Lead a Happier Life With These 7 Simple Daily Habits
Leading a happier life might seem like a lofty goal, especially if you've been feeling down recently, but it is entirely possible with the right habits. Our moods are affected by everything around us, including the weather, light levels, the food we eat and even how much we move our bodies. While nobody is in a great mood all the time, these daily habits can help you to stay in a more positive mindset, no matter what setbacks life throws at you.
If you want to pursue a happier life, try incorporating some of these ideas into your daily or weekly routine. The best part? All the habits on this list are absolutely free.
Simple mental health habits to start using today
1. Make relaxation a routine
Very few things in life are promised, but stressful times are all but guaranteed. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed or stressed out, but you can control how you respond to the strain. Implementing relaxation techniques into your daily routine can help you manage stress.
Meditation is a popular way to relax as it can help reach a state of calm, decrease stress and improve your mood. Some people even use music to guide them through their meditation sessions. If meditation isn't your thing, deep breathing, reading or taking a hot bath are also popular relaxation techniques. No matter how you choose to relax, try to make it a habit.
2. Practice gratitude
Including gratitude in your life is a way to create a positive outlook on your life. More than that, it has tangible benefits for your mental health, including reducing stress, lessening depression symptoms and boosting your mood.
Gratitude is a simple concept but sometimes can be difficult to keep up with. Take time for self-reflection and share your gratitude with the people around you. If you like to journal, regularly write down a list of things you're grateful for.3. Value social interaction
Sharing our time with others is sometimes just what we need to boost our mood or change our perspective on things. By making time for friends and family, you will decrease feelings of loneliness and ensure you have an emotional support system at your fingertips. If you can't regularly meet in person, text messages and Zoom calls are all meaningful ways to connect with others without actually seeing each other.
The other side of valuing social interaction is knowing when you've had enough. Boundaries are an essential part of mental health that helps keep you from pushing yourself too far. Feel empowered to say no or move plans around when your body tells you to.
4. Take care of your physical health
Mental health is directly tied to physical health. One cannot flourish without the other. The three main areas to target are sleep, nutrition and exercise.
Let's dig into each target area:
5. Monitor your social media intake
Our phones are our lifelines. Most of the time, they're beside us, keeping us connected to the outside world through calls, texts and social media. The hours spent scrolling through social media, comparing ourselves to the snapshot of perfection people post, can seriously impact our self-view and stain our mental health. Constant social media use has been linked to worsened anxiety and depression symptoms, feelings of inadequacy and unhealthy sleeping habits.
You can use social media in a way that doesn't deplete your mental health. Use these tactics to make social media work for you:
Don't start or end your day with social media.
Put a limit on how long you can spend on social media.
Use the time you used to spend on social media to do something that brings you joy or relaxation.
6. Journal your feelings
Journaling is a powerful tool to cope with mental health disorders by working through emotions and channeling thoughts. A 2018 study found that journaling for 15 minutes each day significantly reduced stress and feelings of anxiety. Other research has linked it to helping work through PTSD symptoms or depression.
There is no right or wrong way to journal. Many people journal daily, others may journal only when stressed or need to work through something. No matter how you use it, journaling is a way you can track your progress and growth throughout the year.
Getty Images
7. Make yourself laugh
Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine. When you're feeling stressed or down, do things that will make you laugh to reduce anxiety and stress. Watch your favorite TV show or movie to give your mood a boost or find the source within yourself. Sing while you're in the shower or dance while cleaning your home. Dancing reduces the stress hormone cortisol in the body.
