"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." PROVERBS 15:13
Hey you! Welcome back to the blog!
Have you ever wondered how to cultivate a heart of happiness? Ever wanted to be a little more positive, a little more content with life?
I believe it’s important to understand our emotions and how they work so we can rule them instead of letting them rule over us! Remember that you are not defined by your emotions, and your emotions do not create you. Emotions are good and they’re incredibly helpful in giving us insight into what is going on in our heart. I believe it’s a good thing to be happy, joyful, content. It brings life and nourishment to your bones!
Did you know….
If your state of mind is happiness, your productivity, ability to problem solve and be creative almost DOUBLES
People that are happier are more successful in their jobs and have longer-lasting relationships.
Happiness is HEALING – because chemicals and endorphins are being released into your body.
Happiness can extend your life for over 10 years.
SOME CHALLENGES TO EXPERIENCING HAPPINESS
Sometimes there can be things blocking the way when it comes to experiencing happiness. In our culture, many people connect with each other by talking about their concerns and the negative things in their life. And sometimes you might feel like if you speak positively you won’t be able to connect with others. Sadly, sadness is often the only thing that gets people sympathy and so they’re more drawn towards that emotion.
We also have in our brain what is called an ’emotional set point’ – which is basically the average of your emotional highs and lows. Some emotions are more dominant for people because they use that emotion so much. For example, some people are stuck in a pattern of sadness, and this produces chemicals – you start to produce more of these chemicals because they are the ones you use the most. It takes time to develop a different pattern and set point.
SO HOW DO WE INCREASE OUR HAPPINESS?
If you’re wanting to experience more happiness in your life, there’s hope! Here’s just a few things you can do.
Fake smile. For real. Even if you’re fake smiling, your brain actually can’t tell the difference and so it releases the chemicals for you to feel the emotion of happiness!
Watch your body posture. Your emotions will almost always result in a physical expression. For example, if you’re feeling sad, you’re likely to be a little slumped over with your head down. By simply changing your body posture, you can change your whole outlook! Lift your head up, sit up straight and even raise your fists as though you’ve just won something exciting!
Gratitude is the best way to shift your emotions. Write down 5 things you’re grateful for every day, and watch as your mind begins to take more and more notice of the things you’re thankful for! Where you may have once struggled to come up with even 1 thing, soon they’ll be rolling off your tongue! Celebrate your week and remind yourself of all the good things that have happened.
Don’t let the EXTERNAL be your source of happiness. I’m all about enjoying a good surf, a good cup of a coffee or a new pair of shoes. But if they become your source of happiness and the surf is bad, you’ve run out of coffee (eeek!) or you can’t afford that pair of shoes anymore, you’re stuffed. Your happiness needs to be rooted in the INTERNAL – in something that can’t be shaken when life throws you some curveballs. For me, I find that solid grounding in Jesus.
Find meaning and purpose in life. Dream again, ask God to show you and help you uncover what your purpose is in life. Serve others, look beyond yourself, be generous, and find joy in loving your community. We were created to live and love in community. Need some help dreaming? You can find some of my top tips here, or treat yourself to one of our Dream Shops to get you inspired and excited for your future.
Embrace your emotions. Sometimes we can sit in an emotion for too long and it’s time to shift and change our mindset. But other times we need to embrace our emotions in order to properly move on. There’s no shame in letting go, having a good cry and feeling your emotions. In fact, it’s healthy. And be assured that once you’ve embraced that emotion and acknowledged why you feel the way you feel, you’ll be able to move past it.
Tess XO
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