Would you believe that, to our utmost surprise and delight, Nigeria was ranked the 91st happiest nation of the world, and fifth in Africa in the 2018 World Happiness Report. It is remarkable that despite our economic, political and security challenges, we remain happy.
What makes you happy?
Hmmm, we have gotten interesting replies.
- Constant electricity
- Zero traffic
- Good hair day
- People showing love to each other
- Waking up before the alarm goes off
- Receiving a credit alert
- Finding out you have money that you forgot about.
- Listening to a favourite song
- The smell of rain
- Sleeping on clean fresh sheets
- Rocking new clothes
- Christmas
What Do We Really Need To Be Happy?
Should happiness be based on what gives you momentary satisfaction? It should be about what keeps you going, what gives you hope, what makes you satisfied with your life etc. One thing we should avoid is basing our happiness on ephemeral things. Happiness begins from within. Don’t seek for some sort of constant euphoria, make sure your happiness is closer to stability.
Here are a few tips on how to remain happy
1. Sleep a lot
Apart from the fact that sleep has a lot of health benefits; it has the ability to make you happier. That is why we wake up feeling refreshed when we have healthy sleep.
2. Exercise more
This is the best way to improve your immediate happiness. Exercise makes you happy. Try and go on a run. You’ll hate yourself while doing it, but the gratification that you get towards the end vastly outweighs the frustration of the first few attempts. We can’t say enough good things about exercise. Read: “Is there a link between exercise and happiness? Exercising is also fantastic because it gives you time alone.
3. Share Happiness
Make someone happy. Smile more often. Remember, you are never truly dressed without a smile. When you smile at other people, you instantly brighten up their day.
4. Have an attitude of gratitude
Do you want more from your life? More happiness? Better health? Deeper relationships? Increased productivity? An Attitude of Gratitude can help you in all of those areas? Here are some tips on how to have a positive attitude. It will definitely make you happier
5. Forgive someone today
Forgiveness is not an approval of what happened. It’s choosing to rise above it. When you forgive someone, it usually feels like a heavy burden has been lifted off your chest. Give yourself the power to forgive and find increased happiness and hopefulness through it.
6. Raise joyful children
The theme this year is “share happiness”. We can start by raising children who are full of joy. Is your demeanour one of joy or do you plaster every trouble and worry on your face? We are the mirror image that our children emulate. So let’s start portraying attitudes that’ll help us raise joyful children.
7. Write your partner a list of things you love about them
Make a list of all the little things you love about your partner. Communication, affection and time together are key to maintaining a happy relationship.
What other tips do you have? Share with us. Stay happy always!