Improving your mental health is a journey. It doesn't happen overnight. You can make lasting tweaks to your well-being by intentionally adding habits to your routine.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fast Company
42 minutes ago
- Fast Company
The household auto fleet is a money pit
There's a financial crisis hiding in plain sight: the American household vehicle fleet. Families are hemorrhaging money through car payments, insurance, fuel, maintenance, depreciation, parking, and registration. In many cases, this adds up to more than a family's annual savings—or the cost of sending a child to college every four years. Car ownership is nearly universal in the U.S., with 92% of households owning at least one vehicle. About 37% own two cars, and 22% own three or more. In 2023, the average annual cost to own and operate a new vehicle climbed to $12,182. For households with two cars, that's nearly $25,000 per year—a recurring expense that too often escapes scrutiny. Now consider how those vehicles are used. In 2021, more than half of all daily trips in the U.S. were under three miles. Nearly 30% were less than one mile. We're paying a fortune to go nowhere. The rise of remote and hybrid work has amplified the mismatch between cost and use. As of 2023, more than a third of U.S. employees worked remotely full time, with another 41% following hybrid work models. Pew Research Center reported that almost half of remote workers would look for a new job if their employer took this option off the table. Cars are parked roughly 95% of the time, depreciating as they collect pollen and bird droppings. And yet they demand monthly payments, insurance, fuel, and maintenance. The long-distance commute has been the primary reason for every working member of the family needing their own vehicle, but our travel habits have changed. What if owning fewer cars was a sign of more success? A growing number of families are experimenting with a car-lite lifestyle—ditching the second or third car and rediscovering local travel through bikes, transit, or walking. They're not doing it to make a statement. They're doing it to make ends meet—and to take back their time. At the center of this quiet shift: the e-bike. Part appliance and part liberation machine, e-bikes are redefining what a 'vehicle' can be. School drop-offs, grocery runs, commutes, and social visits—trips once assumed to require a car—are increasingly accomplished with battery-assisted pedaling. Terrain and distance fade as barriers. In 2022, more than 1.1 million e-bikes were sold in the U.S., nearly quadruple the number from 2019. E-bikes now account for over 20% of total bicycle sales in the U.S., and they represented 63% of revenue growth in the bike industry between 2019 and 2023. Bikes have become robust enough to handle everything from kid pickups to bulk grocery runs, and more cities are creating rebate programs to accelerate adoption. Replacing a car with an e-bike can save a household $120,000 over a decade—enough to wipe out debt, fund a college account, or boost retirement savings. And as infrastructure improves with more protected lanes, slower streets, and secure parking, the e-bike can graduate from practical to preferable. What if you spent less on movement and more on meaning? What if streets worked as well for bikes as they do for cars? What if getting around town felt like a lifestyle upgrade? For too long, success was measured by how many vehicles fit in your driveway. But those cars aren't status symbols—they're financial sinkholes. Remember, more than half of America's car trips are under a few miles. If you're going broke to go nowhere, the journey needs a new map.
Associated Press
42 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Edwards leads Marlins against the Rockies after 5-hit outing
Colorado Rockies (9-50, fifth in the NL West) vs. Miami Marlins (23-34, fifth in the NL East) Miami; Monday, 6:40 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Rockies: German Marquez (1-7, 7.13 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 32 strikeouts); Marlins: Max Meyer (3-4, 4.53 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 63 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Marlins -198, Rockies +165; over/under is 8 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Miami Marlins take on the Colorado Rockies after Xavier Edwards had five hits on Sunday in a 4-2 loss to the Giants. Miami has a 23-34 record overall and a 14-17 record in home games. The Marlins have a 19-7 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents. Colorado has a 9-50 record overall and a 3-28 record on the road. The Rockies have gone 6-18 in games when they record eight or more hits. Monday's game is the first time these teams square off this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Otto Lopez has six doubles and four home runs for the Marlins. Jesus Sanchez is 11 for 35 with a double and two home runs over the last 10 games. Hunter Goodman has 11 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 31 RBIs for the Rockies. Mickey Moniak is 4 for 25 with two home runs and two RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Marlins: 4-6, .248 batting average, 3.03 ERA, outscored by one run Rockies: 1-9, .195 batting average, 3.97 ERA, outscored by 28 runs INJURIES: Marlins: Derek Hill: 10-Day IL (wrist), Rob Brantly: 60-Day IL (lat), Griffin Conine: 60-Day IL (arm), Andrew Nardi: 60-Day IL (back), Braxton Garrett: 60-Day IL (elbow), Eury Perez: 60-Day IL (elbow) Rockies: Chase Dollander: 15-Day IL (forearm), Kris Bryant: 60-Day IL (lumbar), Ryan Feltner: 15-Day IL (back), Austin Gomber: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jeff Criswell: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Fast Company
43 minutes ago
- Fast Company
The best leaders are spacious leaders. Here's what that means
