What would you say if I told you that you could retrain your brain to view the world in a different way? What would you say if I told you that by doing so, you would raise your level of productivity, you would build stronger relationships and you would also achieve greater health? What would you say if I told you that it would take less than 3 minutes each day to literally turn your life around for the better?

What I am talking about is ‘The Happiness Advantage‘.

In today’s society we believe that happiness comes with success and as such, our life is all about the drive to achieve. The only trouble with this formula is that our definition of success is always changing; we never really achieve happiness because our level of perceived success is always on the incline: when we get good grades, we want better ones, when we get a good job, we aim for a promotion, when we fit into our skinny jeans, we want smaller ones… the list goes on. Success is therefore never truly attained and (referring back to our formula) we are never really ever truly happy.

So how do we turn this around?

There are copious amounts of research out there that suggest that if we can raise someones level of positivity in the present moment, then our brain achieves what is known as the “happiness advantage”. Operating with these parameters has been proven to bring about an increase in productivity (consequently with reduced levels of stress), stronger relationships (without the counseling), increased levels of energy (without the caffeine stimulant) and much, much better health (no supplement, no medication or doctors appointment required). Sound like something you might be interested in? I am pleased to tell you it’s a whole lot easier to ‘get present’ than you might think.

The easiest and most effective way of doing this is to start a gratitude journal. Studies have proven that this simple exercise retrains your brain to view each and every day looking for the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives and in turn, you achieve “The Happiness Advantage”.

What to do:

If a journal isn’t your thing, grab a piece of paper and write down 3 of the happiest moments that you are most grateful for each day. Re-live these moments and smile. Continue this process each and every day for 28 days, no less. As your project continues, I can promise you that you won’t be able to stop at 3. What will arise from this exercise is so much more than you can ever have imagined.

So put the stressors of everyday life to the side, take 5 minutes for yourself and ask yourself what are you most grateful for? What has made you smile today? I can’t stop at 3, how about you?