10 Everyday Habits Of Happy People

Here are 10 tips to follow to help put happiness well within your reach and maintain a positive mindset…

Wake up early - Waking up early and going to bed early creates a positive routine for your body and mind. It’s energising, refreshing and motivating to be up early before anyone else. It enables you to get the first of the daylight and have a focused morning session before the distractions of the day arrive.

Exercise daily - Getting your body moving has tons and tons of benefits on top of the physical health ones; it wakes your body up, improves circulation to the brain, releases happiness chemicals, boosts your metabolism and improves your concentration. It also helps you sleep better, which means you wake up energised for each new day.

Think yourself happy - Simply trying to be happy can boost your emotional well being. People who actively try to be happy have the most positive moods - believe it or not. So, if you're having an off day just smile your way through it...

Do something selfless - Kindness is contagious. When you do something good for someone your brain produces hormones that make it easier to build relationships with them, sending positive feelings all round. Basically, it's good karma!

Surround yourself with other happy people – Joy is also contagious, this is reason enough to dump the Debbie Downers and spend more time with uplifting people.

Appreciate simple pleasures – From a meticulously swirled ice cream cone to a boundlessly waggy dog, happy people take the time to appreciate these easy-to-come-by pleasures. Finding meaning in the little things and practicing gratitude for all that you do have is associated with a sense of overall gladness.

Have deep conversations - Happy people know that happiness and substance go hand-in-hand. They avoid gossip, small talk, and judging others. Instead, they focus on meaningful interactions. They engage with other people on a deeper level, because they know that doing so feels good, builds an emotional connection, and is an interesting way to learn.

Don't hold grudges - Forgiving and forgetting is absolutely necessary when it comes to happiness. The reason? Holding a grudge means that you're hanging on to anger, resentment, pain and other negative emotions that are roadblocks to happiness. By letting go of these emotions, you free yourself from negativity so there's more space for positive emotions to get in.

Be busy, not rushed - Feeling "rushed" can lead to stress and unhappiness. At the same time, people struggle with finding that happy medium of being just busy enough. But studies suggest that a healthy work-life balance is key, since boredom can also be burdensome.

Spend time in nature - Nature has a calming effect and reminds us to slow down, take deep breaths and soak up the present. Studies show that we are physically and mentally more healthy when we are interacting with nature. So why not trade a couple of nights out for a good walk in the countryside.

Happiness can be tough to maintain, but investing in the right habits pays off. Adopting even a few of the habits from this list will make a big difference in your mood and will make uni life even better!