Brighten Your Day ASAP With These 11 Things

Happiness might seem hard to attain — and really, what is happiness? While the term can be intimidating, appearing as a long-term, hard-to-achieve, stable state, it's actually quite easy to obtain in smaller, simpler doses. Ruminating in negative or feeling deficient in positive vibes can hurt or health, and so it is important to use little tips to brighten your day and provide an extra oomph of energy, positivity and laughter.

As a certified health coach, I work with clients on finding the positive in their lives, through fun, simple breaks in the day that ooze happiness and energy and an openness to creating bouts of laughter, social commitments and exciting opportunities. The idea of happiness is too overstated, as it seems as though it's a lofty goal to work towards and that very few people ever really meet that point in their lives. Unfortunately, such concepts are overrated, and by thinking that it's tough to achieve happiness, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage and preventing yourself from living life to fullest in each, cherished moment. Use these eleven techniques for brightening your day and injecting a bit of fun and laughter into the little things that can truly add up.

1. Starting The Day With A Great Breakfast

Starting the day on a high note and flooding your body with the vital nutrients it needs to run property and maintain a long-lasting source of energy is so key for a brighter, peppier day. "For many of my patients, starting their day with a well-breakfast is one step towards brightening their day," advises dietician Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, a spokesperson for America's Better Sandwich, over email with Bustle. "A combination of fiber, protein and healthy fat helps to fuel their bodies and give them more energy," she continues, and she advises a hearty breakfast sandwich for optimal fuel.

2. Be Intentionally Aware Of Your Surroundings

By being fully in the present moment and making observations, you can really appreciate the greatness of the day and feel more pep and energy. "Intentional awareness is imperative for anyone trying to 'brighten their day,'" says Chicago-based therapist, Chelsea Hudson, LCPC, over email with Bustle. "Intentional awareness entails paying attention on purpose to certain mood enhancing elements. Take note of the weather. Is the sun shining? If it is, stand facing the sun with your eyes closed for a few minutes and feel the sun’s rays radiating warmth on your skin," she suggests.

3. Sit Up Straight

Feeling upright and tall can instantly brighten your mood and boost confidence. Experts suggest that striking a power pose can make you feel more in control and energized, which can make your day feel a lot more positive and productive overall. Next time you see yourself slouching, sit up high and proud.

4. Embracing Movement

Being physically active during the day can help brighten your day and provide an instant mood and energy lift. If you have a desk job, this is especially important, as a sedentary lifestyle can lead to poorer health long-term. Take a walk for lunch, choose the farthest bathroom, visit a co-worker on a different floor or section, or squeeze in a workout class or training session in the middle of the day for an instant perk.

5. Get Some Fresh Air

Studies show that taking time out of the day to get some fresh air and vitamin D can make you feel more alive and positive. There's something about being in nature that can do wonders for our health and wellbeing, as it can bring fresh oxygen into our bodies to rejuvenate us and make us feel more rooted in our positions in life and the nature that surrounds us. Take a walk or lay outside to enjoy lunch. You can even open a window and just feel the breeze at your desk.

6. Tell Someone You Love Them

Telling someone you love them and expressing how grateful you are for having him or her in your life can instantly brighten your day and increase happy hormones, such as serotonin and oxytocin to make you feel more connected and loved. Not only will you brighten your own day, but you'll do the same for that person, as everyone enjoys hearing how valued and supported they are.

7. Sniff Some Flowers

According to experts, being around flowers in your home or at work can lower levels of stress and depression. Also, certified holistic health coach and personal trainer Jen Bruno with J.B. Fitness and Nutrition, recommended over email with Bustle, the inclusion of nature in boosting wellbeing. Purchase some flowers to keep around each day, or simply walk past a flower shop or garden in a park and sniff a couple. Enjoying the scent and scenery can make us relaxed and happier, which will lead to a more positive outlook on the day.

8. Don't Forget To Laugh

Laughing can instantly brighten our day and make us feel more energized. Visit a friend and share a joke or recent story from your previous weekend or watch a funny clip on Facebook or Youtube that can provide a short hiatus from work and flush anxiety away. Smiling while laughing is also a great idea, as the act of smiling can make us feel happier alone.

9. Listen To Upbeat Music

Studies show that listening to upbeat music can brighten our moods and uplift our spirits. Music has a way of entering our souls and making us feel emotional, whether than emotion is positive or negative. Creating a positivity playlist and listening throughout the day can instantly energize us and make us feel excited about our day at hand, advises Bruno. If you have a bit of privacy, dance it out and let your hair get a little wild.

10. Do Something Unexpected

Breaking out of your normal routine and doing something fun and unpredictable can be exciting and really boost your outlook on the day. Leave work a little early and grab a manicure, explore a new area in the city, without any direction in mind, check out a new coffee shop scene for your daily brew, or act like a tourist and visit fun, local attractions. Beating boredom with such curiosity and joy is a great way to brighten your mood.

11. Act A Little Childlike

Being an adult is great and all, but it's fun to let loose sometimes and let some playfulness into all the seriousness we have to deal with each day. Revert back to childhood for a brief moment during a busy work day. Play a favorite game, such as solitare, or schedule a game night over LIFE or Monopoly for after work. Head to a local food store and have a favorite childhood treat. Watch a clip of an old TV show you used to enjoy when you were a kid.

Injecting a bit of fun, lightheartedness, silliness and adventure into the day can help brighten your perspective on the moment at hand and boost levels of happiness. Savoring each happy moment and taking it for what it is can add up to a lifestyle of fun-filled, cheerfulness that can truly impact your overall health and wellbeing.

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