5 Things that truly make you happy, According to psycology

What does happiness mean to you? 

For some, happiness means achieving their goals or becoming wildly successful in a certain career. However, happiness is complicated and can be found in small, often overlooked ways. Finding these minuscule boosts can help you in the short term on your journey to a much larger goal. With that said, here are six small things guaranteed to brighten your day, even just by a little. 

1. get some hugs.

 Hugs are a familiar form of communicating love and trust. However, they serve more than just saying, I care for you. Hugging serves to reinforce bonds between two people via the secretion of oxytocin, which is one of the three happiness hormones, along with dopamine and endorphins.

 Oxytocin also has other benefits, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the stress hormone cortisol. If hugging is not your thing, there are other ways to boost your oxytocin levels, such as playing with your pet or getting a massage.

 2. help others out.

 Have you ever experienced that warm, fuzzy feeling after you've done something nice for a person? Oxytocin is not only released when you hug. It's also released when you do something kind for someone. The great thing about it is that it's contagious. 

Not only do you get a surge of oxytocin whenever you do something kind, but so does the person on the receiving end. A 2009 study published the results of an experiment designed to measure the correlation between acts of kindness and life satisfaction. They found that participants who practised random acts of kindness reported higher levels of life satisfaction. Acts of kindness do not need to be large. 

Being kind can be as simple as holding the door for someone, donating clothes, or saying thank you when you get your food order.

3. get some sun.

 At earlymorning means that getting some sunlight might help you feel a bit happier. Vitamin D plays a role in the synthesis and creation of serotonin, another happiness hormone. A 2018 study concluded that an increase in vitamin D helped maintain the concentration of extracellular fluid serotonin in the brain. This was shown to improve neuropsychiatric disorders like depression. So get out there, just don't forget your sunscreen. 

4., laugh out loud. 

Have you ever been in a bad mood, but had that one silly friend make it all better? Laughing is another great way to increase your happiness. It not only involves your face but also your whole body. The most interesting thing that happens is that your pain tolerance goes up. This is due to a spike in endorphins, another happiness hormone, commonly released during exercise.

 Laughter is miraculous in the sense that you also get a dose of dopamine whenever you laugh. Dopamine is the reward hormone. When we laugh, dopamine creates a euphoric feeling, which encourages us to laugh again and again. 

5. go out and exercise. 

Another great way to make yourself feel happier is through exercise. Not only does it increase your level of endorphins, but it also increases your dopamine. Both help reduces cortisol and allow you to feel more at ease, which can consequently make you feel better. 

This doesn't need to be a huge workout. As something as short as a 20-minute walk can make a difference in your mood. If you're suffering from an injury, some other great options are yoga or meditation, since these two activities also increase your dopamine levels. Finding small moments of happiness in your life does not have to be difficult. 

Even the little things can brighten your day, even if it's just a tiny amount. Please note that none of these strategies is a replacement for psychiatric help. Reach out to a qualified mental health professional if you feel that you have a condition.