Ever wish that you were happier?

Long hours at the office, a lack of sleep, poor nutrition and other stressors chip away at your happiness. And that leaves you feeling less than savory at the end of the day. If you find yourself feeling stressed or flooded with this kind of negative energy, it’s important to remember that you are in control of  your thoughts, and ultimately, your life.

It is up to you to get happier, and to do that, positive changes must be made.

It’s a proven fact that more people in this world want happiness in their life over being rich or famous.  Unlike becoming rich and/or famous, reaching your own state of happification doesn’t have to be hard.  In fact, it can be FUN when you use proven methods that work best for you.    The great part about happiness is that ANYONE can find it.  Here are 5 of our favorites:

5 Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Happier Right Now

1. Drink Green Tea

The ancient secrets of green tea have always been revered for its soothing and relaxing qualities.  This sweet little leaf has also been shown to improve mood. A University study released scientific results showing that people who consumed green tea were more relaxed, attentive, and in a better mood overall. So sit down, have a cup, and cheer up!

2. Exercise more

Exercise releases proteins and endorphins in the brain that makes us happier, acting as a cure (and preventative agent) for depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and many other afflictions.

A study published by the National Institutes of Health can reduce anxiety, improve mood, increase brain power and provide many other health benefits.  More research has also revealed that if you exercise within the first 20 minutes of being active, you’ll witness the benefits of having a better day overall.

3. Meditate

Numerous scientific studies (over 200 in 2013) concluded that there are many positive benefits to meditation, including statements from the American Medical Association that say meditation is a beneficial practice.

One study in particular involved Neuroscientists at Harvard University who conducted a study that shows the brain can be physically changed with meditative practice.

In the study, Anatomical magnetic resonance images (MRI) were taken of 16 healthy participants before and after they underwent an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program. This program is one of the most widely-practiced by those seeking better mental functioning and emotional control.

After the program was completed, the second set of MRI scans were taken. The images showed increased gray matter concentration in 4 regions of the brain, including the hippocampus and cerebellum, responsible for learning and memory processes and emotional regulation! The participants reported improved mental processing, emotional balance, and other benefits.

With all of this scientific support, it’s easy to see why meditation should be instantly recognized as a go-to source to get happier!

4. Sleep more

Sleep helps the body recover and repair, and also helps us focus and be more productive. It turns out, it’s also important for our happiness.

In the book titled NurtureShock, authors Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman recall one specific study that revealed sleep-deprived people fail to recall positive memories, as well as negative ones.  In one experiment, sleep-deprived college students tried to memorize a list of words. They only remembered 81% of negative terms. However, they could only remember 31% of neutral or positive words.

Another study using facial recognitions proved that naps can block, or even reverse negative emotional reactions, while simultaneously boosting happy ones.

How well (and long) you sleep has a powerful effect on how you feel and your overall attitude throughout the day. Even the simple act of going to bed earlier has been shown to improve your sense of humor!

5. Get happier with gratitude

When life gives you a losing hand, remember how wonderful it is to still be sitting at the card table.  There is always, always, always something to be grateful for. It might even be the fact that you’re breathing and reading this.

Science shows that just by writing down what you’re grateful for, your mood can improve drastically.  Another study shows that by expressing gratitude, depression can decrease, and happiness and overall satisfaction with life can increase.

For further reading, check out these 7 ways you to rewire your brain and make powerful life changes. 

Let’s chat about this article. Leave a comment below with the ways you’ve found that always make you happier.

Happiness can be relative to the health of our chakras. Here’s a popular explanation by our friend Doe Zantamata from Happiness in Your Life.

7 Steps to Happiness

The colors of the above image represent the colors of the chakras, the energy centers of the human body. They correspond to our glands, to CHI life energy, and to our lymphatic system.

The meaning behind each color. . .

Think Less, Feel More

White is the Crown Chakra, which is our connection to God and The Universe. This is especially helpful when everything around us seems wrong. We can still know inside that things will get better. This is why I made it, “Think Less, Feel More.” As long as we can go within, pray, meditate, we can still feel joy and connection, even when nothing else around us in the physical world seems to support it.

