A thought:
Perhaps when we are “unhappy” it isn’t a sign of our mental well-being, it is a sign of our physiological (physical) well-being.
Therefore is our goal is to become “happier”, perhaps the goal should be to maximize our physiological strength, vigor, energy, and life!
Now, how to do this? Some ideas:
- Vigorous massage: Just go to a cheap Chinese or Thai owned massage place (I’ve been able to find some places in Southern California for $20 an hour), and ask them to massage you “very hard”. There are theories that when you get a vigorous massage, it kickstarts your body’s “mitochondrial biogenesis” process which essentially means your body starts producing more little mini energy power plants (mitochondria).
- Force yourself to sleep before 9-10pm, and wake up naturally without an alarm clock. In periods of extreme exhaustion, I can even sleep up to 11-14 hours in a single night. If you have insomnia, do extreme weight lifting during the day (or HIIT/crossfit). And also drink coffee/caffeine in the morning. No screens after 6pm. No Netflix, movies, video games, or other things which stimulate you. Just read paper books, go on a long walk at night, and have a nice dinner with a loved one (or yourself). Also have a high fat and meat heavy meal at night in order to fall asleep better (pork belly, beef belly). If you still cannot sleep, take a small dose of melatonin (minimum effective dose).
- Experiment with acupuncture: There isn’t a “real” science behind it, but it seems effective. My theory is that the needles are like “micro trauma” into your muscles which stimulate your body’s “hormesis” response (like cold water therapy, weight lifting, or drinking bitter coffee/tea).
- Stand and walk all day: No sitting allowed. I’m a huge fan of standing desks. Or the ghetto “squatting desk” (put your laptop on top of a chair or couch, and simply do a full “ass to grass” squat while working on your laptop). When your legs get tired, get up and walk around, or walk around the block. The goal is to NOT sit at any moment during the day. Only way to rest your legs is to squat, lie down on your back and take a nap, or just walk around. I am quite convinced that 99% of our modern ailments (back pain, etc) are caused by sitting (how come nobody has invented a “standing car” yet? I even prefer to stand in the metro or bus, in order to exercise my legs.