My Top 5 Tips to Feeling Happy!

 
As someone who as struggled with bouts of depression since my early teens, I now make feeling better and Happy, a priority.
My lifestyle and daily choices play a huge part in this. But sometimes, even when I am consistent, I can still fall off into the gloom and I need a reset to feel better.

I wanted to share what has worked most recently for me, to quickly lift my mood and help me feel happier and more motivated to live the life I love 🙂

Here are my Top 5 Steps:

1: Getting rid of what brings me down-

Sounds simple enough, right? Why would I even have things that bring up bad feelings. Well, sometimes it‘s really subtle and I don’t even realize it right away.
A chipped mug for my morning tea, a dirty car that needs to be cleaned, or just simple items that need to be cleared or replaced.

A main culprit for me- my workout clothes. Since I’m using them to just workout in, I have the bad habit of letting them get a little too run down. Then each morning as I dress for the gym, I pull on yoga pants that are all stretched out and a tank top with a tear on it, and I feel pretty terrible about it.

Just because I’m only sweating in it, doesn’t mean it needs to be ruined.

So, I took the time to toss these items and go get new clothes for the gym, and I immediately felt recharged! I was more confident and excited to leave the house, and I even felt happy about it.
Next, I removed all the bird poo from my car with a simple wash, and voila! I love my car again. These little things can really wear us down if we’re already feeling a little low.

2: Be Authentically Me

This is a great one. Being myself. The more I am trying to be who I think others need me to be, the faster I burn out. There is a great book called The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive
 This book discusses that when we live in Congruence with who we desire ourselves to be, we are much happier. I love this! My mentor Rha Goddess speaks about Congruence being such an important step to success and happiness too.
Meaning, if you see yourself as a very motivated individual, but you can’t pull yourself off the couch on your days off… you’re going to feel pretty down about it. Or if you desire becoming more athletic, but you can’t make the time to train, then you won’t feel like your best self. Because your image of your ideal self is not matching your actions. Woah.

What we do, is much more important than what we say. As Rha says, “It’s how you Be.”  Love that 🙂

Also, the more we become who we desire to be and know who we authentically are, the brighter we shine!

Because let’s face it, trying to be who we ‘think’ we should be for other people is exhausting. There is something so empowering about knowing who you are and owning it. Even if it takes a little more discipline to get going.

All of the people I admire have the same trait- they are unapologetically themselves, even when it isn’t easy or ‘cool’.

When I take the time to do what I desire and need to do to feel my best, it always pays off to me being happier, and therefore being way more present for all of my clients and loved ones.

3: Get Sleep

I was going to say move my body, because this always helps. But, sleep still comes first. If I am not sleeping, I am not functioning at my best, I can’t workout and I am definitely not happy.

Prioritizing sleep is a must! This means arranging plans around making sure I have enough down time before bed, and also the right amount of hours once I’m in bed.

This is so important. People love to brag about their lack of sleep or how they only need 5 or 6 hours. If you’re a trained sleep-hacker, go right ahead and brag. But the majority of us all need more sleep.
And not just more sleep; better sleep.

My favorite sleep tips:

Black out your room- This will ensure your body knows it is time to rest and also stays resting. Our skin picks up ambient light, so even if you’re eyes are covered, you still need to hide glowing electronics or streetlights seeping through the blinds, or your body won’t fully relax.

No electronics before bed- if needed, make it easy reading. But no emails or intense tv shows. These raise your cortisol levels (stress response) and tell your body you are not ready for bed.

*If you want to read or look at your devices before bed, use these glasses Blue Blocking Driving Wayfarers Sunglasses Amber Tinted Lens 8451

They are blue blocking glasses that block the bright blue light from your device in a way that still lets your brain produce melatonin ( the hormone that tells your brain it’s time for sleep). I started using them a couple years ago, and I love them!

Making sure I am well rested helps me to balance the rest of my day. Giving me the chance to feel Happy and High Vibe.

4: Exercise

Of course, good rest is coupled with movement during the day. My dad (who hikes at least 2 miles a day) always says he can’t help but feel good while exercising, that nothing can really bother you while you’re sweating. So true.

So yes, exercise has become a healing tool for me. The hardest part is getting there- or even, getting the shoes on 😉 but once I do, the rest falls into place. Yogi Bhajan says, “90% of the practice is just showing up.” I find this to be so true.

They have run studies where they were trying to make exercise a daily habit. In order to do so, they had to train people to just get out of the house, lock the door and put on their running shoes. Once they had that part down, the rest followed suit.

Sometimes, that is what I do. I will just get to the gym with zero expectation other than showing up, then- the rest falls into place.

Best part is, once my heart rate is up and I have a good sweat going, just like my dad says- all my anxt or sadness seems to fade.

Flooding our body with endorphins is a great way to boost our mood and happiness. But, since it can be hard to motivate in a funk, having a partner to workout with helps immensely. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend or your partner to stick to a time and make sure you go 🙂 You’ll both be happier that you did. I promise.

5: Write out a Gratitude list

This helps me so much. Taking the time to be present and really feel the gratitude in all the little things in life, really adds up. At the end of the day, the things make me the happiest are the things I am truly abundant in- Like living in a great city, having an amazing family and of course, doggy cuddle time- The Best 🙂
Thinking of what I am grateful for always relaxes me. It can really help to gain some perspective too. Simply writing down three simple things is a wonderful way to feel good and remember that I am truly happy and grateful for this incredible journey 🙂

So there you go, those are the Top 5 things that help me to really turn it around. =But most importantly-maintain my happiness. 

I hope this helps you in some way. Being happy is a daily choice we make, but sometimes we really have to shift our lives to really feel it and maintain it. I know this firsthand. So remember to keep it up the best you can.  xoxo

And if you need any help moving forward, know that I do one on one coaching and specialize in Self-Care and Wellness. So please feel free to reach out for a free High Vibe Wellness Session so I can help you to truly amplify your life!

Lots of Love and Smiles,

Whitney