve made up your mind to do something, see it through. Don’t give up until you succeed. Remember, failure is temporary but defeat is permanent. And defeat only occurs when you give up.

18. Do your best and then let go : Everyone has limitations, and things don’t always turn out to be what we’d like them to be – despite our efforts. So always give your best, and then let go. Let events run their course. When you’ve done your best, you’ll have no regrets.

19. Choose your friends wisely : According to Harvard, the most important external factors affecting individual happiness are human relationships. So if you want to be happy, choose to be around people who are optimistic, who appreciate you as you are, and who can make your life richer, bigger, more fun, and more meaningful. 

20. Give back : Doing good is one of the surest ways to feel good. According to Harvard, when people do good, their brains becomes active in the very same reward center that is stimulated when they experience other rewards. So it’s not a surprise that people who care more about others are happier than those who care less about others.

21. Accept things with love and understanding : No matter where you are, or what you’re doing, always believe that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Never expect, assume, or demand. Do the best you can to control your circumstances, and learn to accept that you can’t always control everything. Once you’ve done all that is in your power, if it’s meant to happen – it will.

22. Life can be simple : Even though you often feel like life is too complicated, it can always be simple. All you need to do is focus on one thing at a time. You don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to do it right now. Be present, be active, do the best that you can. Whatever you put into life – life will hand back to you, with interest.

23. Don’t change for other people : Make people accept you the way you are, or not accept you at all. Always say what you really think, even if it’s not the popular opinion. When you’re true to yourself, you add beauty to the world – beauty that was missing. You should stay in line, just make sure it’s YOUR line.

24. You’re not who you were : You’ve been through a lot in life. You’ve studied, been hurt, and changed. Every day we learn something new which changes us in some way or another. Sometimes we realize we’re not who we used to be, but that’s perfectly normal. Everybody changes. In your life, people will point out the changes, and all you need to do is tell them “Of course I’ve changed, and so have you. Everybody changes.”

25. Everything that happens is for the best : Be it significant or otherwise, joyous or sad, anything that happens will end up being in your favor. Everything that happens to us builds us and helps us grow. Life will take you places, show you things, heal you and make you into a better person. Don’t be afraid to try or even to fail, in the end, everything is just a small part of life’s larger plan to turn you into whom you’re supposed to be.

26. Choose happiness, not wealth : Many people live their lives believing that money will make them happy, but the pursuit of wealth is devoid of meaning. Every choice you make, be sure to consider your happiness, not your bank account. In this way, when you’ve reached old age, you’ll know the true value of things, not their monetary value. In the end, you’ll understand that the best things in life are things that money can’t buy – love and friendship.

27. Decide to be positive : One of the most important things you should understand about life is that if you’re not happy, it is not the circumstances that are to blame, but your decision to be unhappy. Every time life places obstacles in your path, give life a big grin, accept the obstacle’s existence and overcome it with joy. Make the decision to be happy, stand by your decisions and do whatever is in your power to keep them. This is the true secret to happiness.

28. Give the people you love your full attention : We can get used to being surrounded by loved ones and start taking them for granted. When you ask someone close to you how they are, don’t accept an “okay”, look into their eyes and ask them about their day, and how they feel. If you feel that you only have friends that remember you when they need something, don’t worry, be happy that you’re a source of light and hope for them.

29. Learn to set a loved one free : At times, we need to set a loved one free to allow them to grow and evolve. Every little sprout must leave the greenhouse and be planted in a larger pot to grow to its full size and bloom. It is not what you do for your loved ones that will help them grow, but rather what you taught them and how they use that knowledge.

30. Stop looking for a happy ending : We humans tend to search for some happy ending in whatever happens to us. We want a sense of closure and completion, but sometimes it’s simply not how life is. If you feel like you’ve been searching for that happy ending for too long, you may need to, instead, search for a new beginning. Never be afraid to leave everything and start anew, you still have time, no matter what your age may be. Aspire to make the most out of whatever time you have on this planet.

31. Some things you only understand when you’re older : In the end, people will judge you according to your actions, that’s why instead of trying to impress and please everyone, follow your heart and do what you want to do, without fear. Remember that it’s better to remember something and say “I can’t believe I did it!” rather than “I wish I did it…”

32. Sometimes, you need to leave people behind : Sadly, not all our friends help us become better people. In some cases, friends can keep us stunted, not out of malice, but because they want to keep you down at their level. Learn to tell when this happens and stick only to friends that help you grow, lift you up, and inspire you to be who you really are.

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