People tend to forget about the importance of happiness. They try to rush through life, check things off their to-do lists, and solely do the things that they feel have to be done, while forgetting to make time to be happy.

Usually pressured and stressed by due dates, life events and other things, finding true happiness sinks to the bottom of our priorities. Here are few scientifically proven tips and tricks that could better your mood and increase your general level of happiness.

Meditation:
Whether it is the first thing in the morning, right before bed or only for a few minutes between classes, meditation has many benefits such as practicing your self-awareness and decreasing your stress levels. It prompts you to slow down for a second and catch your breath, as well as reduce negative emotions and increase creativity.

You can meditate in many ways, whether it be different breathing techniques, moving while you meditate, practicing mantras, or doing guided meditations.

Walks:
Going outside is also a really good strategy, as the fresh air will cleanse your brain. You can put in music while you walk, but it is also recommended you do it without music. In stressful or overwhelming situations, it is good to be in a different space for a while, and basic movements can fire up the neurons.

Socializing:
Friends, family, and loved ones are great to have around for your mental health. People close to you, who know you best, will also probably know how to lift your spirits. These people will help you to feel and be more like yourself.

Harvard writer, and expert in psychology Daniel Gilbert put it this way, “We are happy when we have family, we are happy when we have friends and almost all the other things we think make us happy are actually just ways of getting more family and friends.”

Smiling:
Smiling releases molecules in the brain called neuropeptides that help fight off stress. Other neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and endorphins also get released. It also connects your brain with emotions of happiness, as it takes you back to moments when something actually made you happy.

Exercise:
Gretchen Reynolds wrote in The New York Times that it does not matter what type of exercise it is, any could improve your mood. In the article, they explained that people who exercised just one or two times per week were much happier than those who did not at all.

Helping:
Socializing has great benefits, but more specifically, helping others can have great benefits too. Helping out in itself is just a nice act of kindness, but it does not only benefit the receiving end, but also benefits the one helping.

Positive patterns:
The Tetris Effect is an interesting idea. It has been shown that our brains love patterns. Recognizing, or writing down when something good happens, will make you more likely to recognize positive patterns later too. This can be done by journaling or talking about it with friends or family over dinner.

Planning:
The last tip is to have something to look forward to. It’s good to plan anything out, to look forward to it, even if it won’t actually happen in reality.

The article, Science of People stated an interesting thought. They said that we often say “if…happens then I’ll be happy,” but instead of this we should really just try to be happier now because if we start off that way we’ll succeed faster and have more positive results.
https://www.scienceofpeople.com/how-to-be-happy/