Life is too short to be sad or always full of regret. Learn how to make yourself happy and enjoy every day as much as you possibly can. Time to smile more!
We’ve all been there before. The daily mishaps in life have you down, and you’re feeling as though you’re stuck in quicksand, slowly sinking deeper into the pit of despair. It’s common for life to become difficult from time to time. But if you don’t know how to make yourself happy and pick yourself back up, you can run into trouble.
Getting stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of disappointment and internal agony is the worst thing that can happen to a person. These people usually end up depressed, unmotivated, and quite frankly, miserable to be around. But they don’t have to stay that way.
If this sounds like your story right now, take heart in the fact that change is around the corner. By learning how to make yourself happier, you can smile more, enjoy the small things, and live a far more fulfilling life. [Read: How to be happy in life: 12 hacks to find real happiness instantly]
But, what does it mean to be happy?
We all aim to be happy, but what does that actually mean? How do you know when you’re happy? And, is it a destination or a journey?
The truth is that happiness ebbs and flows. You might be happy for a while and then go through a tough personal issue and feel a little down. You will pick yourself back up however, and happiness will return.
Many people confuse happiness with extreme joy. They become disappointed when they don’t feel on top of the world every single day. The truth is that it’s not possible to feel that way for long. Our emotions aren’t designed that way. True happiness feels a lot more serene, a lot calmer. You could argue that true happiness feels a lot more like contentment than extreme joy. [Read: 12 Steps to change your life and find your happiness]
Why we need struggles in our lives from time to time
As much as we’d like to have a life free of any harm and conflict, that reality wouldn’t actually be good for us. And as much as you’ll hate to hear that difficult times in our lives are good for us, it’s true.
Those hard times help make us who we are. They teach us lessons and build us up so we can handle the next disaster that decides to find its way to us. They’re learning opportunities, but we have to recognize them as such before we can use them as positives in life.
These troublesome times are essential for us to grow and figure things out for ourselves. They help mold us into unique and strong individuals. Of course, that doesn’t mean we have to like them. [Read: How to be happy in life and live life to the fullest]
How to make yourself happy and love life – The habits you need to learn
As quickly as those terrible times come, we want them to go. Sure, we appreciate the lessons we learn, but we also want to get back to a happy life ASAP. Because being happy in life is so much more enjoyable, and you’re able to do so much more when you’re not sitting at home feeling like shit.
You certainly need to sort through your problems and come up with solutions before getting back to a happy life. But if you’ve been feeling like your life is all stress, here’s how to make yourself happy.
Start with a few small changes, and incorporate these habits into your life. And soon, you’ll see how easy it is to be happy… all the time! [Read: How to feel happy: 13 Proven strategies for instant happiness]
1. Take one day to yourself
There are far too many days when we focus on everything but ourselves. Sure, it’s reasonable to be focused on your goals and your work, but you need some time to yourself every now and then. So take one full day and do whatever the hell you want!
2. Vent to a friend
Sometimes all we need is to talk to someone. That’s enough to get rid of the dark cloud that seems to be following us around. So call up your best friend and talk about your problems. They may even provide solutions you didn’t even think about. [Read: What makes a good friend? The art of honing your friendship skills]
3. Eat your favorite junk food – in moderation
If you’re someone who counts calories and is pretty strict with your cheat meals, it may be time for you to loosen the reigns and down your favorite junk food. We all know devouring a ton of chocolate, ice cream, and even pizza can make us feel so much better. Just don’t do it all the time, remember the art of moderation.
4. Make a list and complete it
If you feel bogged down because you’re just overwhelmed with stuff to do, now’s the time to make a list. This is a great tip for how to make yourself happy. Sit down, write out each thing – no matter how small – that you need to do and work on until it’s done. [Read: How to make the absolute most out of your alone time]
5. Don’t weigh yourself every day
This is another one for all you calorie-counting folks out there. We understand wanting to look great and be slimmer, but the scale lies sometimes. The best thing for you to do is to just stop looking at it every day because the number may be putting you in a bad mindset. [Read: How to look better naked without having to weigh yourself every day]
6. Regularly do kind deeds for others
This may not be exactly what you’re looking for, but it’s definitely something that will make yourself happy. Do something nice for someone else and relish in the feeling of bringing happiness to someone else’s life.