Frown Less, Smile More

Purple is the Third Eye Chakra, which is similar to the crown except it’s a connection to others. It’s the place of intuition. I have it as “Frown Less, Smile More,” because if we are smiling, the world smiles back. If we think positively, we’ll be open to more positivity around us. One of the Laws of Karma says that if we believe something is true, the Universe will have no choice but to keep showing us that truth. That’s why it’s so important to keep smiling!

Talk Less, Listen More

Blue is the Throat Chakra, which is communication. Communication isn’t just talking. If you train yourself to listen, really listen, you will be able to communicate much better, which is why I made that one “Talk Less, Listen More.”

Judge Less, Accept More

Green is the heart, which is unconditional love to self and others, which is why it’s “Judge Less, Accept More”…you cannot love if you are judging, and you can accept when you love.

Watch Less, Do More

Yellow is the Solar Plexus chakra, which is one of action. Whenever you get nervous and you get that tightening in the chest below the ribs, that’s the solar plexus. In society today, we often watch..watch movies, watch tv, watch sports. We get in the habit of watching but not doing as much. Then this habit can also lead to a less “action” motivated response in us, so when we really want something or really don’t want something, we risk becoming more prone to just dealing with it and not taking the action(s) to change it. So this is “Watch Less, Do More.”

Complain Less, Appreciate More

Orange is the Sacral Chakra, which is the one of relationships. Just imagine how much better our relationships would be if we all thought daily to “Complain Less, Appreciate More?” 🙂

Fear Less, Love More

Red is the Root Chakra, which is the survival center. When we build our life on fears, we will have more and more fears. When we build our life on love, we will have more and more love…and ultimately, happiness. This is why it is “Fear Less, Love More.”

This image is also available as an inspiration refrigerator magnet for a daily reminder.

The path to authentically becoming happy involves clearing the blocks to the happiness already waiting within us–we were never meant to search for things on the outside because our wellspring was waiting inside. We don’t have to fix anything or make ourselves better–we just have to brush off the dust that’s clouding and dulling our shine.

Taking spiritual teachings from the esoteric realm, or intellectual level into an experiential level was the catalyst for my personal shift from suffering to happiness. We do this through making a commitment to ourselves and creating a daily practice in which we connect with our higher self in meditation and then throughout the day so that we are able to consciously observe our life by being “up above it” rather than “stuck within it”.

From this higher perspective, observe your thoughts, beliefs, emotions, actions, and patterns so that you can begin to see clearly what changes you need to make in order to clear the blocks to your happiness within.

5 Things to Release in Order to be Happy

1. Thoughts

We begin by identifying the spiritual ego which is synonymous with fear–this means all thoughts that are not love can be released. Loving perceptions feel expansive, inspired and free. Fearful perceptions feel tight, stuck and doubt, judgment and lack are at the forefront. Choose love over fear to truly be happy.

2. Beliefs

A belief is simply a thought that has come in over and over until it has formed into a belief. What we believe in, we create. Are you believing in a nightmare or a happy dream? Identify limiting beliefs and commit to releasing them moment-to-moment.

3. Emotion

Feeling is healing–as we allow emotions to surface and release, we clear emotional patterns from our bodies that were energetically blocking us from happiness and abundance.  Energy is always trying to flow to us in the form of new relationships, creative and financial opportunities, and even better health. However, it’s up to us to open the pathways to be happy.

4. Actions

The actions we take directly affect our well-being.  When we pay attention to those which lower or drain our energy, we can let them go; even if it might not make sense on a logical level, it’s important to listen to our inner guide and body because it knows best.

5. Patterns

Unconscious activities or behaviors are operating from the place of the ego, not our inner guide, which requires us to be present and conscious to align with it. Create awareness of the behaviors that create self-sabotage and cause you suffering, and have the willingness to let them go. This will allow them to fall away naturally. Thus, you can free yourself to become happy.

My clients begin working with me because they know there’s more and they’re ready to get to the next level. Create a life you love from the inside out and download your *free* copy of The Happiness Blueprint.

