The Happiness Hack

The Happiness Hack

Three Everyday Practices & Anchoring for a True & Lasting Happiness

-Amlesh Ranjan

We, all of us, are in search and pursuit of true and lasting happiness. While each has their own way to go about it, we, more often than not, see the efforts aimed towards materialistic, aspirational, and/or relational directions.

Ample research suggests that chasing & achieving such goals makes us happy only for a short time. Yes, we do gain happiness, but why does it go away? Why do we keep craving for better, higher, more?

We should be able to solve and answer these questions because ‘We’ own our mind and brain. And if we are in-charge of our psycho-somatic systems, which we should be, it is we, who should be able to hack it in the most positive way.

Bringing my understanding of Positive Psychology and Yoga learning together on International Happiness Day to propose Three Everyday Practices and Anchoring for attaining True & Lasting Happiness, I invite you to have a look at the same.

Three Every day Practices for True & Lasting Happiness

GRATITUDE

“This is a wonderful day I have never seen this one before.”. Maya Angelou said this so beautifully. There are so many things that we can be and need to be grateful for in our life, every single moment and day.

Gratitude has been found to lower stress levels and lift our mood. It even strengthens our immune system and lowers blood pressure. Gratitude leads to a stronger social connection, which by itself is a key ingredient of happiness.

Amy Collette once said, “Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness. It’s the spark that lights a fire of joy in your soul”, and it is so very true. Gratitude builds acceptance and creates a feeling of abundance leading to happiness.

SAVORING

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures”. Thornton Wilder is so profoundly right. Whatever we have or, are having, we must stay alive to that with all our selves.

Savoring is about being aware of all that you already have, and then live them to the fullest. It is the attitude and act of really appreciating and enjoying all that you have – relationships, possessions, achievements, food…  

Savouring boosts our mood by making us remember all the good that we have in our life. It keeps us be mindfully present in the moment in every experience. Savoring gets us ahead of our regrets; takes us towards counting our blessings.

COMPASSION

“Compassion. It’s not just a word. It’s a way of being. It’s not just a concept. It’s love in action” - Jeff Brown said it so well. As a human being, it is a given that we operate with love & kindness towards all co-habitants of our planet.

Lots of empirical evidence suggest that being compassionate helps us become and be happy. It results in a sense of meaning and fulfilment. Compassion is an expression of our higher self, making us seek opportunities to support & serve.

Research shows that happy people are compassionate towards all. They think and operate from an attitude of helpfulness & consideration. Great Thich Nhat Hanh said, “A compassionate person sees himself or herself in every being”.

Three Every Day Anchoring for True & Lasting Happiness

It is during my Coach certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, that I understood the power of ‘Anchoring’. One can create an anchor in an object or activity to achieve or strengthen one’s desired behaviour.

‘Prāṇāyām’, the Vedic breathing exercises are a great natural anchor for all of us. ‘Prāṇa’ the Sanskrit word for breath in yoga denotes ‘life force’, or ‘vital energy’. Let us turn our breathing into Every Moment Anchoring for happiness-

• BREATH IN with deep inhalation for 4 counts** with GRATITUDE for the air, and consciously being thankful for everyone & everything in your life

 

• HOLD THE BREATH for 3 counts SAVORING the air within, consciously thinking of all that you are going to savor the whole day today & forever

 

• BREATH OUT with long exhalation for 4 counts with COMPASSION for all, starting with people in your personal, social & professional spheres

Neuro-scientific research has conclusively proven brain changing impact of Prāṇāyām.

A conscious adoption of Anchoring through Breathing can help in building a Path to Truly & Consistently Happier You through Gratitude, Savoring & Compassion.

“Let Happiness be the path, for it’s the expression of your soul”.

-Amlesh Ranjan

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*https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/happiness

**While, I have proposed a number of counts, there are varying recommendations. it is also dependent on individual health conditions. Please exercise discretion and seek advice from your physician or Yoga expert, particularly on holding breath.