How to Choose Happiness for a Better Life
Everybody would like to be happy. Its human nature that we want to feel good and choose happiness! However, sometimes we can find it quite challenging to see the positive side of things. Because of the current world situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, I would not be surprised if recently you felt more stressed and anxious than usual. Moreover, social distancing and economic changes could even leave you depressed and feeling lonelier.
But I have good news for you, there is a way to bring joy into your life: simply choose happiness! Before you roll your eyes and give me all the reasons your life sucks (I totally get it)- just hear me out! It’s easier than you think and can totally change the quality of your life. By using the right strategies explained later on in this article, you can enjoy all the benefits of a happy life.
The bottom line is this: it’s all a matter of perspective and how you train your mind to react to your situation!
Related article: Coping Strategies for Stress: Dealing with the Paradox of Stressing About Your Health
The benefits of choosing happiness

Focusing on being positive and optimistic can have a significant impact on your life, therefore it is worth investing a little time in getting familiar with this subject. (And it doesn’t mean that your life has to be fake rainbows and sunshine all time either.) First of all, let’s see which are the most important benefits of choosing happiness.
Improved physical health
Several studies show that there is a connection between happiness and improved health. Happy people have lower blood pressure and heart rate, so they are less likely to have any kind of heart disease. Having a positive mentality can also boost the immune system: fighting diseases and infections becomes more effective. Lastly, unhappiness is linked too many stress hormones in the body that can lead to chronic disease and other health issues.
Better mental health
Nowadays everyone is busy and we are always in a hurry. These stressful schedules can cause a change in our neurochemical balance, and for this reason, you can feel stressed, anxious, or even depressed. It can leave you feeling reactive to your friends and family. On the other hand, happiness means a balance of hormones: it can also help to reduce pain, stress, and anxiety so that you can focus on life without feeling discombobulated. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Healthy lifestyle

In general, happy people lead a better, healthier lifestyle because they have more good habits that are beneficial for their health. They pay attention to what and when they eat and try to follow a healthy diet. They are also more active, and they make sure they sleep enough and well every night. This all promotes a good cycle of health that boosts your motivation and keep you on the path of happiness and health.
Increase in life longevity
Due to the above-mentioned health benefits, those who choose happiness are more likely to have a long life. So if you want to live longer, be happy! Plus, the only point of living longer is if you’re going to enjoy it, right?! 😉
Productivity
Happiness makes people more motivated, therefore you can also have better performance at your workplace and home. And nothing proves it better than the studies conducted between the relation of happiness and productivity: happy people are more successful, better in problem-solving and decision-making as well.
Better relationships
If you are in a good mood, starting a conversation seems also easier. This way, you can get to know more people and maybe even make new friends. Having a positive mindset affects also your existing relationships: it will help you to keep a good, healthy relationship with your family members, friends, and colleagues.
Related article: Reshaping Your Health: How to Make Healthy Habits
How to choose happiness
Reading about all these benefits, you may be wondering how to actually make happiness a regular habit. It all sounds great, but it’s definitely easier said than done. So what is the key to happiness? The truth is that there is no straight, one-word answer to this question. But there are several things you can do to have a happy life.
Be positive and express gratitude
Look for the positive aspect of everything that happens to you. Try to complain less and be grateful for everything. A great way to express gratitude is by keeping a gratitude journal: it can help you to focus on the positive things in your life. Just like any habit, it takes awareness of your current thoughts and reaction so that you can learn to change them to ones of gratitude. With time, it will be easier to see the good in any situation, even if it seems “bad” in the moment.
Related article: The Power of Gratitude
Surround yourself with the right people
It’s important to have healthy relationships. Choose to be around people who add value to your life: friends and family members who make you feel better and who are always there for you, motivate you, help you and listen to you. There is no reason to have energy-sucking friends who leave you exhausted after each meeting. If there are certain family members or co-workers you can’t avoid, simply try to limit your time!
Also, make sure that you spend enough time with your loved ones. By this, I mean quality time, not just sitting next to each other while looking at your phones. Try to do some activities together (playing, walking, eating out, etc.), or just talk with them. Its so good for the soul!
Related article: How to Establish a Daily Mindfulness Routine
Take care of your body

Self-care is crucial to have a better, happier life. You have to take care of your body and your mind: for example, take a bath, relax, meditate, or read a good book. Every day it is essential to have some time for yourself and your wellbeing. Even if you have time only for a 10 minutes long meditation in the morning, don’t hesitate to do it! You will benefit from it.
Also exercise regularly (2-3 times a week), practice acts of self-love, have a healthy diet, and pay attention to your sleeping habits.
Related article: 3 Tiny Habits of Health You Can Start Today
Treat others well
Try to treat everyone you meet with kindness. Be kind and patient with others, and offer your help to them, because these simple acts can also make you feel better and satisfied. And who knows, maybe next time it will be a stranger who will do something nice for you. So it is worth treating others with kindness, isn’t it? You never know what other’s are going through and being a grouch never makes an interaction go better.
Related article: 4 Easy Ways to Express Gratitude Everyday
The choice is yours to choose happiness
As you can see, happiness is often a choice. It is true, there are many circumstances that we can’t change. But they can make us sad, disappointed, stressed, or worried only if we let them.
To choose happiness does not mean you ignore these feelings. It’s normal to feel sad or depressed sometimes. The problem starts when we dwell on these feelings and let them manifest into your everyday reality and personalities. Take the time to process your emotions and then move on to enjoy the life you are living. The key is always your mindset: this means that you choose how you react to these events. in the long run.
I recently read a quote from the book Atomic Habits about a man in a wheelchair. When he was asked if he gets frustrated that he’s confined to a wheelchair, his answer is that his wheelchair is not a source of confinement but of freedom. Without it he’d be stuck in bed all day instead.
In our community in the past few months, it’s been fun to see how many of us have chosen to see the silver lining in the lockdowns and continuing social distancing. It has forced many of us to slow down and truly be present with our families. What a blessing in disguise!
I hope that after you finish reading this article you will feel more empowered to take control of your life, and you will try some of the above-mentioned activities or you will be inspired to do something else that works for you better.
What little habit can you add to your day to make happiness more inevitable? Do you think we have a “choice” for happiness? I’d love to hear your thoughts!