How to Feel Happier

You might think that you can't do anything to feel even a little happier. In fact, improving your happiness is completely within your reach, no matter what the circumstances are. To feel happier, you need to be willing to change your perspective, accept whatever life brings, and work on transforming ineffective situations. If you want to feel happier right away, follow these steps. Sometimes, though, all you need to do is what you feel is necessary or let things unfold as they will.

Think More Positively. The easiest way to feel happier is to try becoming a more optimistic person. You might think that some people are more negative than others, but this is a lazy mindset that prevents you from enjoying the happiness that is already available to you. While your circumstances might not always be in your control, you can always control how you perceive them. By focusing on the positive side of every situation instead of just the negative, you'll become a happier person.

• To think more positively, you need to become aware of your thoughts. Recognize when negative thoughts sneak in and counter them with positive, rational thoughts. How many of your negative thoughts are rooted in a “worst-case scenario” mindset or a constant expectation of the worst in every situation?
• An easy way to think more positively is to engage with positive people. Their optimistic energy will rub off on you.

List the things you're grateful for. Reminding yourself of all the things you are thankful for will instantly make you feel happier. Take some paper and a pen, find a quiet room, and jot down at least 10-15 things you are grateful for. These can be big things, like your family and friends, or smaller ones, like a newly planted garden near your home. Think about anything that makes you smile and adds a little more joy to your life. Once you write them down, you’ll realize just how lucky and happy you truly are.

• Keep this list with you and add to it every Sunday. Make a habit of reviewing it whenever you feel like it or reflect on it at the end of the year to recognize how much happiness you've had in life.
• If you want to mix it up a bit, create a “happiness jar.” Write down an event that made you happy on a small piece of paper and put it in the jar. Wait until the jar is full or the end of the year to enjoy the joy of recalling all the beautiful memories that brought you happiness.

Appreciate the little things. To feel happier, you need to learn to appreciate both the small joys and the big moments of happiness in life. Stop and take in the scent of a rose. Pause to admire the flowers blooming around you – literally – and marvel at their beauty. Try a sweet pastry at the café near your home and savor its delicate and sweet taste. Spend an extra minute enjoying the happiness when a close friend sends you a funny text. On the surface, these little things may seem insignificant, but they truly help.

• Set a goal each day to notice at least five small things that make you happy. Once you start doing this, it will become a natural habit, and you'll find yourself smiling at things you never thought were special before.

Live in the present. Another tip for feeling happier is to learn to appreciate the present moment, rather than regret the past or fear the future. Learn to enjoy the conversations you are having right now, rather than worrying about what to say next or stressing over something you said twenty minutes ago. Learn to cherish what's in front of you, the beautiful moments you're experiencing, while pushing away thoughts of anything outside of the present. While this may take effort, you will notice a significant boost in your happiness.

• Living in the moment requires practice, and you can learn faster if you try yoga or meditation.

Take time to reflect. Find time to reflect on your experiences and think about what might make you happier each day. You might not feel happy because you feel like you’re just rushing through tasks and wasting time, asking yourself, “What the heck just happened?” Take time each day – or at least once a week – to sit quietly and gaze at a scene, reflecting on all the events that have recently occurred. You’ll feel calm and begin to reduce the overwhelm of everything happening around you, which will lead to more happiness.

• While reflecting alone may be best, if your mind is always stirred up by something, calling a friend to talk it out can help you see the events in your life from a new perspective.

Stop comparing yourself to others. If you learn to view your life in the context of your own circumstances, rather than wishing you had more money, more friends, or a better body like someone else, you’ll be able to let go of bitterness and envy. Remind yourself that everyone has their own struggles and challenges, and that you, like everyone else, can’t have everything. Focus on your own work instead of looking around, and you’ll soon feel happier because of it.

• You might think you know someone who has “everything,” but who knows? They might find something to envy in you.

Cultivate compassion. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, once said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion; if you want to be happy, practice compassion.” You might think that feeling sympathy for others has nothing to do with your happiness, but in reality, the ability to empathize with a friend or even a stranger in a difficult situation will make you a more thoughtful, self-aware, and grateful person. If your mind is always preoccupied with your own struggles and you never look around to understand others' feelings, you may find yourself less happy than those who are truly compassionate.

• Next time you’re with a friend, try to empathize with them. Understand their situation from their point of view, ask about their feelings, and show genuine care and concern.

Spend more time with loved ones. Spending more time with those you love – and those who make you happy – will undoubtedly help you feel happier. If you're feeling down or disappointed, call a close friend or family member instead of wallowing in sadness, and come up with something fun to do. You might think your mood makes others feel bad, but you’ll actually feel better being around your loved ones and will find happiness in that.

