Brian Colbert Shares Seven Steps to a Happier Life

Today we celebrate The World Happiness Day but how to live a happier and more fulfilling life? Brian Colbert has a few tips for you!

Seven Steps to a Happier Life:

1. Breathing. By taking control of your breathing you can automatically bring about a pleasant feeling of relaxation.
   
   
2. Exercise. Whether that is going to the gym, doing yoga or Pilates or going for a walk or a run, studies show that half an hour of high-intensity exercise helps lower stress. You can do this as a way of getting rid of any pent-up energy that is preventing you from relaxing too. High-intensity exercise is more effective at lowering stress levels than working out at a moderate pace. What’s more, the benefits last for as long as ninety minutes afterwards.
   
   
3. Stop trying to be perfect. Perfectionism often leads to disappointment and procrastination. It is unrealistic to expect everything to be perfect so instead ensure that you keep your goal but be prepared to know when enough is enough, when to let go and realise you have done your best, which means you are going in a perfectly good direction. Quit saying things would be better ‘if only…’ Quit saying things will never be as good as they used to be.
   
   
4. Ask for help if you need it. Realise that you may not get it all done and delay your decisions if you are stressed.
   
   
5. Hold hands with your loved one. It is a simple act but studies have shown that loving contact such as holding hands lowers blood pressure and heart-rate responses in stressful situations. Studies have shown that those who experienced contact were nearly twice as relaxed as the unloved, untouched group.
   
   
6. Write it all down. Reduce your stress and free up your mind by writing it all down. This is your ‘to-do’ list so check and re-check it often and tick off your achievements as you go. This will give you an increasing sense of accomplishment, which will keep the good feelings going for longer.
   
   
7. Hypnosis / meditation. Hypnosis, meditation, prayer and reflection are all methods that develop an inner stillness, are easy to learn and hugely powerful at relaxing you and bringing about additional positive health benefits.

Extract from: The Happiness Habit. Official Coaching Handbook of the Irish Institute of NLP by Brian Colbert.

Whatever you want from life, this book will have a benefit for you. A key element to finding happiness is understanding what your (often unconscious) basic drives are and ensuring that these are being satisfied. Brian Colbert addresses the core questions that will help you discover who you really are. In this book he will teach you how to get past what’s stopping you from reaching your true potential and how to bring about lasting happiness into your life.

Picture credit: www.thammiesy.com