by Dr Pam Spurr
Psychologist and children’s author Dr Pam Spurr shares crucial tips for your happiness with Respect Yourself!
Her new book Eva the Bear and the Magic Snowflake is available now.
The theme, for any young ones in your family, is about finding courage when you face adversity. And with your resilience – and a bit of magic – you can overcome challenges.
What exactly is happiness? It has been described in so many ways, and generally speaking, it is a state of well-being and feeling satisfied in life.
I also like to think of it as when what you are feeling and what you are doing are in harmony. When things are synchronised it boosts potential happiness.
It’s crucial to understand that no one is happy at all times. Happiness ebbs and flows with what else is happening in our lives.
When we’re unhappy or angry it is important to embrace and understand those emotions. Work through them and then you have a better chance of achieving a state of well-being.
Try these 10 top happiness tips from today
- Be courageous in the face of difficulties. When you find you can manage something that felt a bit daunting, you increase your well-being. That in turn increases your happiness.
- Turn that ‘little devil’ on your shoulder, who criticises everything you do, into a softer, kinder voice. One that praises the good things about you. Keep challenging it because most of us have that negative inner monologue that diminishes our happiness.
- Connect with someone you love or care for today preferably by face timing. Messaging/texting won’t do! Research shows the human voice and face are extremely comforting in a way technology isn’t.
- Cherish one good moment from your day today – there’s bound to be one! Hang on to that when things get tough, instead of doing what most of us do and fret over the thing that went wrong today.
- Take the spotlight off yourself – turn it onto others and focus on their lives. Praise someone else for a job well done to spread good-feeling around you. Your kindness is a reward in itself.
- A laugh a day keeps the doctor away so share a joke, watch a sitcom or stream your favourite comedy. Laughter stimulates those feel-good endorphins.
- ‘Take 10’ before allowing the little things to upset/stress you. Even a tiny 10 seconds of ‘reflective’ thinking about the issue can keep you from boiling over. And might even generate a solution.
- Recognise negative behaviours that stop you grabbing happy moments. For instance, behaviours like always saying ‘No’ to spontaneous invitations. Say ‘Yes’ when, say, someone at college or at work asks you for a drink/coffee, rather than worrying about whether you should take the time.
- Identify ‘hotspots’ in your daily life that diminish your happiness – like always being late for your training course or work. Introduce practical solutions to change these. Repeated stress, on a daily basis, spoils potential happiness.
- Learn to be thankful for what you have rather than fret over what you don’t. Becoming a ‘cup half full’ person has many rewards, increasing your happiness.
You can follow Dr Pam @drpamspurr or visit her website at www.drpam.co.uk.
image: Dr Pam Spurr holding Eva The Bear book by Dr Pam Spurr : Public Domain
