Happiness is one of the most interesting feeling that we experience. It’s because we all have different ideas about what happiness is and how to get it.
Of all the definitions of happiness, the most commonly used or let’s say my favorite is “the overall experience of pleasure and meaning.” That is from a psychologist known as Tal Ben-Shahar. The definition stands out because you need meaning to give you a sense of purpose in your life, and nonetheless, you need pleasure to give you a sense of well-being or joy in life.
Therefore, if you want to make yourself happy, simply add meaning or pleasure to your life. However, remember your purpose or pleasures do not harm you or other people. So, how do you add meaning and pleasure to your life?
The following ten ways will guide you in this quest of making yourself happy.
- Breath
Yes, breath! Take one deep breath. By just breathing, you can turn down your fight or flight instinct and activate your rest and restore instinct. Take ten to fifteen seconds and you’ll feel even more content.2
2. Commit to doing things in your day that triggers a feeling of gratitude
It doesn’t have to be something big for you to trigger a feeling of gratitude. Little things like having a good breakfast, reading the newspaper in the morning and waking up feeling healthy. Absorb that feeling of gratitude from these little things and indeed you’ll make yourself happy.
3. Listen to yourself
Take note of how you talk to yourself, that is the internal tone of voice you use. Most of the times we often criticize ourselves in our mind and that usually steals our happiness as well as confidence. Love yourself and avoid talking yourself in negative terms.
4. Forgive yourself
4. We all make mistakes. The worst thing you can do to yourself is not forgiving yourself, because it will only build anger in you and also fill you with regrets. Don’t allow your mistakes to bring you down. Love yourself even in your imperfect skin and indeed you’ll be happy.
5. Practice self-acceptance
Accepting yourself comes in several ways. It can either be your financial status, love life, or your body. When it comes to body, some people may not accept the way their body looks. The body image has been seen as one of the biggest stumbling block of happiness to many people. Appreciate the way your body looks and try and to be the best person you can be in the body you have.
When it comes to success level and income, it is equally important to accept your position. By accepting your position, you’ll certainly work towards achieving what you desire in life. By doing this, you’ll be discovering the meaning in life, which is a vital factor in making yourself happy.
6. Eliminate negative and toxic people in your life
The people around you play a vital role in how happy you’ll be. Being around people who constantly criticize what you do, you’ll be unhappy. Let your circle be made up of people who motivate you, encourage you, and even if you do the wrong thing, they offer constructive and positive criticism.
7. Prioritize your health
Take care of your body at all times. Exercise daily and mind your diet. In one of our recent posts, we talked about aspects of holistic health, in which we highlighted on the direct relationship of well-being and good physical health. Therefore, having the right physical health will contribute significantly to your happiness.
8. Take note of the small wins
The small things matter is a phrase that you should always hold onto. Those small wins like losing 0.5 pounds in a week. These small wins will go a long way in making you happy. The achievements you get from your five-year goals is worth. Therefore, don’t wait to celebrate them in five years, celebrate them now.
9. Find positive meaning in negative situations
Even when everything is negative in your life, try and look for something positive. If you face a setback, try and turn it into lemonade. Yes, the fuel prices might have gone up, but at least you have a car. These positive things in negative situations will give you the reason to smile through any hurdle that you face.
10. Smile
This is pretty obvious, right? Happiness does not only come from within, it can also come from outside in form of your actions to your mind. One of it is smiling. Smiling activates the happy hormones and consequently make you happy.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, ten ways of finding pleasure and meaning in your life to help you make yourself happy. Try them out and you will not only be happy today, but also happy in the future.
