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Happiness
How To Be Happy Again? Just Add These 14 Things To Your Routine
What happiness means to you might be different from what happiness means to me. For you, happiness might be being at peace with yourself but for your friend, happiness might be the freedom to travel the world. Regardless, we all can learn to feel happy, at our pace and ways.
Being happy is easy. And so is being unhappy. Right now, you might not feel happy, or unhappy. Certain circumstances can take away your happiness and leave you feeling exhausted and numb.
You’re not alone!
Sadness, depression, life stressors, and even certain lifestyle changes can cause us to feel unhappy but remember, what we feel (the unhappiness, the sadness) is only temporary. Life’s ups and downs can cause an ebb and flow of emotions but we can always re-learn to be happy again.
If you’re feeling blue or experiencing a down in life, then you’re not alone. You can be happy again. The first step is to explore and differentiate between what brings you joy and what makes you unhappy. Once you figure this out, then with time and some effort, you can be happy again.
Let me help you!
Figuring Out What Makes You Happy
Exploring what makes you happy and what brings you unhappiness can help deal with the feelings of blue and sadness when they appear, unannounced. Whether it be a recent breakup, homesickness, pain, stress, fear, or depression – learning what changed and caused the unhappiness is the first step in deciding how to address the unhappiness in your life.
Creating a simple list can do!
All you need to do is write down what brings you joy vs. what makes you unhappy. Listing this can help you understand what’s wrong and how to fix it.
For example, let’s consider this list:
What Brings Me Joy
- Exercising
- Healthy diet
- Meditation and yoga
- Writing down my thoughts
- Having supportive friends
- Practicing self-care
- Being positive
- Limiting my time on social media
- Being outdoors
- Being creative
What Makes Me Unhappy
- Having no motivation
- Being negative
- Social isolation
- Comparing myself with others
- Self-blame
- Not taking any “me time”
- Avoiding therapy
- Too much time on social media
- Self-doubt
- No physical exercise
Knowing what makes you happy is as important as knowing (and avoiding) what makes you unhappy. You need to figure out both of these things to learn to be (and stay) happy again.
If you’re saying to yourself, “I want to be happy again”, just follow and add these 14 simple ways into your daily routine.
How To Be Happy Again? Tips To A Happier Life!
1. Try Therapy
I know, therapy wasn’t the first thing that you expected but when you’re trying to learn to be happy again, therapy can help. A lot! If your sadness is coming from the loss of a loved one or a recent trauma, then therapy can help address these issues. Not only therapy can help reshape your thinking but it can also help you move on and adopt healthy habits to bring joy back into your life.
2. Re-Start A Hobby
Focusing on hobbies is also a good way to be happy again. Hobbies can help you detach from the things that are making you unhappy. Dance, paint, cook, knit, read, or do something that makes you happy, relaxes you, and re-energize you.
3. Stay Off Social Media
In recent research, it was found that limiting social media use can increase overall happiness and well-being. If you find yourself doomscrolling, then it is recommended that you limit your time on social media. The more time you spend on social media, the more you’ll be exposed to unhealthy and negative thoughts.
4. Pick Up Journaling
Journaling is also another habit that can promote a happier life. Writing down your thoughts can help you focus more on the positive and heal from whatever’s making you unhappy. Having a journal to jot down your emotions can promote healthy feelings and increase life satisfaction as well.
5. Learn Meditation
The benefits of meditation aren’t limited to relaxation. Practicing meditation can not only help you let go of negative thoughts, stress, fear, and anxiety but can also help you learn to be happy again. Early morning meditation and bedtime meditation can bring some quiet reflection where you can just be with yourself.
6. Reconsider Your Company
It’s all in the company you keep. When you spend time with negative people, their negativity can affect your attitude and when you surround yourself with positive people, their positivity can improve your life and bring you happiness. Leave the toxic and negative people and spend time with people who share the same thoughts and feelings as you.
7. Smile More
When you’re happy, you smile but did you know that when you smile, you can feel happy too? Smiling releases dopamine, the happy hormone that can make us happier in life. However, this does not mean that you need to fake a smile. Whenever you feel sad, just turn that frown upside down and see the magic of being happy again.
8. Eat Good
Your food choices also affect your mood so when you eat well, you feel happy. Carbohydrates can help release serotonin, the feel-good hormone. Similarly, foods high in protein can release dopamine, which can boost energy levels. However, processed foods or deep-fried foods can make you feel low and sad, so avoid those.
9. Focus On Self-Care
Self-care is an important part of being happy again. When you take care of yourself, you dedicate your time to meeting your needs – emotional, mental, and physical. Just a 30-minute walk in nature, getting a haircut, or hanging out with friends can be enough to make you feel happy again.
10. Exercise
Exercising releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. Endorphins, one of the happy hormones, can also make you feel happy and relaxed. Not only can this hormone make you feel happy, but it can also help boost confidence, well-being, and self-esteem.
11. Catch Restful Zzzzs
Sleep and mood are interrelated. When you’re well-rested, you feel happy and satisfied and when you’re running low on a well-rested sleep, then you can find yourself getting irritated with everything. Having a sleep schedule to make sure you catch restful Zzzzs can amount to not only happiness but life satisfaction as well.
12. Volunteer And Help Others
Did you know that volunteering and helping others can be related to an increase in happiness and well-being? When you help others, you gain a sense of happiness. Doing good for others can make you feel happy again so what are you waiting for? Go, volunteer!
13. Be Grateful
Being grateful and expressing said gratitude can also boost your mood and make you feel happy. Try to take out 30-minutes every day to be grateful for things and people in your life. Keep an eye out for things that have always brought you joy. It could be something big or something small. But never forget to be grateful.
14. Don’t Ignore Your Unhappiness
Focusing on happiness is a good thing but never forget the feelings of unhappiness either. Unhappiness is a part of your life. Even if you’re sad, acknowledge the feeling. Only when you accept the negative feelings, will you be able to focus on the positive feelings. Take a moment to feel the unhappiness, take a deep breath, and move on to find happiness again.
You Can Feel Happy Again!
Unhappiness is temporary. You can heal and move on from sadness, pain, and depression. While it may not be easy, it is not impossible either. With just a small effort and some time, you can learn to be happy again.
All you need to do is commit yourself to find the happiness you believe you’ve lost. A therapist can help you with that.
I hope with these above ways you can learn to be happy again. For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media. You can also share your ways to be happy again in the comments below!
Take care and feel happy!