A simple Google search for “what is the secret to happiness?” will yield you 293 million results. So, we think it’s safe to say we’re not the only ones who are chasing joy. After 138 days or so in quarantine—hey, who’s counting?—it feels like we’ve streamed every movie, read every book, re-decorated every room, and experienced every feeling on this veritable roller coaster of emotions.

While we don’t claim to have the magical “cure-all,” we do know a few simple things you can do every day that will strongly impact your sense of happiness and peace of mind, especially in unprecedented times like these.

It might not feel like there’s much to look forward to right now, but we want to switch your optimism meter back on. Ready to turn up the happiness dial? Ahead, we outline 10 simple but impactful daily habits and self-care rituals that take two minutes or less to reduce stress, increase endorphins, and encourage a happier feeling overall. This could just be the thing to renew your sense of hope, happiness, and self-confidence.

Take a Few Deep Breaths

Pause for a minute and check how you’re breathing right now? Are your breaths short and shallow or deep and long? When we’re not paying attention to our breath, we often find ourselves doing the latter but those shallow breaths are causing your body to remain in a cyclical state of stress—our stress causes shallow breathing and our shallow breathing causing stress. This sets off the sympathetic nervous system, the branch of the autonomic nervous system that primes us for activity and response. If you are feeling stressed, try box breathing or square breathing—Brené Brown uses it to calm down when, in her words, “sh*t hits the fan.” This type of breathwork has been scientifically proven to help increase calm and focus and decrease stress, depression, and anxiety. So, be mindful of your breath, take the time to notice your breath, and really breathe deeply.

Set an Intention for the Day

It seems like a fairly simple tip, but a life without intention is a life without purpose. So how do you create an intention? Well, you just need to clarify what you want to achieve at that moment, day, or life. That’s it? Yup. That’s it. It might seem deceptively simple at first, but it is a deeply powerful act. As Deepak Chopra told Mind Body Green, everything that happens in the universe begins with intention. “Intention is the starting point of every dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love,” he writes. So, try it today. Before you start the day, write down your intention by asking yourself “what is the one thing I could achieve today to make it great?” and once it’s down, let go of the outcome, and see what happens!

Have a Mini Declutter Session

No, it’s not just in your head—extra stuff is stressful. And after spending this much time at home, it’s little wonder we’re mass-purchasing plants, re-decorating, and decluttering. But there is real science behind clearing out your clutter. Not only does it increase anxiety and stress but it also makes it reduces our ability to focus on a task. Put simply, more stuff doesn’t equal happiness, despite what advertisers might have you believe. But don’t let the act of decluttering stress you out either. Just take it at your own pace.

Take a Break

When you’re busy it can seem unproductive to take a break, but believe it or not, that’s when you need it most. If you sit down for work all day (*raises hand!) then you could be impacting your health without realizing. In fact, a 2017 study found that sitting for “60 to 89 and 90 or more minutes was associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality,” but the good news is, this is significantly reduced if you get up and take a break at least every 30 minutes. If that sounds like a lot then try setting an alarm for every hour and start small by getting up to have a drink of water or make a cup of tea, or simply walk around your living room (and look out the window instead of a screen!).

Make Your Bed

It’s hard to believe that making your bed could change your life but science says it has the power to influence your whole day, in a positive way. Apparently, spending a few extra minutes to tidy up the sheets and assemble your pillows could make you more productive, happier, and more successful than your rumple-sheeted peers. Don’t believe us? Give it a try for a week or a month and see the difference. If anything, just the visual of a neatly made bed makes us feel more organized and accomplished.   

Practice Gratitude

It’s easy to get caught up in the what if’s and the why me’s, but despite everything that is going on in the world around you, there is always something to be thankful for. You just have to pause for a moment, reflect, then acknowledge, and you’ll feel the gratitude fill you up. There are a few ways to practice gratitude. The first one is “interior gratitude” where you keep a daily or weekly list of the things you are grateful for. The second is “exterior gratitude” where you write thank-you notes expressing your gratitude for others. And the third is “be grateful for everyday things” you usually overlook such as clean water to drink and electricity. So why not turn your outlook to one of gratitude—you’ll be happier for it. 

Bring in Greenery or Fresh-Cut Flowers

After months indoors, we’re all craving nature and the simplest way to do that is by bringing the outdoors in. There are plenty of affordable options at your local grocery store or pick a few fresh flowers from nearby trees or parks along your daily walk in the neighborhood. They’ll bring much-needed greenery and freshness to your space while reducing stress, elevating your mood, improving cognitive function, and so much more. 

Turn on Your Phone’s “Do Not Disturb” Mode

Have you checked your phone’s Screen Time feature lately? If you haven’t, then you might be in for a shock. According to the WSJ, our weekly screen time reports are through the roof in quarantine making us question our addiction to the convenient device. And it makes sense. We’re all chasing happiness in a world of chaos right now, and our phones give us a hit of the feel-good chemical dopamine every time our screen lights up with a new notification. So, once you’ve acknowledged it, invest in a little smartphone rehab and turn on your phone’s Do Not Disturb (or DND) mode during the workday so you’re not distracted by the constant barrage of social media likes and comments, or the stream of anxiety-inducing news updates. We also recommend turning on DND at least an hour before you go to bed

Cut Out Negativity

Don’t feel bad about it. Your body is actually wired to think the worst first. It’s that old fight or flight mode in action again. But here’s the good news, we don’t need it anymore and we can proactively make moves to quash them as soon as they come. Why is this important? Because if we continue on that negative spiral, we can actually “rewire our neural networks, strengthening pathways in the brain to make us more likely to continue seeing the glass as half-empty.” So, what can you do about it? Practice mindfulness, notice your thoughts and either quash or try to rationalize the negative ones—talking back to the thought takes away its power.

So, try one of these 11 simple acts and start feeling happier today.

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