😀 30 Positive Habits to Strengthen Your Happiness and Well-being This Year
Happiness is often hard to define. What strategies can help us gain greater fulfillment in life?
This article offers a few simple, practical ideas to add more happiness and wellbeing to your day-to-day. Fulfillment most often is experienced one moment at a time. These ideas offer a supplement for your personal toolbox of resources.
I’ve written before about positive psychology’s PERMA model, which highlights practices that people typically find motivating and that can help strengthen wellbeing (Boniwell, 2012; Seligman, 2011; Ben Shahar, 2007).
The acronym PERMA offers five evidence-informed components to promote a happier, more fulfilling life – Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.
To move toward greater flourishing, each of these five components are integral. Is there an area of your life that could benefit from more attention?
Here are a few ideas to help you empower yourself with fulfilling moments. Think of this menu as a choice board, bingo board, or a calendar – and then experiment with a different idea each day or weekly.
✨ To flourish with greater vitality, here are some ideas:
RV: Reinvigorate Vitality
- Take movement breaks throughout the day
- Walk at least – choose one – (100, 1000, 5000, 10,000) steps today
- Get enough sleep – 7 to 9 hours of sleep is usually recommended (Walker, 2017)
- Avoid processed foods (Lustig, 2021)
- Make one change to eat healthier and experiment with it
- Step outside or gaze through a window – Pause. Notice the sky. Then notice your experience without judgement. Take a few breaths. Carry on with your day.
For more information, here are a few resources:
- 25 Powerful Questions for Awakening Meaning in Life and Work
- Flourish Bookmark / Reminder: 12 Research-informed Hints to Improve Well-being
- Psychology Today Blogs: Flourish and Thrive: Navigating transitions with mindfulness and resilience
- Via Institute on Character
Which area(s) of your life could you focus on for greater fulfillment and happiness?
Send your comments and suggestions to Ilene!
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References:
- Ben-Shahar, T. (2007). Happier. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
- Boniwell, I. (2012, 3rd Printing). Positive psychology in a nutshell. New York, NY: Open University Press.
- Lustig, R.H. (2021). Metabolical: The lure and the lies of processed food, nutrition, and modern medicine. New York, NY: Harper Wave.
- Seligman, M.E.P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New York, NY: Atria Paperback.
- Waldinger R.J. (November, 2015)Â What makes a good life: Lessons from the longest study on happiness.
- Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. New York, NY: Scribner.
Copyright © 2022 Ilene Berns-Zare, LLC, All Rights Reserved
Ilene is a Featured Author on PsychologyToday!
Read her blog series Flourish and Thrive: Navigating transitions with mindfulness and resilience.
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Ilene Berns-Zare, PsyD, PCC, CMC (ICF Credentialed) is an Executive and Personal Coach and Speaker. Ilene helps people live their best personal and professional lives by bringing mind, body, and spirit into flow with strengths, purpose, and potential. She inspires clients to find fresh perspectives and access their full potential as creative, resourceful, whole persons. Find Ilene online, set up a free discovery coaching consultation, and access free resources at https://ibzcoaching.com/.
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