A very common (and popular) question that’s been floating around is “How to be happy?” For me, happiness is a state of mind, it’s not something you can buy or fake. It’s also not only about the destination, but the journey you take to get there.
Sometimes we might feel like happiness is out of our reach and not something we can obtain. I’m here to tell you some good news: it’s not an impossible goal to achieve. Today, we’re going to talk about steps you can take to achieve that goal of how to be happy with some really great ideas to help you feel happier and live a more fulfilled life.
What Is Happiness?
Very Well Mind describes happiness as:
” …an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment.”
Happiness is feeling like you’re living the life you want to live, feeling satisfied about your life (relationships, goals, work-life etc.) and noticing that you have a much more positive attitude about life than a negative one.
In order to truly feel happiness though, it’s important to understand that being happy doesn’t mean you will never feel the other emotions of life including anger, sadness, grief, loneliness or frustration. You will still experience these emotions from time to time, and that’s completely normal! But it’s how you work through these moments that truly matter.
When dealing with uncomfortable moments and challenges of life, practicing optimism and reminding yourself that things will get better, and that this moment won’t last forever is a great start to shifting your mindset and finding happiness at the face of adversity.
Ideas On How To Be Happy In Life
Practice daily gratitude
Practicing gratitude is proven to have many benefits to our health and wellness. It’s a simple yet highly effective practice that can promote better sleep, more appreciation, and increase overall joy.
Try it for yourself – think of 3 things that happened today that you are grateful for.
I’ll go first:
- The healthy breakfast I prepared for myself this morning.
- The quiet time I had enjoying a good book and my Iced Capp.
- The car ride I had with my sweet doggo, Diesel.
It’s really that simple, and very beneficial!
Move your body
Exercise is such an important part of living a healthy and happy life. How your treat your body can either have a positive outcome on your life, or a negative one. Even just exercising for as little as 10 minutes a day can help give your mind and body the positive boost it needs.
Don’t like lifting weights and doing crunches? What about dancing? There are a TON of fun dance workouts on YouTube that will surely get you moving!
spread love and kindess
Being someone who spreads love and kindness can boost your own confidence, compassion and happiness. Think about the last time you did something nice for someone or maybe gave someone a compliment, how did it make you feel? You probably felt a rush of those feel good feelings, am I right? That’s the power of spreading love and kindness. Something the world can never have enough of and that will never go out of style!
Practice self love
I don’t think you can truly be happy unless you’re happy with yourself. This is where self love comes in. Building that relationship with yourself and loving who you are can reflect on so many other area’s of your life from how you handle relationships, how you view your life and how happy you can be. Love yourself first!
Spend quality time with your people
Having a good support system of people you love is so important to your overall happiness and fulfillment. These people are the one’s you can go to when times are tough, and also the one’s who can make you laugh and bring out your positive energy. Be sure to spend quality time with these people and keep that connection strong. A few quality friends is sure to help raise your vibration.
Don’t compare
Yes I know, this one can be tough. Comparison though, is seriously the thief of joy. After scrolling online, wishing you had the life of someone that you follow, does that really leave you feeling good about your own life? I know for me it doesn’t, and it definitely dims down my mood.
Remember that you don’t always know the full story of someone else, especially when it comes to their online presence. Most of the time, we see only the highlight reels. So the next time you catch yourself comparing, remember that we all face our own challenges and that your life is capable of being as amazing as you dream of it to be.
Prioritize self care
Self care needs to be made a priority! Why? Because without doing the things that help you to recharge and refuel, you can’t possibly expect yourself to perform your best or even feel your best. Do the things that help you recharge and elevate your happy meter.
For me, this looks a little something like this:
- reading a good book
- enjoying a hot coffee while I wake up
- taking a relaxing epsom salt bath
- spending time in nature
- having good chats with good friends
find your passion & do more of it
Finding your passion might sound like a loaded one, but it doesn’t have to be. For me, finding your passion could be something you do as a career (aka make money from) or a hobby/activity that just really brings your soul joy. I love photography, but it’s not something that I choose to make money from. Instead, it’s something that I know makes my soul happy and something I’m very passionate about.
make plans and explore more
We live in a very busy society that sometimes between work and home life, we might not feel like we have enough time for much else. That’s when planning ahead can help you to create more space and actually be able to do more of the things you want to.
Making plans to get out and explore more can be a great way to raise your spirits and create some pretty amazing memories, too. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to plan a big extravagant trip. It could be as simple as exploring a local farmers market, having a beach day or doing that hiking trail you’ve always wanted.
Planning out your interests and desires will help you find time to actually do the things you want to do.
smile and laugh more
Laughter truly is the BEST medicine and a good way to increase happiness. There’s nothing more enjoyable than a good belly-laugh-until-you-cry kind of laugh. In fact, laughter and smiling can increase the amount of health-enhancing hormones while decreasing the level of stress hormones. Try to add some more comedy into your life.
take pictures of your life
As I said before, I LOVE photography. You can bet I have waaay too many photos to count. And you know what these photos do for me? They make me feel happy. Reminiscing on those times when the photo’s were taken is such a beautiful feeling. They also show me how much personal growth I’ve had throughout the years and how much my life has changed. Photographing your life might not be for everyone, but I feel like it’s a beautiful way to look back on all the amazing things you experienced.
declutter your space
Your space can have a big impact on your mood and happiness depending on how it looks and feels. Is it cluttered with mountains of things, disorganized and lacking natural light? If so, try taking some time to declutter the unwanted and unnecessary items and add some light to your space. A healthy environment is sure to help increase your happiness.
Set up a night routine
Finishing off your day with a relaxing and calming night routine can prepare your mind and body for a good night sleep. Dedicate some time in your evening to maybe turn off your devices, do your skin care and oral care routine, get comfortable and tune into a good book. Whatever helps you get into a relaxing vibe.
RomantiCize your life
This has become kind of a newer practice for me. The saying “romanticize your life” is about becoming the main character of your life, noticing the beauty around you and making your moments of life enjoyable, interesting and exciting. It can be as simple as the excitement you feel from ordering your favourite drink and sipping on it or the enjoyment of the way the birds sound on your morning walk. It’s about taking the moments in your life and romanticizing them into something even more enjoyable.
make a feel good list
A feel good list is a list of all the things you can reflect on that bring you good energy. Things from podcasts, songs, TV shows, movies, activities, hobbies, quotes or even people. Having these things written down can be great during the times you need a little extra help on boosting your mood and finding your happiness again, without the hassle of trying to remember what they are.
Finding your happiness and learning about how to be happy aren’t impossible things to achieve. With the help of the ideas listed about, you can be sure to find what works best for you and how to create a life you love to live.
Do what makes you soul the happiest, and keep doing that.
Tiffanie
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