10 Expert Mind Hacks Sure to Boost Your Happiness

Happiness breeds success, as Shawn Achor reminds us. Being happy primes you to respond to opportunity, and opens your mind to growth and development. It's such a positive state but it's unrealistic to expect to be happy all the time. After all, a life without light and shade makes it harder to appreciate the good times when they come.

The question is, how can you quickly restore your happiness when life throws a curve ball? Here are 10 expert mind hacks that can help you bounce back from adversity and successfully restore your happiness.

1. You're Not A Victim

If something unexpected disturbs your equilibrium, remind yourself that you have the power to choose how to react. You and no-one else decides what you do next.

Monitor your self-talk. If it sounds self-pitying or negative, be assertive with yourself. Tell yourself you're not a victim and choose your next action with this in mind.

2. Bend But Never Break

Setbacks are normal. In fact, nothing worthwhile is ever easy to achieve. Take a step back from what's happened and put it into a broader context.

This is just a bump in the road, an inevitable part of the process of achieving something significant. You can choose to bend, or allow yourself to break. It's up to you.

3. It's Only A Headwind

Pushing forward means facing into the challenge that lies ahead. Your present difficult is no more than a headwind, which if you lean into it will eventually yield.

Remind yourself that your previous achievement also had their moments of struggle. Empower yourself with the evidence of your earlier successes and push on.

4. Laugh At It

There's usually comedy available if you look for it. If you can take what you're doing seriously, but not yourself, you've already insulated yourself from the worst effects.

Look for the absurd, the ironic or the tragic-comic and make it funny. Laugh and you're taking away the sting.

5. Remember Your Purpose

You're working on something that matters to you, that's why you're encountering this challenge. It's important that you can re-center what you're doing. Link back to the reason why you think it matters.

You'll draw renewed strength and optimism by touching base with the 'why' which lies behind your effort.

6. Get Some Perspective

Battling away at the coal-face can limit your field of view. It's useful to take a few steps back and take in a fresh perspective.

Look for signs that progress is being made, and map out the distance you've already traveled. Place this moment in it's proper place and you'll soon feel a whole lot better.

7. Journal

By writing a journal consistently, you're building up a reservoir of documented experience. You can use this deep resource to provide evidence that in previous situations like this you have always pulled through.

Use apps like Day One to make journaling easy and friction free and soon you'll have your own evidence base to draw strength from and inspire.

8. Plan Ahead

When you plan ahead you identify multiple milestones which must be achieved to secure the prize. By mapping these out ahead of time, you can enjoy each minor triumph as it arrives.

Checking off the steps you take toward your goal builds momentum. You'll also benefit from the endorphins as you glide past one milestone after another.

9. Be Kind To Someone

The fastest way to restore your self-worth is step outside of yourself and do something kind for someone else. By doing so you're proving to yourself, and the world that you have value.

A single, random act of kindness replayed each day will do wonders for your happiness.

10. Be Kind To Yourself

Lastly, you need to remember that you're working on goals that matter. It's the difficulty itself that lends value to the goal.

Soothe yourself and remember that you're working on something good, which matters, which when it's done will make you and other people proud. You're great and deserve a little kindness too.

What do you do to bounce back?