Do you want to elevate your life?
Feel happy where everything feels like rainbows and sunshine?
Look no further. This article is all about easy tips and tricks to make yourself feel content.
Let’s start with- What, exactly, makes people happy?
There are a lot of different things, but one of the most common findings is that happy people like doing fulfilling things
Things that give you the feeling of contentment
Things that make you feel good about yourself.
Things that evoke a feeling that you want to share with others.
Just like sleeping is a very important part of our lives, the things we do before we go to bed matter too. Watching TV-shows till the wee hours of the morning, drinking late at night, munching on snacks, working late or scrolling through social media just before you sleep are some of the things you should avoid doing for your body’s physical and mental health.
Instead incorporate into your life what most happy people practice before bedtime to create happiness for themselves. Special things they do to make their time before bed pleasant and peaceful. They often look forward to their pre bed routine because it brings lightness to the soul.
Here’s some insight into what exactly these happy people do before bed.
Habits that create joy, give them a try —
Gratitude! Gratitude! Gratitude!
Make note of or write down everything you are grateful for. It can be the smallest and simplest thing or even the most important thing in your life. Do not discard a single thing you are grateful for. Have a gratitude journal and just before you get some shut eye write down everything you are thankful for. Then close your eyes and think about all the things you are grateful for and watch yourself fall asleep and wake up with good thoughts.
Visualise what makes you happy
Visualise your ideal life. Visualise what you want. Visualise your goals. Visualise yourself doing things off your bucket list. Visualise yourself being happy. Visualising is one of the most powerful things you can do. Your physical reality begins as an idea in your head.
Meditate and relax
If you’ve had a stressful day, take some time to breathe, close your eyes and meditate. Drown out all the external and internal noise. Focus on your breath, belly breathing and calm yourself down. You can meditate seated or lying down, whatever works for you. Happy people make sure they meditate before sleeping. Regular meditation improves your brain function, reduces stress, anxiety, helps you clear your mind and relax before going to sleep.
People have different ways to relax. A long bubble bath, some aroma candles, relaxing music, a cup or tea or drawing. Do whatever helps you relax and unwind.
Read
Reading just before bed is a great way to unwind from the day you had. Try to read lighter material like happy people read books, stories or articles that inspire you. Scrolling through twitter or reading the news isn’t counted. Reading a good book can motivate you to have a positive life and fall asleep with good thoughts.
Count your successes and blessings
This is very similar to showing gratitude. This is a really powerful tip. Review your successes from the day and try to focus on all that you accomplished instead of everything you didn’t. Look at and acknowledge everything you did towards your goal. When you focus on the positive things, success builds on success. Your momentum drives you forward and you feel really good about the day you just lived.
Plan and analyse
Knowing what you need to do the next day can help you relax and feel more prepared. Before sleeping, happy people plan their next day so that they wake up with determination and a clear picture of what needs to be done to ensure optimum productivity. Try to do this before sleeping.
Eat and drink healthy
Of course, it is better not to eat at all before you sleep but if you really need to, opt for the healthiest option. What you eat and drink throughout the day also affects the quality of your sleep and mood. Happy people feel great mentally and physically. You most definitely cannot feel good physically or mentally if you eat three pizzas before going to sleep.
Write down your worries
Write down your worries and anxieties. Having them in front of you in a systematic way can make it seem less daunting and scary instead of these thoughts going round in circles in your head. Once these thoughts are down on paper, it’s out of your head. This way you don’t keep thinking about them and you can sleep a lot better.
Write down things you want to and need to remember
Keep a small notepad near your bed. If there is anything swirling in your mind, write it down. WHen you write things down, you know you won’t forget it so you can allow your brain to stop thinking and switch off.
Exercise
Happy people keep their body in shape. Releasing endorphins during the day is a good stress buster and more often than not, guarantees a good rest.
Try positive affirmations
Affirmations are a great way to interrupt negative thoughts. Repeating the same positive thought over and over will create a belief within you and allow you to release the stresses of your day. Choose any statement that feels the most relevant to you and keep repeating it to yourself before you sleep.
Some examples are-
“I choose calmness and peace”
“I choose to be happy”
“I am enough”
“I give myself permission to close my eyes and fall asleep”
“I have done my best today”
“I am strong”
“I will achieve what I want to achieve.”
“I am proud of myself and the person I am”
Turn off the lights and blue light
An hour before bedtime, turn off or dim the lights in your room, especially if it is above your bed. Turn off the TV, turn off your cell phone, turn off the computer or ipads- anything that emits blue light. Light increases cortisol, decreases melatonin and that means no sleep. Do other things like reading, listening to music or journaling instead.
Learn to love yourself
This last tip is really important. Look at yourself in the mirror, stare into your eyes and tell yourself, “I love you. I love you. I love you.” It might feel ridiculous, but you need to keep reminding yourself that you are loved. You need to love yourself the most in order to love other people and be loved by others in return. The way these 3 words will boost your self-esteem and confidence is unbelievable.
To sum it all up —
Make time to incorporate these habits into your life.
Start small and build it from there. These habits will make you feel happier and most definitely more fulfilled.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you include happy thoughts while doing it. These simple thoughts before bed are powerful and will allow you to enjoy a calm and restful night’s sleep.
