5 Positive, Uplifting, and Natural Tips to Boost Happiness

Spend time with those you love

• This is an easy way to get endorphins streaming throughout your brain, because when you feel connection, you feel peace, joy, and safe
• The time you have to do this of course may vary for each individual, but making an effort to spend time with someone for even a short time will help

Spending time alone doing something that is a passion

• I know this goes against the first tip, yet honestly it can be just as important to recharge your batteries and happiness mojo if you practice hobbies/passions that are yours
• Taking time to reflect and sort out your thoughts will decrease your drive to perform around others and allow to connect with your inner life

Spend some extra time to sleep

• Research suggests that a huge mental cost occurs when you don't getting enough sleep
• In addition research also suggests that those that sleep less tend to have experience more repetitive negative thoughts

Eating a balanced diet

• There is science around eating certain foods and having that lead to a "happiness" neurotransmitters: Eating foods that are high in protein and specifically have a higher percentage of tryptophan (like turkey, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds), will provide much needed tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitters that medications such as Prozac is attempting to rebalance in the brain. 
• Having a healthy gut, can provide relief as well, so if you experience GI issues, consult a doctor/nutritionist to see if changes in your diet are necessary

Spend time outside

• Early morning sunlight is more intense and this can boost your body’s production of melatonin in the evening. Serotonin converts to melatonin for a great night’s sleep.
• Getting outside for a 20-minute walk in the early morning sunlight can boost your mood and improve your sleep!
• Plus fresh air, and exercise can promote endorphins in the brain as well

Passion or Goal?

I am not sure if I have ever truly followed a passion. However, I did once passionately attempt to achieve a goal. This goal was to become a physician. This is the closest anything has come to being a passion for me. Although I did not achieve this goal, it has still had great impact on my emotional and mental health. When I first began following this passion, the metaphorical finish line seemed so far away that, in a way, it did not even seem real. This end-goal was something I had always told myself and everyone else that I would achieve, and yet, I could not actually see myself achieving it. I do not mean by this that I did not want to achieve it. On the contrary, I worked very hard for it. However, I made many mistakes in doing so. I did not manage my time well, and I spent many sleepless nights trying to keep the goal within reach. Some would argue that, if achieving this goal was not foremost among my priorities at all times, than it was never truly my passion. I have never enjoyed hearing this. I must admit, however, that in the process of pursuing this passion, I was more or less "going through the motions." I felt as if I was being carried along by a current, but not sure where the river would actually lead. The pursuit of this passion left room for no other passions. As a result of ultimately not fulfilling this passion, I feel as if I have shrunken away from the world that I once knew, abandoning many relationships I once held dear due to sheer embarrassment. This has led to a good deal of depression, and feelings of loneliness. I lived in an exile of my own creation. I mounted so much mental stress upon myself in the pursuit of this passion, that I now feel a sort of numbness. Sometimes stress can be a healthy thing. It can remind us of the gravity of a situation and spur us into action. However, like a lab animal that has been overexposed to a stimulus, I felt desensitized. What I have learned from this is that the pursuit of a passion can be stressful. However, the aftermath of failing in the pursuit of a passion can be even more stressful. Therefore, I believe it is essential to remain mindful of why one chooses to pursue a passion, and why that passion is worth the stress and efforts that it may entail.