What is spiritual strength?

Like building physical strength when you work out, building spiritual strength is similar but on the inside. Building your “spiritual strength” activates your spirit and connection to the divine from within, giving you the power you need to live a life of purpose and fulfillment.  Even though you already may be living a fulfilling life, your spiritual exercises will make life that much sweeter.  

Just like the feeling after a physical workout, spiritual exercise allows your energy to flow more freely, and the feelings of love and positivity will fill your being. Negative thoughts will be forgotten and negative experiences will diminish.

You immediately feel happier when you give and receive positive energy through these exercises. Here are 7 simple spiritual exercises you can try right now.

7 Exercises for Spiritual Strength

1. Spend more time with loving, encouraging family/friends.

Think of your relationships for a moment, does it paint a picture that you’d like to improve?

Some of your best moments in life can be with family, but some others may not be so memorable.  Don’t hold on to the negative memories – they’re too much of a burden to bear.  Release them and know that they will be taken care of for you.  You are meant to be happy and enjoy life, especially happy times with those who you are close with.  When you’re focused on being spiritually centered, you are always divinely protected.  Some negative thoughts can come up and try to bring you down, but you can be confident in your spiritual strength,  letting it speak for you – kind of like a bodyguard!

Give this time with your family or friends the attention and love it deserves. When your heart opens up to your loved ones this way, new patterns and thoughts develop in you. From these new thoughts, you can build the foundation to healthier relationships.

Take action to show those important to you how much you appreciate them. It can be as simple as a phone call or email to warm someone’s heart.  It could even turn their whole life around.

2. Go outside as much as possible.

Getting outside is vital to building your spiritual strength.  An increased connection to nature and the Earth places you in alignment with the real living energy.  It directly connects you to the divine, allowing positive energy to channel to you and through you.  Enjoy the sunshine and let it shine on your face (your pineal gland is actually light-sensitive)  You can do this more by making it a habit to eat outdoors or even take a walk to watch the sunrise or sunset.

As you spend more time outside, be aware of the sights and sounds of nature.  Feel the energy of the wind as it blows past you and be sure to smell your surroundings.  You were meant to be pleased through your senses, and nature can do that in multiple ways.

3. Reduce distractions (TV, Radio, Internet, Newspaper)

Media can fill your mind with thousands of ads, episodes, and events that are nowhere near vital to living your best life.   When you reduce the absorption of participating in these activities, there is far less manufactured stimuli being fed in, and your brain has a chance to be silent.  These moments of silence gives you an opportunity to strengthen your spiritual connection and those around you.

And if you’re not ready to give these things up or reduce your intake (we understand), just try to sharpen your focus on what you DO want to see (like Power of Positivity), rather than what you don’t.

4. Observe your thoughts about the people around you.

It’s very important to send positive energy to others as well as opening up to receive it yourself.  There’s no room in this life to judge others, as you may be judged by others for your own actions.  Focusing on pain, gossip, fear, or sadness does not serve anyone.

The energy you send others can help them hurdle their challenge, or stumble trip and fall.  Be kind to all people.  See the good (and the God) in them and help try to amplify that voice to help lead them to their best life.  You may have no idea the kind of battle they’re fighting right now – the energy you send them is very important.

5. Step out in faith

Be confident to stand strong in the face of adversity.  Know that the Divine has got your back, and that a bigger breakthrough is in store for you beyond your challenges. There may be forces that have an investment in keeping you from receiving your best life, but when you decide to stand up or speak out, knowing that your faith is bigger than your fear, the illusion of fear that’s trying to hold you down will diminish and eventually disappear.

You become stronger and wiser when you step out in faith.  The lessons brought about by all people and situations we come into contact with are our teachers AND our exams – take this chance to get an A+!

6. Be of service to others

History shows that the most spiritually strong, peaceful, loving people were focused on being of service to others. Jesus, Buddha, Mother Teresa, Gandhi… the list goes on. There is real power and peace in service for its own sake.  Take time to help someone in need, or share a contact with them who can.  You don’t have to be special to be the turning point in someone’s life – every person you encounter is brought to you for a specific reason.  Serve the situation and your spiritual strength will surely grow.