It can be tough out there for leaders. It's challenging to drive results, ensure you're supporting employees' well-being, and maintain your own motivation as well. So how can you be a good leader, and what are the strategies that really work? A helpful concept is spacious leadership—a management approach in which you create space for others to participate, make choices, and be their best. With spacious leadership, you also ensure space for yourself to enhance your own effectiveness and satisfaction on the job. THE NEED FOR IMPROVED LEADERSHIP In spite of leaders who work hard to do their best, a new survey by consulting firm DDI finds that only about 40% of workers believe that leaders are high quality. In comparison, leaders tend to rate themselves better than others rate them. There's a perception gap—along with an opportunity for leaders to get better. There's also evidence that leaders are feeling the pressure. In fact, 71% of leaders say their stress levels have increased, 54% report they are worried about burnout, and 40% have given thought to leaving a leadership role because they struggle with their own well-being, according to the DDI data. A spacious leadership approach addresses how leaders support others, and also how they manage their own workplace experience. CREATE SPACE FOR INVOLVEMENT One of the first ways to demonstrate spacious leadership is to invite people to participate, get involved, and have a voice. At the root of this kind of leadership is humility. It doesn't mean giving up your voice. Spacious leaders have a strong point of view, and they're secure with their own expertise, but they don't assume they have all the answers or the best answers. Comfort with admitting mistakes is also related to spacious leadership. Leaders don't have to know it all—and people appreciate it when their managers ask for ideas and value input in finding solutions. Spacious leaders empower people to be part of the process by communicating effectively. When leaders offer clear direction, goals, or challenges, people are able to be proactive and suggest ways to get things done. And when people have the opportunity to get involved, they are also more likely to feel a sense of ownership and dedication to their work. Demonstrate spacious leadership by inviting people in and sharing context so they can be effective participants in the process. CREATE SPACE FOR LEARNING AND GROWTH People of all generations crave development. In spacious leadership, you create space for people to expand their skills and competencies. Investing in employees' growth sends a message that you value them and their contributions. You can support people by creating succession plans or recommending formal learning sessions, offering regular coaching and feedback, or introducing them to mentors outside your department. The outcomes of these approaches are striking. According to the DDI study, when leaders provided coaching and feedback to employees, those employees were nine times more likely to trust their leader. And when leaders actively supported development, employees were 11 times more likely to trust their leader. Demonstrate spacious leadership by coaching and developing people. CREATE SPACE FOR PERFORMANCE We all have an instinct to matter, and people will be happier and provide more discretionary effort when they are supported in performing at their best. When you're creating space for performance, you're giving people plenty of choice, control, and autonomy. Control and decision-making have been proven to matter for health and longevity. According to two Indiana University studies (one conducted in 2016 and the other in 2020), people who experienced high job stress and had limited control over their work process were less healthy and had higher mortality rates. On the other hand, when they were in high-stress jobs but had greater choice and more decision-making power, they were healthier and lived longer. People also perform best when they have enough time to get things done. Sometimes things are hectic, urgent, or last minute, but spacious leaders do their best to give people adequate time to deliver results. This allows people the space to reflect, plan, and invest in the quality of their outcomes. Demonstrate spacious leadership by giving people the necessary support to perform their best. CREATE SPACE FOR WELL-BEING Another way to create space for people is by attending to their well-being. Give people the opportunity to set and maintain appropriate boundaries in their work and life. In addition, tune into how people are doing and ask questions. You don't need to be a professional social worker, but when you can demonstrate empathy and point people to resources, it sends a strong message about how much you care. Create space for them to share, and then listen and offer support. Paying attention to well-being is good for people—and it pays off for organizations. In a global study by the Workforce Institute at UKG, a workplace software provider, 80% of people said they were energized at work when they had better mental health, and 63% said they were committed to their work. Some 69% of workers reported that their leader has a bigger impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor—and about the same impact as their partner. When organizations prioritize well-being, the DDI data finds, people are 12 times more likely to rate leadership quality as high. Demonstrate spacious leadership by ensuring people have the space to nurture their wellbeing. CREATE SPACE FOR SELF-CARE As a leader, your own strength is critical to how you can support others. Just as you create space for your team's excellence, do the same for yourself. Be consistent, present, and accessible, but also ensure you have time to get away and turn off. Also consider the self-care that works best for you. The popular narrative about self-care suggests that you should spend time alone, but you may choose to spend time with others who energize you. Many people think self-care must always involve saying no, but it can also include saying yes to activities that you feel passionate about. Most important is to make choices that are nourishing for you. Another way to ensure self-care is to create a small group of trusted colleagues. Leadership requires a balance of authenticity and transparency with appropriate professionalism. You'll want to establish trusting relationships with other leaders (or people outside your organization) with whom you can relax, share worries and concerns, or get advice. Demonstrate spacious leadership by giving yourself space to regroup, rejuvenate, and bring your best. THE LANGUAGE WE USE The way we think about things and how we talk to ourselves have a significant impact on the choices we make and how we behave. With spacious leadership, you'll focus on all the ways you can create space for others and for yourself, resulting in terrific success.
