happy family jumping together on the beach
Are you tired of waiting for happiness to find its way to you? Stop waiting and start getting happy with these tips.
Do you know how to be happy? Or are you waiting for happiness to find you?
Contrary to what fairy tales portray, happiness does not appear with magic. It’s not even something that happens to you. It’s something you can plant.
So, what are we looking at? Start by discovering how to become happy.
How to be happy: what the science says
Only a small percentage of different people’s reports of happiness can be explained by their different circumstances. It seems that a large part of determining happiness is personality, and most importantly, thoughts and behavior that can change.
So, you can actually learn how to become happy, or at least happier. https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Twosday-Tuesday-February-2-22-22/dp/B09R65N9DR
Although you, like many people, have deep-rooted ideas that happiness comes from being rich, beautiful, or living a stress-free life, the reality is that people who are rich, handsome, or low on life’s stress are not happier than those who are. They don’t enjoy those things.
It seems that happy people know intuitively that their happiness is the sum of their life decisions, and that their lives are built on the following pillars:
- Make time for family and friends
- appreciate what they have
- Maintain an optimistic appearance
- Sense of purpose in life
- Enjoying the present moment
How to be happy: practice, practice, practice
If you are searching for happiness, it is a joy to know that your choices, thoughts, and actions can affect your happiness level. It’s not as easy as pressing a key, but you can increase your happiness level. Here’s how to get started on the path to creating a new, happier version of you.
Invest in relationships
Surround yourself with happy people. Surround yourself with people who improve your mood. By making yourself happy, you give something back to those around you.
Family and friends help you celebrate life’s successes and support you through tough times. Although it’s easy to take friends and family for granted, these relationships need to be nurtured.
Establish your emotional account with them with kind words and actions. Be careful and generous when criticizing you. Let them know that you appreciate what they do for you or even just that you’re glad they are a part of your life.
Express gratitude
Gratitude is something more than thanksgiving. Rather, it is a sense of wonder and appreciation, and thanks to life already. It’s easy to go through life without knowing your true wealth. Often, it takes a serious illness or tragic event for people to realize and appreciate the good things in their lives. Don’t wait for something similar to happen to you.
Commit to expressing gratitude. Identify at least one thing that enriches your life every day. When you find yourself thinking ungrateful thoughts, try replacing them with grateful thoughts. For example, replace “My sister forgot my birthday” with “My sister has always been by my side in bad times.”
Make gratitude the last thought on your mind before bed. Also, make it the first thought that comes to your mind when you wake up in the morning.
Cultivate optimism
Develop a habit of seeing the positive side of things. Don’t become overly optimistic – after all, bad things happen. It is absurd to try to show the opposite. But the downside should not overshadow your overall appearance of life. Always remember that your good deeds often outweigh your mistakes.
If you are not an optimist by nature, it may take time for you to change your pessimistic thinking. Begin to recognize negative thoughts as they come to you. Then sit back and ask yourself the following key questions:
Is the situation really as bad as I imagine?
Is there another way to look at the situation?
What can I learn from this experience for future use?
Set your goals
People who strive to achieve a goal or accomplish a task—whether it be gardening, childcare, or finding spirituality—are happier than those who lack ambition.
When there is a goal, it creates a sense of meaning, boosts self-esteem, and connects people together. What the goal is is not as important as how important it is to feel that there is meaning while working towards it.
Try to align your daily activities with your life’s long-term meaning and purpose. Research studies suggest that relationships provide the best meaning and purpose in life. So, make meaningful relationships.
Are you involved in something you love? If not, ask yourself the following questions to find out how to identify your goal:
What excites me and my energy?
What are my achievements that I am most proud of?
How do I want others to remember me?
Enjoy the present moment
Don’t put off enjoying a day when life’s problems or stresses are less. This day may not come.
Instead, look for opportunities to indulge in the little causes of happiness every day. Focus on the positives of the present moment, rather than regretting the past or worrying about the future.
