We live in a world that underestimates the value of emotional intelligence and mental health. We are expected to know our feelings, be able to self-regulate and be happy instinctively… yet, so many of us feel the exact opposite. So what if I told you being happy isn’t merely a feeling but also a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. We can learn to cultivate happiness in our day-to-day through scientifically proven techniques, practices and habits for a happier life.

That is the aim of Laughter and Happiness Professor Shareen Richter’s Happiness Course, brought to us by Natura Rescue.

A Laughter and Happiness Professor?

Shareen Ritcher is a professional Laughter and Happiness Professor, who has helped over 40,000 people around the world lead a happier life, by tapping into the power of appreciation, gratitude, mindfulness and laughter. She is a global speaker, best-selling author, and positive psychology expert. Shareen has delivered keynote addresses at TedX, appeared on CNN, NBC, CBS, 702 Talk Radio and SABC 1, 2 and 3, and has also been featured in Business Day, Forbes, and Financial Mail (to name but a few).

It’s safe to say Professor Richter knows what she’s talking about and has the scientific research to back up all her findings. Now it’s up to us to take hold of our own happiness, taking time to invest in a little self-care that will lead to a happier life for ourselves and our families.

More about the Natura Rescue happiness course

This FREE, 5 episodes series developed by Professor Richter includes easy tips and tricks to brighten every day with topics such as:

• Why happiness matters
• How to be up in a down world
• How to be up in a down world
• Step into your Happy Power
• Laughter is the best medicine and
• Happiness as a lifetime goal

Spread over 5 short 10-15minute episodes that you can watch at your own time and pace. Just be sure to have a pen and paper handy, you’ll want to take notes.

5 habits for a happier life we’ve learned from this course

1. speak happy

“Whatever you bring out to the world is what comes back to you.”

We are programmed to speak negatively. How we see ourselves, how we approach a situation. The words we use to describe our day… How we speak to each other and our kids… More often than not, we tend to be negative. Change starts when we become consciously aware of what we say and how we speak to others. Our words hold power over us and the people in our lives. We need to unlearn our negative inner dialogue, inviting in more positivity.

2. Think positive thoughts

I know we’ve all heard this one before and it’s definitely far easier said than done. The science behind it all has however never been explained to us until now…

Our thoughts become our emotions, and our emotions become energy. Positive energy attracts, positivity. Negative energy, negativity. The energy we put into the world creates our world and so our thoughts and words affect us not just on an emotional level but also physically. Numerous studies have proven this over and over again and I strongly urge you to watch EPISODE 2 of the Nature Rescue Happiness course for more about these studies.

The easiest way to cultivate positive thoughts and energy is by doing something physically. We can start by spreading happiness. When we spread happiness, it brings us happiness too.

Bring happiness into the world through random acts of kindness, encouragement and complimenting others. Slowly, over time, our “negative world” will become positive.

3. Get moving!

Motion creates emotion.

Acting happy, makes you happy. It’s sounds too easy but movement has been proven to bring about biochemical shifts in the brain that make us feel happier almost instantly. So, “shift” the way you feel by dancing! Forget about what others will think. It’s impossible to not feel rejuvenated after a family dance party thanks to the endorphins released.

4. Laugh, a lot and Smile, Even if it’s “fake”

“We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we use laughter as a tool to make us happy.”

Everyone has the ability to laugh and giggle, even deaf and blind babies giggle. Laughter is far more powerful than we know…Society however teaches us laughter is silly, inappropriate and childish. When it’s actually our most powerful natural stress reliever helping our bodies self-regulate and let go of anxiety and tension.

We need to laugh every single day! It’s part of a healthy lifestyle. Professor Richter shares some great techniques on how to get a good giggle-fest going without any jokes or fancy gadget. Have a look HERE.

The same applies to smiling, even when we don’t feel happy. Because when we smile, our body sends a message to our brain to say we are happy (even if we aren’t). The brain doesn’t know the difference and releases “happy hormones” without question. Smiling also opens us up to others. It’s always far easier to approach and cope with a difficult situation when someone puts you at ease with a smile.

5.Set happiness as a lifetime goal

We make our happiness conditional, linked to other future goals. “I will be happy when…”

Happiness isn’t a future objective, it lives in the present. We need to be “in the present moment” to truly feel happy, undistracted by future fears or past heartbreaks. We will have good and bad moments, but when we learn to look for happiness is every moment we are able to celebrate our victories and embrace the ordinary moments we experience day-to-day. So make today count and remember, the rainbow only comes after the rain.

We haven’t mastered all these habits perfectly, yet, but we are getting there. And we are making an effort to teach our girls too!“Choice is creation” our days are made up of the choices we make one after the other, creating our life

Now it’s your turn…

We all deserve to live a happy life and there’s so much for to learn and many more happiness hacks to help YOU master the habits for a happier life. Make time for your happiness and mental wellbeing by completing this course too. You have nothing to lose.

Happiness isn’t about feeling happy and cheerful all the time but rather cultivating an inner peace of knowing “I’ve got this, I can keep it together” – No matter what the day/life throws our way.

Professor Shareen Richter

Watch all the Natura Happiness Course episodes on Facebook Watch, on Natura’s IGTV channel or their YouTube channel. You can also CLICK HERE for more.

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PHOTO CREDIT |  Celeste Van der Berg from Celeste van der Berg Photography