1.Move your body:

Exercise is not just about aerobic capacity and muscle size. Sure, exercise can improve your physical health and your physique, trim your waistline, improve your sex life, and even add years to your life. But that’s not what motivates most people to stay active. If you want a real mood booster. Get up and get moving. It doesn’t have to be the latest Orange Theory HIIT workout to bring you joy. A walk around the block. A series of squats standing by your desk or a quick sprint up and down your stairs has the ability to shift your perspective. No matter your age or stage of life, move your body to feel better.

2.Get generous:

It doesn’t take a neuroscientist to know that doing nice things for people feels good. But now, researchers say they’ve discovered that even thinking about doing something generous has real mood-boosting benefits in the brain. A recent study told 50 people they’d be receiving about $100 over a few weeks. Half of the people were asked to commit to spending that money on themselves, and half were asked to spend it on someone else. Those who gave to others reported higher levels of happiness than those who spent it on themselves. Also noted, it didn’t seem to matter how generous people were. Even little things like bringing a co-worker a cup of coffee indicated more interaction between the parts of the brain associated with altruism and happiness. It’s not about what you give necessarily, it’s just having the heart to give that makes your heart happy.

3.Trust God:

I suppose this is so much about controlling the controlables. My joy has been destroyed and robbed during this season of 2020 when I have fixed my mind on things I cannot change. My opinion on COVID doesn’t really matter as I am not a scientist or a medical professional. On the days I have ridden the roller coaster of varying facts my heart is heavily weighted. Whether it’s about school on line or off line, home school or crisis school all these variables are literally out of my reach. And so I commit to listening His voice. I take a hard look at His words. I follow the teachings of His ways and my heaviness lifts and my heart fills up.

4.Practice Gratitude:

Giving thanks will make you happier. Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater joy. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, it cultivates a more life-giving perspective, improves health, it empowers you to deal with adversity, and enables the building of strong relationships.

5.Take a baby step.

We want everything now; happiness now, success now, health now, love now. This pressure and expectation can create overwhelm which debilitates us from moving forward at all. This may be the simplest, yet the most effective strategy we can use—BABY STEPS. The happiest and most successful people will tell you that they have achieved their level of life by taking small steps, and making one positive choice after another. Creating the life you love and going to the next level in faith, your family and whole health only requires you take one next step.