Happiness: Ten Ways to Be a Happier Runner or Walker in Ten Minutes or Less
Here are ten ways to be a happier runner or walker in ten minutes or less, in honor of Happiness Happens Day, which is today, August 8th.
In celebration of everyone who appreciates that happiness is a moral obligation, in celebration of the pursuit of happiness, and in celebration of everyone’s birthright to be happy, take five minutes to learn ten ways to becoming a happier runner or walker.
Each way takes no more than ten minutes. Pick what matches your situation and your time, but let me recommend that you always make time for happiness!
1. Write gratitude statements in a gratitude journal. – 5 minutes
There is nothing for raising your happiness like sitting down for five minutes to hand-write (Yes, I recommend using a pen and paper!) a list of gratitude statements. If you are at a loss for ideas, then check out Gratitude Power for Runners and Walkers, which has more than 900 of them!
2. Thank your coach, training partner, or spouse. – 10 seconds
Think about the last time that a fellow runner or walker thanked you for something. One of my personal favorites that came from one of my training buddies is, “Thank you for telling me to run my own race.” She has told me this several times, and every time it means a lot to me. Now, think how someone else will feel and react when you thank him or her. YOU will feel happier, too!
3. Put a funny name on your racing bib. – 5 seconds
Some races let you specify a special name to appear on your racing bib. I once requested “SpryFeet” for what I thought would be serious motivation as marathon spectators cheered for me. Displayed in big, block letters as “SPRYFEET” instead, it became humorous as I heard several struggle to read and pronounce it. Oh, well. It gave me several laughs! 🙂
4. Cheer at a 5K race. – 10 minutes
Depending on where you position yourself along the route of a 5K race, you should be able to cheer for every participant within ten minutes. What is especially fun about this is that many 5K’ers are new to the sport, so they are craving encouragement. Your cheers will put smiles on many faces … and therefore on yours, too!
5. Wave and smile at motorists on your run or walk. – 3 seconds
A lot of runners and walkers will tell you horror stories about run-ins with motorists during training sessions. It need not be this way. Take time to catch the eyes of the motorist (You should do this anyway, for your own safety!), and then wave and smile as you yield the right of way to him or her. Most of us are so caught up in our driving that we feel as if it were us against the world. So, when you acknowledge the driver by waving and smiling, you are breaking through that invisible barrier between the outside and inside of the vehicle and momentarily, at least, connecting positively with a fellow human being — a recipe for greater happiness!
6. Tell a joke to your training buddies. – 2 minutes
Search the Web for some running jokes, master one, and then tell it on your next group run or walk. Don’t make the telling more than two minutes long, for a few reasons: (a) many people don’t like long jokes; (b) we runners and walkers tend to get distracted easily, especially when “out in traffic”; (c) you want to be sure that you remember the key parts and the punch line! If you don’t yet appreciate the humorous quirkiness of our sport, then first read I Run, Therefore I Am–Nuts! by Bob Schwartz.
7. Help someone at a race expo. – 10 minutes
The next time that you are at a race expo, keep your eyes and ears open for someone who needs help — navigating the expo floor, deciding between two types of sunglasses, or evaluating some gadget or gizmo. If you can help, then do it! The appreciation of the recipient will fill your heart with joy.
8. Say “Hello!” to everyone you pass on a run or walk. – 2 seconds
I make my training buddies laugh by asking them to predict who will return a “Hello!” when I say “Hello!” to each person who is approaching and passing us during a training session.
9. Put on a funny cap for a race. – 1 second
I once ran a race at which the organizer gave to each finisher a duck-bill (Yes, with the face of a duck!) racing cap that had a yellow, feathery tail on the back. Wearing that in a subsequent race is a no-brainer for making some spectators smile and cheer, which makes me happier, too!
10. Skip. – 1 minute
This takes guts for some adults to initiate. Some see it as frivolous or childish. Others are too concerned about appearing silly. But, once you start to skip, expect to activate childhood memories of having fun. I am giving this only one minute because skipping is different than running or walking in the way that it makes you use your muscles.
11. You tell me!
What would you add to this list? What rings your happiness bell as a runner or walker? You tell me! Leave a comment below. Thank you!
