12 Minutes to a Happier You : You probably know how to cope with the hard times and bad mood. Actually, we all know. Each day we wake up and follow our morning rituals. We feel great and ready to tackle different tasks but then suddenly something or someone spoils your mood and ruins your entire day. This happens to me almost every day but I don’t allow it to prevent me from accomplishing my daily tasks and being successful and happy. Regardless of your busy schedule, you can take 12 minutes to feel happier today. Pick one of these ways to banish stress and enjoy your day.
12 Minutes to a Happier You
12 minutes of gratitude
No matter who or what ruined your day, spend 12 minutes writing down 12 things you are grateful for right now, instead of cursing and hating everything and everyone in your life. Gratitude has a huge power. It can make a poor person rich and a miserable person happy in a few minutes. Each morning I spend 12 minutes practicing gratitude and suggest that you try this wonderful morning ritual too. 12 minutes will be enough to make you smile, happy and strong.
12 minutes of sleep
When you feel tired and overwhelmed, you can’t be happy. Taking a 12-minute nap in the middle of the day will help you feel more awake, refresh your mind and boost your mood. It’s a healthy way to fight stress that you can turn into a daily habit. Some companies allow their employees to take a short nap and they even have special rooms for it. Many employers believe a short nap boosts productivity and improves health of their employees.
12 minutes of fun
Animals can teach us many precious lessons about happiness. Spend 12 minutes watching some fun pictures of animals or your own pets. You can do it anytime you feel down. Smiles and laughter are guaranteed! I also have a game Talking Ginger in my phone and play it every time I need to boost my mood. It’s a short game so it doesn’t distract me from my tasks. There are many other similar games where pets do many fun and crazy things. After all, who said such games are for kids only?
12 minutes of meditation
Some people spend 5 minutes meditating, while others a few hours. It all depends on you. I’ve found that a 12-minute meditation helps to feel peacefulness and happiness, and helps to banish stress with no effort. Give such a meditation a try to find out if it works for you. You can meditate almost anywhere – at home, at work, in a hotel room, on the bus, at the airport, in the park, anywhere.
12 minutes of walk
You don’t need to walk all day long in order to find yourself and feel happy. I performed a few experiments with walking in order to discover the best amount of time we should spend walking each day. A 12-minute walk is one of the best ways to clear your mind and improve your mood, not to mention that it’s a good, heart-friendly workout.
12 minutes of reading inspiring quotes
When you feel down, nothing seems to help you. Reading some inspiring quotes, though, can wonders for you and prevent you from overthinking and overeating. 12 minutes will be enough to inspire you to love yourself and your whole life. There are plenty of different inspiring quotes for different types of people. Choose a few favorite quotes and keep them handy in case you need them during the hard times.
We live in a busy culture that focuses on career goals, success and money. We don’t pay enough attention to the way we feel each day. It’s very sad. You may be a super busy person who doesn’t have time for meditation, reading, walking or napping, but do you really think you need a lot of time to be happy? I’m sure you can find those 12 minutes to better yourself and develop new, healthy habits that will help you live a longer, happier and healthier life. Set a good example for everyone around you by showing how to be happy in a matter of a few minutes. Do you think 12 minutes are enough to feel happier today? Are you going to try any of the tips mentioned above?