According to happiness expert, bestselling author and TED presenter Shawn Achor, this is exactly what occurs.
Developing and repeating certain practices over a 21-day period (habit change timeframe) rewires our brain so that it modifies and shifts our thought patterns to align with more positive beliefs and ways of thinking. Happiness and productivity are closely related. The happier we are, the more productive we are.
In other words, practising a few healthy mind-body habits for 21 days changes both our brain and our lives for the better.
Achor’s 5 practical tips for how to be happier
Express kindness/praise — This discipline is the one that happiness expert Achor singles out as the most important of the five because it builds strong social connections (proven to be a major player when it comes to long-term happiness).
The exercise: every day for 21 days straight, notice simple acts of kindness and take time to praise and express thanks via written email or text to that individual or source.
Don’t complicate things, “Hey friend, thanks for taking the time to have lunch with me the other day. I truly enjoyed sharing this time with you and catching up on your life.”
Choose a different individual each day and don’t forget those closest to you. We often overlook the many acts of kindness that our spouses, children, parents and siblings do for us daily.
Surprising someone with an email or text like this is a simple act that produces a wealth of positive vibes for both sides. Those practising this discipline become natural-born leaders, optimistic and positive.
Meditate/focus on breathing — According to Achor, the brain performs significantly better when tuned into positive vibes than it does “negative, neutral and stressed ones”.
Meditation is a discipline that quiets the mind and puts us in touch with our inner self (the one operating outside of our physical senses). Sadly, most people find the act of meditation difficult. But that’s only because they make it difficult when all it takes is a mental exit from all external activities/things to a focus on breathing.
The exercise: Achor’s secret to building more happiness with meditation is simple — “Just take my hands off my keyboard and do nothing; quiet everything for two minutes, and just watch my breath go in and out.”
This is one happiness-building discipline that anyone of any age can easily perform.
Physical exercise — Achor states that “movement is victory to our brains”. Fifteen minutes of some form of exercise/movement daily is equivalent to “taking antidepressants for six months minus the ensuing side effects and the 30% relapse rate over the next two years”.
The exercise: exercise trains our brains to see that behaviour matters. Strengthening exercise kicks in a wealth of hormones that contribute to our happiness in one way or another: dopamine, serotonin, endorphins and oxytocin. All these chemicals support feelings of contentment, happiness and pleasure.
Journaling — Train your brain to relive the good times you have experienced by mindfully reflecting on the past 24 hours.
The exercise: journal about any positive experience you may have had during the past day/night. Repeat for 21 days. When you write things down it’s easier to see, remember and relive first hand the joy and happiness you have experienced.
Express gratitude — Stop and smell the flowers. See and experience the wonder of life.
Achor goes on to say, “What we are finding is that it’s not necessarily reality which shapes us, it’s the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality, and if we can change the lens not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”
The exercise: for 21 days straight spend approximately two minutes daily writing about things you are grateful for. The sunset, the rainbow, the flowers, the easy ride to work. Nurturing the attitude of gratitude promotes and teaches optimism and trains our minds to look for and see the positive side of life. Perceiving life through this type of optimistic lens/perception is a surefire way to increase our overall happiness.
In the end, what does all this reveal? That we are responsible for our happiness, that we can boost our happiness through our thoughts and actions, and that small positive changes, once adopted into habit, can change the trajectory of our life.”
Truly, “happy is as happy does”.
