Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsA Comparison List to Find What’s Blocking Your HappyHow to Be HappyIt All Starts With YouHappiness Is Possible, Again

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

A Comparison List to Find What’s Blocking Your Happy

How to Be Happy

It All Starts With You

Happiness Is Possible, Again

Close

Truthfully, Your ‘happy’ is whatever it means to you. Of course, not everyone will agree, but that is to be expected because no two people are alike.

Strategies that can help you learn how to be happy include:

Have you been generallyfeeling downabout things lately? What has caused that change? As you may have heard before, getting to the root of an issue will pinpoint the problem and ultimately tell you where you need to start working toward change.

The best way to do that is to compare and contrast; that’s right, just like we did in elementary school. This article will help you figure out what could be preventing you fromfinding happinessand provides tips for cultivating your version of happiness.

Before you embark on your happiness journey, it’s helpful to list what makes you happy and what doesn’t. After you make this list, you’ll better understand what you need to work on to bring more happiness and peace to your life.

Below is an example of a list, yours can, of course, look different from this one. This is just to help you get started.

What Makes Me HappyMeditationBody positivityOptimismA good support systemSelf care daysMental health recognitionPassion for lifeLess social mediaPositive affirmationsExploring natureWhat Makes Me UnhappyComparing myself to othersBody shamingPessimismIsolationNo personal daysMental health avoidance/denialFeeling unappreciatedToo much social mediaNegative thoughtsSelf-doubt and shame

What Makes Me HappyMeditationBody positivityOptimismA good support systemSelf care daysMental health recognitionPassion for lifeLess social mediaPositive affirmationsExploring nature

Meditation

Body positivity

Optimism

A good support system

Self care days

Mental health recognition

Passion for life

Less social media

Positive affirmations

Exploring nature

What Makes Me UnhappyComparing myself to othersBody shamingPessimismIsolationNo personal daysMental health avoidance/denialFeeling unappreciatedToo much social mediaNegative thoughtsSelf-doubt and shame

Comparing myself to others

Body shaming

Pessimism

Isolation

No personal days

Mental health avoidance/denial

Feeling unappreciated

Too much social media

Negative thoughts

Self-doubt and shame

Now that you have your list, what are you going to do with it? Review it and take a trip down memory lane. Try and track back to happier times in your life. When were you your happiest in life? Channel those moments and see if you can find that part of you again.

If you take a close look at the right side of your list, you’ll see what you need to eliminate from your life to feel happier.

Isshameholding you back? Do you feel overwhelmed or alone? Are you having trouble loving the way you look? If any of these things ring true for you, it’s time to address those negative feelings so you can work past them.

A therapist or other professionalcan help you address these roadblocks and provide you with tools that can help you overcome them.

There are so many avenues to explore in regards to finding new happiness. Below you’ll find some tips to help you find your idea of happiness.

When it comes to hobbies, the possibilities are endless. And the best part is, it’s entirely up to you.

According toRachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS, a licensed psychologist, “It [hobbies] can serve as a fun distraction, but it alsohelps decrease stressand puts our focus on something fun and different. The key is to find something that will do just that for you.”

Put Yourself First

As simple as it may seem, a lot of people forget to take care of themselves. Whether it’s because of a busy work schedule, marriage, kids, family, pets, and friends, many people, specifically women, get little to noself-care.

When you put yourself first, your happiness will shine through for sure.

Taking time out for yourself daily can impact yourmood, stress level, concentration, and productivity. Allowing yourself a moment to recharge not only allows you to be your best self but opens a window of opportunity to lend help to others.

Exercise

The endorphins that you receive fromexerciseand physical activity are like little sprinkles atop a cupcake. All it takes is 30 minutes of movement to gain those natural “feel-good hormones” to improve your mood and health.

Eat a Balanced Diet

Your diet is more important than exercising because what you put in your body determines how your body responds. Ahealthy balanced dietwill positively affect your mood and overall being. If you eat poorly (fried, high sodium, high-sugar foods), your organs will respond negatively. As a result, you will either have hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, or worse—all of the above.

Rachel GoldmanThere is a relationship between food and mood. We have mood swings when we don’t eat a balanced diet, but we also have mood swings when we don’t eat. We become irritable, lack concentration, and focus without proper nutrition.

Rachel Goldman

There is a relationship between food and mood. We have mood swings when we don’t eat a balanced diet, but we also have mood swings when we don’t eat. We become irritable, lack concentration, and focus without proper nutrition.

This doesn’t go to say you can’t treat yourself sometimes, but having a balanced meal with baked or grilled protein and vegetables will make your body stronger and your mind happier.

Choose Your Company Wisely

Choosing the company you keep is so imperative in life. Unfortunately, not everyone means well, and it’s important to be aware of that.

“Having a good support system is known to help improve our happiness and well-being; just knowing that others are there for you goes a long way,” says Goldman. Make it your priority only to allow people in your life that are beneficial to your mental health as you should be to theirs. Some friends can be toxic, and you won’t even realize until you end the relationship.Happiness is contingentupon your personal and professional life choices.

Dr. Goldman also noted that having aroutineand structure helps us feel grounded and balanced. Pets and plants have also shown evidence of positively impacting our moods.

If there is something in your life that isn’t bringing you happiness you have to let it go. That can be relationships in any magnitude: family, friendship, or a spouse or partner. It will be difficult, but is it worth your peace of mind?

If you want a better job, or if you want to start your own business, don’t quit your job, start saving until you can leave and be your own boss. Try to slowly eliminate stress from your life and you will begin to see results.

The good thing about being happy again is, if you’ve lost it, you can find it. It is attainable whether you decide to reach back or move toward unchartered territory for a new place of happiness. Of course, life is unpredictable, and we aren’t promised 365 days of joy, but we can strive to have more good days than bad. But even in those bad days, we can appreciate the good that we’ve experienced.

This is quite intriguing information because hedonic focuses on pleasure, and eudaimonic pertains to engagement functions. To obtain happiness, you must have both. That’s why it’s essential to engage in things you enjoy, and it’s often suggested to turn hobbies into careers. As the saying goes, “If you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” And that’s where the pleasure comes in; if you enjoy the engagement process, pleasure will follow.

A Word From Verywell

Happiness is within reach, it’s just waiting for you to grab it. Take the necessary steps to get back to your happy place. Once you eliminate all that’s deterring you from reaching your ideal space, you’ll be glad you did. So what are you waiting for? Get up right now and get your happiness back!

1 SourceVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bhullar N, Schutte NS, Malouff JM.The nature of well-being: the roles of hedonic and eudaimonic processes and trait emotional intelligence.J Psychol. 2013;147(1):1-16. doi:10.1080/00223980.2012.667016Additional Readinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4603679/

1 Source

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bhullar N, Schutte NS, Malouff JM.The nature of well-being: the roles of hedonic and eudaimonic processes and trait emotional intelligence.J Psychol. 2013;147(1):1-16. doi:10.1080/00223980.2012.667016Additional Readinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4603679/

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bhullar N, Schutte NS, Malouff JM.The nature of well-being: the roles of hedonic and eudaimonic processes and trait emotional intelligence.J Psychol. 2013;147(1):1-16. doi:10.1080/00223980.2012.667016

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4603679/

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