Three steps to a happier day

Not all of us leap out of bed in the morning raring to get on with the day.

For most of us, full consciousness doesn’t come until we’ve pressed the ‘snooze’ button at least four times, had a shower and introduced a good shot of caffeine into our bloodstreams.

Wouldn’t it be nice to start the day feeling happy and excited for what’s to come? Of course, doing the same thing day in day out can take its toll on happiness levels and make the idea of hiding under our duvets all the more appealing.

If your day-to-day life is getting you down, it’s time to take action. Happiness is not something we can ever force, but there are changes we can make to our daily routines that have been scientifically proven to help.

1. Start with sweat

A slow start can quickly lead to a slow, sluggish day. Why not wake your body and mind up with some early morning exercise? Of course, sometimes it’s difficult enough to pull the duvet off and drag ourselves into the shower when we wake up, let alone to strap our trainers on to go for a five mile jog. However, ‘physical activity’ doesn’t necessarily have to involve anything too vigorous. You could just pop down to your local newsagent to buy the morning newspaper, take the dog for a quick trot up and down the road, or, if you can, walk to work; brisk walking is thought to be one of the best exercises you can do.

2. Post-work pamper

Leave time in the morning to take care over your appearance. If you are a man – have a shave and moisturise your skin. Use aftershave, scrub your nails and style your hair.

Ladies – exfoliate thoroughly in the shower to boost your circulation and wake you up. Paint your nails, use your favourite moisturiser and spend time styling your hair and doing your make-up. When we look our best we often feel our best – and who knows where this fresh burst of confidence will take us? To that attractive stranger on the train? To that promotion we wanted?

3. Do something different

Doing the same thing day in day out can get pretty boring. Sometimes you might wonder – why does nothing exciting ever happen to me? Some people in life seem to get all the exciting opportunities, why don’t I? Although opportunity is often down to luck, you can increase the chances of something extraordinary happening simply by doing something ‘different’. By this, we mean deviating from your normal routine at least once every day. This might mean taking a different method of transport to work in the morning, it might mean sitting in a different spot in the cafeteria, or it might mean making eye contact and smiling at everyone you see. Small changes lead to big changes – the more you shake up in life, the more space you leave for possibility.

There is no universal formula for happiness – that is something we all have to work out for ourselves. If you are finding it hard to achieve happiness in your life, you may wish to consult a life coach. A life coach will work pragmatically to help you find whatever it is you are looking for – whether that be love, success, or excitement.

For more information about how a life coach could help you to become a happier person, please visit our Personal Development page.

Original article from iVillage.