How to Create Your Own Happiness: 5 Hacks to Try Today

In a world where depression and anxiety are on the rise, it’s important to take action and create happiness for ourselves. Happiness doesn’t just happen for most of us, and we must actively work to increase our levels of joy. Fortunately, UCLA psychology researcher Alex Korb has discovered five hacks that can help anyone increase their happiness.

1. Stand Tall, Smile Wide, and Open Your Eyes

It turns out that posture and facial expressions have a profound effect on our happiness levels. Slouching and frowning are a surefire recipe for feeling down, so it’s important to maintain good posture and smile – even if you don’t feel like it. By tricking your brain into thinking you’re happy, you can actually become happier.

Wearing sunglasses can also help, as squinting forces the corrugator supercilii muscle to fire, making the brain interpret this as worry. By wearing shades, you can short circuit this feedback loop and feel more at ease.

2. Wake Up Refreshed

Getting enough sleep is crucial for our physical and mental well-being, yet many people don’t get the full eight hours they need to recharge properly. Sleep and depression are closely linked, making it important to create good sleep habits. You can achieve this by going to bed at the same time each night, sleeping in a dark room, and turning off smartphones, tablets, and TVs, which emit blue light that disrupts our natural sleep cycles.

3. Focus on Your Long-Term Goals

When feeling overwhelmed, it’s easy to focus on the present and get lost in our struggles. Instead, try reflecting on your long-term goals to reframe the situation and put it into perspective. By reminding yourself that you’re working towards something greater, you can feel more in control and release dopamine – the feel-good neurotransmitter – to shift into a happier state.

4. Build Good Habits

Building healthy habits can make us feel more in control and increase our sense of well-being. By focusing on our long-term goals and strengthening good habits, we can make more choices that align with our values and strengthen our belief in our ability to achieve our goals.

To build good habits, it’s important to listen to the Prefrontal Cortex – the region of our brain focused on long-term goals – and limit stress to keep the Nucleus Accubens – the region that seeks immediate pleasure – under control. By taking small steps towards our goals, we can make them more manageable and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

5. Listen to Happy Music

Playing music from our happiest times can transport our brains back to those moments and remind us of the joy we felt. By listening to music that we associate with happy times, we can feel more connected to those moments and make them more present in our lives.

Conclusion

Creating happiness is not always easy, especially in a world where stress and anxiety are rampant. However, with these five simple hacks, we can take action to increase our levels of happiness and create more enjoyable lives. So, stand tall, smile wide, and take the first step towards your goals – your happiness is waiting for you!