How to feel happy

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week from 16-22 May, and here’s the secret formula on how to feel happy…

Because everyone has those days when life is a little more stressful or overwhelming than they’d like, and it’s totally normal not to feel at the top of your game all of the time. However, the blues don’t need to last, and these simple tricks will get you back on track in minutes…

Smile

It’s a simple one, but when in doubt, smile! Smile and everyone will smile around you, lifting the atmosphere. Plus, smiling helps to relieve stress, boost your mood and releases endorphins (amazing feel-good chemicals), which will help you feel lighter and more capable of dealing with whatever tough situation you have on your hands. 

Call in your squad

When times get tough it’s good to talk. We don’t mean messaging the group WhatsApp chat, but actually sitting down and chatting to a friend. Whether you meet face to face, chat on the phone or spend some quality time on Skype, the opportunity to talk things out with a trusted pal can make all the difference and put things in perspective.

Lace up your trainers

When we exercise we produce increased levels of endorphins and serotonin, aka happy hormones. You know that euphoric feeling you get after a challenging HIIT session or a tough run, that’s all those lovely chemicals at work, and they can be put to good use in helping to alleviate anxiety. We know it can be tough to get out the door when life is overwhelming, but trust us, you’ll feel ready to take on the world afterwards!

Get outdoors

You know those days when you have a million things swirling around in your head and you just can’t seem to focus? Well if you’re spending all day cooped-up indoors you’re probably not getting enough vitamin D, and a deficiency in vitamin D is thought to impact our moods. We produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to the sun and it’s essential for the production of lots of brilliant brain chemicals that help us to focus for sustained periods of time.

Affirmations

It can be so easy to fall into negative thinking when life is a bit overwhelming, and these thoughts can really affect our perceptions of experiences. You are what you think, and you can’t lead a positive life with negative thoughts! Affirmations are a great tool when all you can think about is the worst outcome. By repeating these short, positive statements you can help trick your brain in to opening up to a more positive state of being. We keep some YesMum cards on-hand for these moments.

Hit the sheets

We’re sure we don’t need to tell you this, but sex makes you feel pretty good! You see when an individual reaches orgasm there’s a rush of hormones – including some of those lovely endorphins – that result in a feeling of wellbeing. So it might not be the best solution in the case of office drama, but there are loads of other times when getting physical might be just the solution!

Tidy up

When you feel like there are a million things to do and everyone wants a piece of you it can be easy to ignore the housework and let your space fall in to chaos. We get it, it’s just not a priority, but hear us out. Just a quick tidy up – maybe loading the dishwasher, putting on a load of laundry or emptying the bins – can make you feel that much more in control. Plus, we bet at least one of those things was on your to-do list. Tick! One less thing to worry about.