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How to Be Happy
Happiness is a big goal and it is something you need to work on every day. Being happy is not what you achieve and maintain. It is a series of decisions that you make every day. Start by fostering positivity in your life and living your life in the way that you think is right. Also, spend time with positive people, connect with others, and support a healthy body and mind. However, keep in mind that mental illnesses like depression may not be happy without treatment from a mental health provider.
Create a positive way of thinking
Thanks for the good things in your life. Being grateful for what you have can change your life. You can focus on what’s going on and you are less likely to feel depressed about your life. It takes a minute or two to experience a positive moment. Also, thank you for the people who do good things for you.
• Keep a gratitude journal or make a list of 3-5 things you are grateful for every day.
• The gratitude list includes “My cat”, “My favorite job”, “My best friend who can call me anytime”, “Cozy bed”, “Good food”, etc.
• When you feel depressed, remember your gratitude and try to feel better.
Replace negative thoughts with positive self-talk. Negative thoughts can make it harder to feel happy, but you can change them. If you notice a negative idea, challenge your accuracy. Then replace that idea with a positive or neutral idea. Also, make positive statements to yourself throughout the day.
• Let’s say you think “I’m very ugly.” You can replace this idea with “everyone cannot be ugly because he is beautiful in his own way” or “I am unique and it makes me beautiful.”
• Use positive affirmations like “I can do this”, “I am good enough”, “If I try, I am already successful.”
Congratulate yourself at least once a day. Give compliments regularly and focus on what you are doing right. Point out your best features, celebrate your talents, and acknowledge your accomplishments. This will help you to think positively about yourself.
• Say “This outfit looks good on me,” “I did a great job presenting,” “I’m a very nice writer,” “I love being very compassionate.”
Do not compare yourself with others. Since everyone is on their own path, it is unfair for you to see what others have accomplished and measure your progress. You don’t have to worry about what others are doing. Instead, compare yourself to a place in the past. This is useful for checking progress.
• For example, don’t worry if all of your friends seem to go further in their careers. Your time will come. Instead, compare your progress to last year’s.
Be the best of you
Live according to your personal values. Ignoring your core beliefs can cause you pain and conflict. Discover your personal values by listing what matters to you, identifying the times when you feel really happy, and deciding what you really want in your life.
• For example, you may want to help others and value creativity. To meet these values, you can choose a career in nursing and painting as a hobby. Also, we can make honest decisions so as not to hurt others.
Follow a healthy and balanced diet to nourish your body. Eating food helps you feel better, as nutrients give you energy. Stay healthy by eating foods that make you happy like lean protein, and complex carbohydrates. Also, processed foods and confectionery are empty and cut up.
• Lean protein includes chicken, fish, turkey, tofu, nuts, and meat substitutes.
• Complex carbohydrates include foods like starchy vegetables and whole grains.
Do at least one activity that you enjoy every day. Enjoying each day helps you enjoy your life more. Make a list of activities that make you happy. Then schedule time each day to do something on the list. This can help you enjoy life more and help you become your best self.
• For example, hobbies, playing with friends, playing board games, walking pets, bathing, reading books, watching movies, going to concerts, trying new recipes.
• If you always have something you want to do, try it! For example, take a class to learn to paint or watch an online tutorial to learn to dance.
Identify your strengths to help you feel safe. Being proud of who you make it easier to feel happy. Recognizing your strengths can help. Make a list of your talents, skills, and knowledge.
Then check back often to remind yourself how cool it is.
• Your strengths may include solving math problems, writing, singing, or competing in track and field. Also, you may have human skills, analytical skills, or critical thinking skills. Similarly, you can be very creative or able to work with people.
Work on improving your weaknesses so you can overcome them. Don’t feel bad about yourself because everyone has weaknesses. If you are concerned about your weaknesses, try learning new skills or trying something else to improve your weaknesses. Over time, it may be possible to improve.
• For example, suppose you have trouble speaking in public. You might be good at attending Toastmasters or taking improve classes.
• Similarly, you may not be satisfied with your fitness level. To improve, you can start a training program.
Support system construction
Surround yourself with positive people. Socializing with positive people can make you feel better. Identify uplifting people in life and spend more time with them. Hang up one by one, send a text message, and invite them to plan a group outing.
• Don’t think you need to weed out negative friends and family. Instead, just spend more time with your positive friends and family.
Connect with others and feel like a member of the community. Human beings need a community, so being close makes us happy. Focus on connecting with the people around you. To do this, you need to build relationships with them, find something in common, and sympathize with what they are experiencing.
• For example, look for something that looks like a very different person but has something in common with that person. Both of you can enjoy books, nature, or the same TV show.
Make friends by joining clubs and socials that are relevant to your interests. If you want more people in your life, go to clubs and meeting events and spend time with other people. Find a club that focuses on your interests. Then you will meet the people you meet so that you can be friends.
• For example, you can find a science fiction reading club or social gathering group for people who like to draw.
Mind and body care
Get at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night to get a good rest. Feeling tired can have a negative effect on your mood. Plus, it makes it difficult for you to live your best life. You can easily fall asleep according to your sleep schedule to feel better. Also, use sleep routines to help you fall asleep faster.
• Good bedtime routines may include taking a warm shower, putting on pajamas, and reading book chapters in bed.
Harper Harrison is a reporter for The Hear UP. Harper got an internship at the NPR and worked as a reporter and producer. harper has also worked as a reporter for the Medium. Harper covers health and science for The Hear UP.
