In recent times I’ve felt that there has been too much pressure on happiness. I’ve seen people struggle with trying to be happy all the time, only to feel that they can’t keep up with it and feel extremely gloomy instead.
In my opinion there is no easy doorway to happiness. It’s also practically impossible to feel happy all the time.
Happiness is a skill, an emotion that needs to be consciously practiced each time we feel gloomy or sad. It takes work!
In order to live a happier life, we need to make a few changes including how to let go and include certain things from your life – certain habits, beliefs and practices.
There was a time in my life where I truly believed I would never be happy again, when I believed I wasn’t meant to or deserved to be happy and attracted more and more sadness.
But over the few years my happiness has increased by applying these changes in my life. Which is why I wanted to share these with you in case you’re trying to find a way to increase your happiness too.
Let’s dive in –
1. Morning Routines – I’d read a lot about morning routines but could never understand the effect and its relation to happiness till I personally tried it myself. Just the word routine put me off initially. So, I totally get it if you feel as if this is not going to be comfortable. Your morning routine tends to set the tone for your entire day. The way you feel in the morning will usually be what you feel all day, for e.g., if you feel groggy chances are you may feel unmotivated to do anything productive or work at all, if you feel peaceful you’ll notice that almost throughout the day you’ll find yourself feeling relaxed and balanced. Your morning routine doesn’t need to be uncomfortable but something that makes you feel lighter, happier and get started with your day.
To help you out I’m adding a link to a previous article I’ve written on morning routines, I hope that helps.
2. Adding in some form of physical exercise – When we’re sad or upset its our bodies that get affected too. We rarely pay attention to how our body feels when we’re unhappy or in distress. Adding a little bit of yoga to my routine helped me feel energetic and prevented me from constantly feeling lazy or gloomy. I practice yoga everyday now but back when I started, I had to start small and slow. I started off with twice a week and for 5 minutes and slowly kept increasing the time and days according to my comfort. The aim was not to lose weight but to stay balanced and this why-power helped me stay more consistent.
3. Eating the right kind of food – Food and happiness always tag along really well. Either we don’t feel like eating at all or we tend to eat a lot. For me it was usually the former. I deprived myself of food which made me extremely irritable and kept me on edge not to mention my body suffered a lot due to lack of the right kind of food. I included more veggies in my diet along with smoothies. I started eating my favourites and slowly got in the habit of a balanced diet. Again, not with the intention to reduce weight but to give the nourishment that my body needs. Eat healthy and happy is something I would suggest you to follow as well.
4. Add in more gratitude – We are never happy with what we have and keep wanting more I our lives. There’s nothing wrong to want more but its equally important to appreciate what we have. When we appreciate what we have we feel content in so many ways. If you’re not sure of how to go about this start by writing 3 things you’re grateful for and practice this for about a week. You’ll notice certain changes in the way you feel and I can vouch for an increase in your happiness.
5. Declutter – Decluttering is not about throwing things away, it’s about letting go of something that was of great value to us but now no longer serve a purpose. It allows you to make space which can help you feel so much lighter. There are many ways to declutter and let go. I usually find it difficult to let go of things which are either gifts or have a sentimental value attached to it, I usually try to give it to someone I know will receive great joy receiving it or donate it. Decluttering has usually reduced my anxiety.
6. Relationships – You deserve a relationship that makes you into a better person, allows you to be yourself and encourages you to be happier. If it’s a relationship that drains you, let it go. Every relationship in your life has some meaning to it, by letting that relationship go you aren’t giving it up or throwing it away but accepting that it once meant something to you but does not any more. I’ve had to let go of some long-lasting friendships and relationships which meant the world to me but didn’t make me feel happy, they drained me and I felt extremely terrible and therefore I had to let them go.
7. Affirmations – I’ve never believed in any kind of competition with myself or with others, my focus has always been that of growth and progress. Saying affirmations have allowed me to change the way I think and feel about something. I’ve attracted more happiness in my life by not just saying these affirmations but also by believing in them. It can be difficult If you’re just starting out but with time, you’re going to see the changes I’m sure.
8. Connect with nature – Take a walk along the beach or somewhere in nature. Bring in more plants in your house. Travel to a place that’ll help you connect with nature. Nature has a magical way of bringing more happiness in your life. Slow down to embrace the effect nature has on you. I’m certain it’ll give you a great deal of happiness.
9. Complaint less – It honestly doesn’t do any good to complain about all that is not making you happy. Whether its about people or things complaining is not helpful at all. It increases your stress and tends to make you unhappy almost instantly. It’s okay to talk about the things that bother you with the intention to do something about it. But complaining does more harm than good.
9. Make time for the things that give you joy – Do you have a hobby? Something that you do not for work but just for yourself? Your pleasure? Like photography or sketching or reading or doodling or journaling… try to find the time to do more of the things that spark joy in you. One of the best ways to reduce stress is by doing more of what makes you happy.
10. Give yourself the priority – I’m saving the best for the last. The changes you wish to make in your life works best when you make them for your benefit and to make you happy, and not for someone else. When you do something for yourself it doesn’t feel burdensome but when you do the same to please other people it usually feels exhausting. It’s also okay to give yourself that priority and importance before you give someone else. It’s not selfish but wise. Only if you’re happy others around you can receive the same kind or more of happiness in turn.
None of these changes that I made were overnight and easy to follow but since I normally believe in slow living, I honestly enjoyed the process. I gave myself a year to adjust to these changes and follow them to this day. I’ve to also confess that I did slip up every now and then but consciously got back to it. The idea is not to be strict with yourself but improve the quality of your life in order to bring in more happiness.
Of course, I don’t expect or intent for you to follow the same tips as I did but if you’re just starting out and really stuck, I do encourage you to take a look at them and try and create something that may work exclusively for you.
I’ve been coaching creatives for a while now and I’ve worked with them to create a schedule and helped them overcome their fears and anxiety so they can live a more relaxed and peaceful life.
If you’re stuck in your current life and unable to find the motivation or are unhappy and stuck and need to make some changes in your life for your growth, I’d love to work with you.
I hope these tips help you bring in more happiness in your life. Tell me which area of your life do you feel is draining you or makes you unhappy and how do you tend to bounce back? Send me an email or comment below.
Love,
Nikita
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