November 19th, 2020

                                 HOW TO BE HAPPY IN HARD TIMES

Cultivating happiness in our days may seem an impossible task. The simple things that brought us joy so easily before such as traveling, hugging our loved ones, or grabbing lunch with friends are suddenly out of reach. However, we can find new creative ways to cultivate happiness. It does not mean pretending everything is fine or denying our feelings. It means seeking out momentary, fleeting sparks of joy wherever they can be found.

Here are a few strategies to develop happiness:

1.Train your brain to be positive. As human beings, our brain is wired to notice what things are wrong. It is a survival mechanism that helped us stay safe in prehistoric times. In our modern safer world, we still use this predisposition to focus on negativity that contributes to stress and unhappiness.
Instead, let us try to express gratitude. A few examples include giving sincere thanks to others, keeping a gratitude journal, counting your blessings, writing a letter to gratitude to someone who had an essential impact in your life.
Gratitude helps us experience more positive emotions, decrease depression, and our relationships.

2. Nurture and enjoy your relationships. Human beings are social creatures. As such, we do need strong connections with others. You can nurture strong relationships by making a conscious effort to stay connected, investing in quality time with the people you care about, seeking out happy people, and taking delight in the good fortune of others.

3. Notice and savor small pleasures. When you focus on the present moment, you are much more likely to feel centered and grounded noticing the good things happening around you. To increase your enjoyment, adopt enjoyable daily rituals such as lingering over a cup of coffee or taking a short stroll in the sunshine, minimize multi-tasking as focusing on one thing at a time will increase your pleasure, and remember happy memories from your past as it leads to more positive emotions in the present.

4. Focus on helping others. When helping others and feeling like our actions make a difference in the world, then we develop a fulfilling feeling of satisfaction that boosts our self-esteem and general well-being. Living a more altruistic and meaning life may include volunteering, practicing kindness, and playing out to your strengths such as curiosity, creativity, honesty, perseverance, and loyalty.
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In those difficult times, we have no power over the environmental stressors. However, we do have power over an inner change of perspective and attitude. Implementing these few tips should help us make a difference.