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Natural Happiness

Natural Happiness

natural-happiness-thumbYou’re sitting in your office. You feel sick, tired, and bored, but aren’t really sure why. There are plenty of things you could be doing, you just aren’t up to it. So you head outside to just take a break, and suddenly your mood sudden improves. You also seem to have a lot more energy.

Maybe it goes back to caveman times when people lived outside, maybe its the warmth of the sun, but whatever the reason people seem to be happier when they’re outside. Have you ever noticed people seem to usually be running around and having a good time when they’re outside? Also when people stay inside all day they can get tired and moody. Taking a short break to go outside at least once a day might help some of this moodiness, and maybe even give you a better outlook on the day.

Going outside for a whole day can be even better. Now I realize this can be rather difficult during the week with work, errands, and other commitments. However if you have time on the weekends an outdoor getaway can be something healthy and fun to do. There are many fun and interesting outdoor activities to do including:

Walking
Running
Biking
Wandering around the city
Going to an outdoor mall
Going to a Waterpark
Going to the park
Playing Sports
Swimming
Going to the Beach

Most of these activities can be done for relatively cheap, or even free. For more fun outdoor activities look online or ask a friend. Many towns will also host fun outdoor events in the summer that are also sometimes cheap or free.

But what do you do in the winter? We all know about fun activities such as ice skating, sledding or building a snowman. These activities are great, but what about when it gets below zero? It can be dangerous to go outside in these temperatures. In times like these, (depending on how much snow there is on the road) taking a short car drive can be a nice way to enjoy the sights of nature away from the bitter cold.

I think humans are meant to spend time in nature. Whatever the reason may be, it just makes us feel better. It seems almost impossible to be in a bad mood after you’ve spent the day outside. Taking even a short break everyday to go outside, can help put you in a better mood and make your problems easier to handle. You may even find that over time, you get less stressed about the small stuff, and your day seems much easier to take on.

Walk It Off

Walk It Off

walk-it-offYou always hear about the physical health benefits of walking, however there can also be many emotional and mental health benefits to walking.  Everybody has had those days where everything seems to be going wrong, and you feel like you just need to get away from everything for awhile. Taking a short walk can sometimes be the perfect way to get away from everything for a little bit and clear your head.

Sometimes even going for a walk as short as 10 minutes can help. I’m not sure if it’s the sunshine, or the outdoors, or just taking a break from everything, but walking always makes me feel a little better no matter how stressed I am.

Walking with a friend can sometimes make you feel even better than if you are just by yourself. They can be there to lend an ear, and help you out. Although maybe all you really need is someone to make you laugh, and realize that things will improve.

If you are looking for more intense activity, a nice run or bike ride can also do the trick. Not only can this help your mental health, but if done regularly, it can also help improve your physical health. This in turn can possibly also make you happier, because you feel better about your body.

However what happens in the winter? You certainly can’t go for a walk or bike ride when its below zero out. In these cases getting in your car and going for a drive can work just as well. Playing some calming music while doing this can also help your mind escape from the days stresses. Be aware though, that with gas prices this can get expensive, and driving in several inches of snow if you don’t have to, would not be something I would recommend either.

Whether it be by walking, biking, or driving, sometimes we just need to get away from life for awhile and clear our heads. Taking some time out once in awhile to do some light physical activity or even just go for a drive can help calm you down and gather your thoughts. This might even cause you to be able to think clearer and make more productive use of your time.  This can lead to more happiness because you will be able to do more of what you really want.