Who doesn’t want to feel happier in life, right? But between our busy day-to-day lives, COVID changes, and monotone work-life schedules, it may be hard to create happiness.

Here are a few small changes that you can apply to your life and start feeling happier instantly. All of these activities are heavily studied by the world of science, and science approved!

1. Stop scrolling down through your social media

The new normal is scrolling down through Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok these days. However, research shows that spending time on social media isn’t quite the best thing you can do for your mental health. There are multiple studies showing how and why social media can create adverse effects on self-esteem, depression, and loneliness.

For example, according to a study that was done with Yale students, social media can cause lower self-esteem due to unfavorable comparisons. When we look at our social media feeds, we are usually exposed to our friends being happy, artificially beautiful, or traveling. In reality, most of the time these pictures don’t depict the true essence of one’s life. Regardless, the mind takes these images as a comparison point and eventually leads to unrealistic comparisons. These comparisons can make someone feel lonely, unattractive, or distanced.

Other studies also show that social media can lead to depression and loneliness. As humans, we are social beings. We unconsciously look for being loved and accepted. Although it may seem like you are interacting with friends, communication through social media is usually misinterpreted and sometimes even in-genuine. When we interact with others face to face, through hugging or touching, serotonin release takes place. Serotonin is the hormone that gives us feelings of happiness and fulfillment. Therefore, nothing can replace genuine human communication in terms of happiness and well-being!

With that being said, it is not realistic to expect any millennial not to go on social media at all. However, you can work on limiting your social media usage. Start with setting yourself a daily time limit. This will help you to put your social media usage in perspective. From there, you can adjust your time limit as well.

2. Add in “me time” to your daily routine

Between work, family, and friends, many people hardly have any time for themselves. At the end of a busy day, you may find yourself drained, physically tired, and negative. This is because you prioritized everything but yourself. We often underestimate the importance of taking care of ourselves first. An unhappy, sad, anxious, or depressed person will not be able to provide the best for their kids, spouse, friends, or work.

According to an article published in the journal “Emotion”, self-treatment is highly correlated with greater well-being and overall happiness. They suggest that activities that are focused on ourselves can bring us “hedonic” well-being such as feelings of joy and fulfillment.

Can you have 15 minutes for yourself? Anyone can do anything for 15 minutes. It is that easy. You can start by practicing meditation, self-hypnosis, journaling, or anything that is uniquely and only for you.

3. Stop eating highly processed foods

The brain is the most important part of our body and there is a strong connection between eating habits and brain health. In her article about Nutritional Psychiatry, Eva Selhub states that “Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourish the brain and protect it from oxidative stress — the “waste” (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells.”

According to a study that was published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, a diet consisting of healthy, minimally processed foods can lead to increased happiness and overall mood. 

Serotonin neurotransmitter is responsible for regulating mood, sleep, appetite, and pain. About 95% of the serotonin is produced within the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, what goes through your gut also affects your happiness and fulfillment.

You don’t have to change your diet drastically right away. Start by implementing small daily changes. Think of the worst foods entering your body. Can you modify them? Another option can be adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet. When fruits and vegetables are eaten as a whole, they also give the feeling of fullness due to fibers and water. By changing what you eat, you can work your way through happiness!

4.Exercise, exercise, exercise

Exercise is not only a great way to keep our body healthy and fit but also it is great for mental health as well. Exercising is directly correlated with mood change because it affects the brain during and after.

A study shows that during exercise the heart rate increases and the body pumps more oxygen to the body. Results point out to the fact that high oxygen allows the brain to manage anxiety and depression better. During exercise, we also release happiness and euphoria hormones such as endorphins and serotonin.

According to Dr. Art Kramer from the Center for Cognitive and Brain Health at Northeastern University, the hormones and well-being are just temporary effects of exercising. Regular exercise also improves brain functioning overall by improving memory, learning, and emotions.

For people who are not regularly exercising, it may be challenging to start a work-out routine. Start with the easiest option available. Almost everyone can start a neighborhood-walk routine. Anything counts. Remember, starting small is better than not starting at all!

5. Make sure to sleep well

Busy people tend to underestimate the importance of a good night of sleep. Through the years, sleep and lack of sleep have been topics that were highly studied. “There's a big relationship between psychiatric and psychological problems and sleep. So, people who are depressed or have anxiety often have trouble with sleep as part of those disorders," says Dr. Lawrence Epstein, Medical Director of Sleep Health Centers and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. 

According to research, people who have insomnia are 20% more likely to develop depression. Another study shows that lack of sleep may increase anxiety and its symptoms. All in all, the lack of sleep is directly correlated with a negative mood. 

The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults to sleep 7-9 hours a day. To understand how much, you should be sleeping every day, observe your energy levels when you wake up. Do you wake up already tired or do you wake up ready to take on the day? If you already sleep for about 8 hours but feel tired when you wake up, you may not be getting a deep sleep through the night. If you are sleeping for only 5-6 hours a day, work on extending your sleep time starting with 15 minutes a day.

6. Add in a new hobby

If you are someone who had a hobby before, you already know how it feels to have a fulfilling hobby. Hobbies are very beneficial to us, humans, for many different reasons. Two of the most important reasons are that they provide an escape outlet from problems and help with coping overall. Moreover, having a hobby prepares a ground for networking with people alike which is also great for feeling happy, valued, and engaged.

According to a study that was published in Society for Personality and Social Psychology, valuing your time more than money is linked to happiness. By spending time on things that matter to you such as family, hobbies, or exercising, you can actually increase your happiness.

Some people grow up with hobbies and others start later in life. Wherever you are, it is not late. There is something new and interesting for everyone. Think of what makes you happy and excited. Is it spending time with animals, painting or swimming? Or maybe it is something very unique to you!

7. Connect with people

As humans, we are social creatures. Spending time and socializing with others affect our mood positively and even increase our level of happiness. There are multiple studies that have been targeting to understand the relationship between socializing with others and happiness. 

According to a study that was published in the Association for Psychological Science, within the group of 1200 people, they’ve found two groups of people: social and individual. Results showed that people from the “social” group tend to follow through their goals more as well as feeling higher overall happiness.

Another research that was published in the American Psychological Association showed that people who interacted with others reported their level of happiness higher. In fact, the longer the conversation is the higher the satisfaction. In sum, social connections are highly correlated with increased well-being.

 Thankfully, there are multiple ways to interact with others and spark a conversation, even in this COVID-19 era. Start with putting off your cellphone during dinners at home. Engage in a conversation with your kids or loved ones. Every day, reach out to a friend and genuinely be interested in their lives. Nowadays, it is fairly easy to catch up with friends online through Facetime, Zoom, or messages. You can also join a Facebook group that aligns with your interests or find a new hobby.

8. Do something kind

If there is something that makes us happier than doing something for ourselves, that is doing something for someone else. This has been a debate topic for a long time between researchers. However, after many studies, we know that doing something for someone is just as gratifying as doing something for yourself.

 One of the most interesting studies was conducted by Harvard Business School and the University of British Columbia. In the study, out of 51 participants, one half was asked to spend a small amount of money on themselves and the other half to spend a similar amount of money on someone else. Later, the group who spent their money on others reported feeling happier on the happiness scale.

Another study that was published in the Journal of Social Psychology, the participants of the research group who performed random acts of kindness reported a significantly higher boost in their level of happiness.

The value of doing something kind to others is much more than personal happiness. By being kind to someone, not only we make them happy as well but also, we make their life easier in away. 

So, what are you waiting for, do something kind for someone starting from today! This can be as simple as complimenting someone, thanking for something, or showing your appreciation to someone. You may make someone’s day while boosting your happiness!