Five ways for a stress-free, happy life!

But, happiness is a choice. It depends on how well we can control over our emotional well-being, no matter what happens.

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Happiness is one of the most important things in life. Yet, the sad truth is that we are getting increasingly depressed and dispirited as we struggle to cope up with our fast changing world.

But, happiness is a choice. For instance, we have the choice of being sad when everything is going well for us, or the choice of being happy even when nothing seems right. It depends on how well we can control over our emotional well-being, no matter what happens.

Here are five ways to help you feel happier and more satisfied in life.

Gratefulness

Show appreciation and gratitude for the people in your life. Doing this will not only help improve the quality of your life, but also the lives of others. Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Research has shown that grateful people are typically happier, which means that being grateful makes us more optimistic and reduces negativity.

Optimism

Optimism is a key ingredient to happiness. Try to develop a positive attitude even when things go wrong, while reminding yourself that change is inevitable and no situation is permanent. Positive emotions make you healthy and happy.

Friendships

Happiness means being socially connected. Studies have shown that people who have one or more close friendships appear to be happier. This implies that it doesn't seem to matter whether or not we have good network of friends, what matters is how often we cooperate in activities and how close we share our personal feelings and give support.

Exercise

Exercise is essential for a healthy lifestyle. It is also a key factor to maximise happiness as it improves your mental health and mood. Research has shown that 20 minutes of daily exercise can make you happy regardless of how sad you may be. The health benefits of exercise extend far beyond weight management. It reduces your risk for various health conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, diabetes.

Healthy diet

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can boost life satisfaction, mental well-being, and happiness. Research suggests that consuming fruits and vegetables apparently boosts our happiness far more quickly than it improves human health. In their latest findings, a team of researchers at the University of Warwick revealed that consuming up to eight portions of more fruit and vegetables a day can substantially increase people's happiness levels in life.