Thirty minutes a day is enough to become happier: don’t you believe it? Try these exercises and you will see the results.
Becoming happier is possible, and it only takes 30 minutes a day.
To explain how to do it is Christian Boiron, general manager of the homonymous group and author of several books on happiness. Boiron argues that in order to be happy, one must first want it. And that’s why you should regularly devote yourself to what he calls happiness gymnastics – ten exercises which, if practiced daily, allow you to gain greater self-awareness and express your deepest self.
Here are the ten exercises.
How to become happier (in 30 minutes)
1. LIGHTNING MEDITATION
Close your eyes, relax your muscles, stop and listen to your breath, letting go of your thoughts. Five minutes is enough to reset the brain from unnecessary worries.
2. REFLECTION ON THE CONCEPTS
What emotions do the concepts of courage, selfishness, generosity, sense of guilt evoke in you ? Take a sheet of paper and define them. Then re-read what you wrote and gradually integrate it with new thoughts.
3. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE
The people we have next to affect our deepest state of mind. So get away from those who are harmful and surround yourself with people who allow you to manifest your deepest self, without judging you. Their company will be an incentive to continue on the path to happiness.
4. CONFESS YOUR EMOTIONS
When you feel an emotion, don’t repress it, but confess it. For example, if you are angry, admit it to whoever you are dealing with: “Sorry, I’m nervous, you have nothing to do with it”. A phrase like this will allow you to feel better instantly and will ensure that no further tension is created around you.
5. ALLOW YOURSELF SOME MOMENTS TO DO NOTHING
Giving yourself permission to do absolutely nothing for a few minutes a day helps you choose more consciously what to do the rest of the time. Only by giving ourselves moments of nothing will we be able to be masters of our day.
6. DOWN DRAMATIZED
The secret of happiness is not never getting angry or sad, but knowing how to get over it quickly. To do this, start looking at situations with humor and looking for a funny side to what’s not going right. It will get easier and easier as you go about it, until at some point it just comes naturally to you.
7. FIND A PLACE FOR YOURSELF
Find a place of your own, where you feel good and where you can carve out moments of solitude and tranquility. It will become a privileged space to get you back on track when needed.
8. EXPRESS YOUR CREATIVITY
Every day try to devote at least fifteen minutes to a hobby or an artistic activity (cooking, gardening, writing, painting, embroidery…). It doesn’t always have to be the same activity, but it should be something you enjoy every day and that allows you to express a different part of yourself.
9. FORGIVE YOURSELF
In the evening, before falling asleep, think back to the day and if there should be something that made you feel inadequate or wrong, tell yourself that perfection doesn’t exist, and console yourself by thinking that we can’t always please everyone. In short, be extremely good judges of yourself and forgive yourself.
10. SMILE
Close your eyes, relax and smile. In this way not only the muscles, but also the tensions, are relaxed. The smile position of the mouth has been shown to trick the brain into actually making us feel better.