7. Get rid of the toxic people in your life
It might not be a dark cloud following you around. It may actually just be your “friend.” We may not realize how toxic people are until we start weeding out those who make us feel annoyed. Get to it. [Read: Toxic people – 25 warning signs to watch out for]
8. Think about your health
How’s your health been lately? Something a lot of us don’t realize is putting us into a sour mood is the junk that we’re eating. If you normally eat a lot of processed and fast food, it could be affecting your energy levels, and in turn, your mood in general. Opt for fresh, natural foods.
9. Eat and enjoy it!
On a another note, you actually have to eat. Even if you’re super busy, you have to make time for good wholesome meals. If your body is lacking in nutrition, you’ll lack in energy. SO EAT. Especially eat breakfast.
10. Have a cleaning and decluttering session
Maybe you’re in a funk because your house is in a funk. Spend a day deep cleaning the whole thing and watch how refreshed and happy you’ll feel after. You might not think this is a great tip for how to make yourself happy, but it can really work wonders. [Read: How to cheer yourself up – Start with cleaning your place, and 20 other hacks]
11. Splurge on yourself occasionally
We all know shopping is a great way to make yourself happy. And as long as you don’t make a nasty habit out of it, it works great! Buy that scarf you’ve been dying to get, or go to a spa for the day. Do things that’ll make you feel good.
12. Determine what has changed
Figuring out the root of why you’re not happy is definitely a way to start making it better. Determine what has changed in your life to make you feel this way. Is it your workload? Is it a specific person? Find out that thing that’s pulling you down and fix it. [Read: 22 secrets of life – How to never be unhappy ever again]
13. Think positively
We know, we know. This is much easier said than done. But if you want to know how to make yourself happy, if you make a habit of turning your negative thoughts into positive ones, you’ll be MUCH happier.
Don’t you always wonder how those peppy, happy people keep it up all the time? It’s because they make it a habit. [Read: How to manage positive self-talk and banish negativity]
14. Set small goals
You may feel really unhappy with your life because it seems like you’re not getting anywhere. This can be due to making goals that are too large to accomplish in a short amount of time.
If you set smaller goals, you’ll feel so happy about achieving them, and they’ll all add up to the big goal.
15. Acknowledge the small things
How many times a day do you get a compliment? Odds are, it’s more than you think. You may also have small victories throughout the day that you just fly by without even thinking about. Take time to acknowledge all of those little things, and you’ll make yourself happy. [Read: How to be chill and learn to live a happier life as a result]
16. Write down what you’re grateful for
In addition to those small things, make sure you realize what you’re grateful for. You have more than you realize, and by writing down all of those things, you’ll see just how many there are, and you’ll be humbled and happy. [Read: Positive vibes – 17 ways to welcome positive energy into your life]
17. Do something you loved as a child
What’s something that made you overjoyed when you were a child? Go do it. We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we sometimes forget the simple things that make us happy.
18. Do one thing you love every day
Whether it is sketching in a notebook, singing at the top of your lungs, or even playing an instrument, don’t let a day go by where you don’t do something you love. This is something you definitely need to remember when learning how to make yourself happy. [Read: How to build self-confidence – 15 ways to realize you’re worth it]
19. Stop comparing yourself
This is one of the most important things to stop doing. Comparing yourself to someone else will only make things WORSE. You can never be someone else. You can only be you… and be happy with just that.
20. Forgive yourself
We all make mistakes. This means you should forgive yourself for your mistakes and move on. Allowing one thing to drag your whole life down is the biggest mistake you could ever make. So, in order to make yourself happy, forgive yourself and start moving forward.
[Read: How to be happy again – 20 really easy ways to draw happiness from within]
Knowing how to make yourself happy is something everyone should be able to do. We can’t rely on outside help to make us happy. We must do it ourselves.