7. Make prayer/meditation a habit.

Regular observance of the “unseen” helpers and guides, angels, or whomever you call on that surrounds you, will cause a change in you.  A great exercise for spiritual strength is to pray or meditate (however you prefer) at least two times a day.

Prayer or meditation usually has a formal beginning like “Dear God,” or “Dear Heavenly Father,” or “Oh Great Healing Spirit.” Other faiths have specific rituals, such as the Muslim religion reciting “The Opening” in a specific posture. It can be practiced in a variety of ways and positions, but all will ultimately help build your spiritual strength and lead you to your best life.   As you pray/meditate, sit quietly and allow the divine to come into you to strengthen and illuminate your spirit.  Keep your requests in the positive tense, focusing on healing instead of sickness or disease, abundance instead of scarcity, and so on.  If you acknowledge the negative energy, you claim ownership to it and allow it to stay in your life.  Flood it with the positive!

Make Spiritual Exercise a Daily Priority

Be sure to also set aside specific times for this spiritual exercise and try your best to stick to this schedule.  This discipline shows the divine that you are ready to show up for life.  You can practice prayer and meditation at any time however, you can connect with the divine whenever you like, just by reminding yourself verbally or through thought that you are always one.  Over time, you will see many positive results from this spiritual strength exercise.

Develop a routine from these exercises and remain steadfast in your focus of growing your spiritual strength. As you practice, you’ll see your life improve in front of your eyes. You will also see that there’s far more strength inside you than you could have ever imagined.  Spiritual strength creates beautiful life experiences that cannot be explained in physical terms, gives you confidence, and lets you know that you’re moving in the right direction of life.

What exercises do you practice to increase your spiritual strength?

Life is just like the weather.  You can be feeling the positive flow one moment, and be caught in a rainstorm of negativity the next. Some days you need an optimism umbrella

Even on the clearest, most beautiful day you can have a popup shower or huge storm. You can be like a weather expert and attempt to predict the forecast, but sometimes you just never know.

That’s why it’s important to carry your umbrella. . . your “Optimism Umbrella”.

The “Optimism Umbrella” is just like a traditional umbrella, which protects you from harsh weather, except it protects you from the inside out. It keeps your mind clear and shields your soul. It’s important to consciously remember to carry this around and know how to open it when dark clouds appear.

Here are 3 ways to open your optimism umbrella

Remember to breathe

During any storm of negative energy, the first thing you need to do is see the storm, and realize that even though you may be in the midst of the storm, you’ve got your umbrella with you and can stay dry, calm and collected.  The first step to opening your umbrella however, is delivering oxygen to your brain to think.

Multiple studies have shown that taking time to focus on your breathing can drastically reduce negative energy in many different forms, including pain and stress. Not only does deep breathing in fresh air help reduce negativity, it’s also the most important element to your life. We couldn’t survive more than two minutes without breathing.

So take a few slow, steady, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.  4 counts in, 8 counts out. Verbally affirm that you are protected.  You deserve to do this for yourself at least 10 times every day!

Don’t be afraid to jump into the puddles

Each sunny day in life brings new opportunities.  But the stormy days bring new challenges.  Luckily, these challenges have the ability to transform into opportunities for knowledge and personal growth.  With the wrong attitude however, a small rain shower can quickly turn into a thunderstorm.

Find the best way to enjoy the moment and be grateful.  Jump in the puddles or do your best Fred Astaire and sing in the rain. Life is not about what happens to you, it’s about what you do when life happens to you.

See the silver lining. After all, you have an optimism umbrella!

As with any storm, realize that it’s going to eventually come to an end. Look for the rays of sunshine and hope. You will be in the light once again, and when you are, you’ll put away your umbrella until you need it next and be grateful for the experience.

There’s never a time your optimism umbrella can’t help you. Just open it up and allow it to aid you wherever you go.

“When it rains, it pours. But that’s what umbrellas are for.” – Kristen Butler

Shine ON!