Aim to be altruistic
Lending a helping hand makes you feel
good; one way to do that is to volunteer.
Lots of people are getting on board and
a Volunteering Australia report showed 43.7
per cent of adult Australians volunteered
a total of 932 million hours a year.
Volunteering gives you the opportunity
to challenge yourself, to enjoy new cultural
experiences, to build self-confidence and
create new friendships.
A survey by Volunteer Ireland of more
than 500 volunteers showed over 98 per
cent of respondents said volunteering
made them feel happier in life.Be a scribe
Write down your thoughts and feelings
as this promotes happy vibes. The power
of prose encourages self-expression and
a more intimate understanding of the
universal connection between mind, body
and spirit.
Researchers from Northumbria University
in the UK in 2018 studied individuals who
were feeling depressed. Their research
showed emotional writing was a powerful
tool in alleviating stress and anxiety.
Writing gives clarity to thoughts and helps
problem solving through the imagination.
It’s not just about the written word; start a
journal that contains drawings, painting or
craft, a mixture of photographic images or
a collage made from drawings or gifts from
nature you collect.
Make a life “to-do” list. Don’t be afraid
to dream big or do what you can to make
it happen.Let go of your refl ection
When you look into the mirror, what do you
see? The image, your reflected self, looks
back at you. Let go of the inner prejudice
that tells you aren’t young/tall/slim/good
enough and instead, notice another image
looking back at you. This is your authentic
and true self. If you find yourself ruminating
on negative thoughts about yourself, pause.
Take a deep breath and shift your focus
to think about something positive you’ve
achieved or are most proud of.Nourish your soul
Feed your psyche with things you
love. For some, this might mean quiet
contemplation or meditation, immersing
yourself in nature, yoga or music. For
others, it’s the call of the sea, the lure
of a historic ruin or the poetry of song,
dance or art.
Look within. Discover what moves
you. Find ways that nurture your spirit;
ways that allow you to escape the noisy
labyrinths of day-to-day life. While it’s
not always possible to physically remove
yourself, when you next feel a tinge of
discontent, transport your mind to your
happy place.You’ve got to move it, move it
Exercise makes you feel happier. The
good news is you don’t need to have
a lengthy workout to reap the feel-good
benefits. Researchers at the University
of Vermont showed investing just 20–30
minutes of exercise per day can leave
you feeling happier for up to 12 hours.Everyone has 24 hours in a day; how you
choose to spend them is up to you. Exercise
in your lunch break or buddy up with a friend
after work. There’s also early morning,
too, before the hustle and bustle of the day
begins. There’s no better time to let those
happy hormones kick-start your day.
If early morning motivation is not
your friend, Shawn Achor, author of The
Happiness Advantage, has a suggestion:
sleep in your workout gear then just roll
out of bed, put your shoes on and get out
the door. “The decisions that seemed too
daunting in my groggy morning state had
been decided for me, ahead of time,” he
writes. “And it worked. Eliminating the
choices and reducing the activation energy
made getting up and going to the gym the
default mode.”Connect with the natural world
Hugging a tree or going for a walk can
make you feel happier and less stressed.
There are so many ways to enjoy nature,
to bask in its serenity and to drink in its
raw beauty. Enjoy a rainforest walk with
the family, take a stroll around the park
with your four-legged friend or swim in
a cascading waterfall.
Dr Justin Lawson of the Health,
Nature and Sustainability Research
Group at Deakin University says people
feel rested, rejuvenated and even more
spiritually fulfilled when they connect
with the natural world. “Cortisol levels
reduce after time in nature, stress levels
decrease and as a result, depression and
anxiety reduce, too,” he says. Photography^ GettyImagesFind ways that nurture your spirit;
ways that allow you to escape the
noisy labyrinths of day-to-day life.66 | wellbeing.com.au
mind
HAPPINESS