• Be around happy people. Laughter – and joy – are contagious, and you should be around those who are happy if you want to feel happy too. In fact, a study by Harvard University and the University of California, San Diego, shows that happiness is not only determined by an individual’s journey but also by their social network.
• Avoid being around chronic complainers. People who are negative, always complaining, and constantly looking for the worst in every situation will make you feel the same way. Stay as far away as you can from these people, especially when you’re trying to lift your spirits.

Fix the things that aren't going well. Another way to boost your happiness is to review your life and try to change what you can to improve it. You might not be able to make dramatic changes, like switching careers immediately, but there are small things you can do that will make a big difference. If something isn’t working, fixing it will definitely make you happier.

• Yes, you might not find your dream job overnight. But what you can change is your attitude toward your work – remember that your career isn’t everything, and there are many other things that bring happiness.
• Small changes can have a huge impact. If sitting in traffic for hours every morning frustrates you, wake up thirty minutes earlier to avoid the congestion.
• Maybe you're unhappy because you feel you're selfish, unfriendly, a poor listener, or not a good friend. If that’s the case, take steps to improve these qualities – when you feel better about yourself, you’ll feel better overall.

Spend more time outdoors. Simply stepping outside to breathe fresh air and soak in the sunlight will definitely make you feel happier. If you need to do something that can be done outdoors, adjust your schedule to enjoy the sunshine. If you used to read books in a dark and stuffy room, take your book to the park. If you usually eat lunch with friends at a café, consider dining outdoors. Being in nature – as long as it's not during a storm – will surely make you happier.

• Try exercising outdoors instead of going to the gym whenever possible. Running 5 km under the sun will make you happier – and more motivated – than running on a treadmill and facing a wall.

Minimize stress. Although you can’t immediately eliminate stress, working to reduce it will soon make you feel happier. Start with small things – tidy and organize your space so you won’t feel stressed looking for something to wear each morning. Cut 25% of your social engagements to give yourself more time. Avoid people and situations that heavily stress you out. You’ll be surprised at how much this can affect your happiness.

• Try meditation. Meditation can help calm both your mind and body, allowing you to live in the present moment rather than worrying about everything around you.
• Journal your thoughts. Journaling helps you track your life and prevents you from feeling overwhelmed by it.
• If you’re feeling so stressed that daily life becomes difficult to handle, consider speaking to a therapist.

Change up your daily routine. If you want to feel happier, sometimes a small change is all you need. Perhaps you’re not happy because you feel stuck in a rut, bored by repeating the same old things day after day. Try having a new breakfast. Take a yoga class in the evening instead of the morning. Hang out with a new friend rather than your usual group. Walk to work instead of driving. These small changes can add up and make you feel more joyful.

• Just try doing something different every day, even if it’s not necessarily better than what you’re used to – it can make you feel happier.

Spend more time pursuing your passion. Everyone feels happier when they have time to do what they love. If you’re passionate about photography, spend more time taking photos. If you enjoy writing poetry, wake up half an hour earlier each morning to write some verses. If cooking is your joy, spend at least two days a week in the kitchen. You might think that following your passion is not worth your time because you have other “more practical” things to worry about, but in fact, it has a significant impact on your happiness.

• Look at your schedule. See if there’s any way you can become more productive at work to make time for your passions, or if there are any unimportant activities you can easily skip to make room for the things you love to do.

Get enough sleep. Establishing the habit of getting at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep each night will genuinely make you feel happier. You’ll be amazed at how much a good night’s sleep can improve your mood – whereas a poor night’s sleep will make you feel like you hate everyone and the world is a terrible place. Happy people prioritize taking care of their physical and mental health, and that’s what you should focus on if you want to feel happier.

• Try to go to bed at a regular time each night and wake up at the same time every morning.

Exercise regularly. It's well-established that regular physical activity can boost happiness, with even just 30 minutes of exercise a day making a significant impact on how joyful you feel. You might not want to hit the gym or go for a run when you're feeling down, but surprisingly, exercise is exactly what could lift your spirits. If working out alone feels dull, consider joining a yoga, dance, or ballet class, or joining a sports team.

• Choose physical activity over transportation whenever possible. Even a 15-minute walk to the store instead of driving or climbing four flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator can make you feel happier.

Smile more. Research shows that smiling more can actually make you feel happier. Even if you don’t feel like smiling, trying to smile more than usual tricks your brain into feeling more cheerful. Smile at those around you, and you’ll often get smiles back. Being around people who are smiling will make you feel better too. Smiling is a win-win situation, even if you feel like frowning instead.

• Fake it till you make it. At first, your smile might feel forced, but soon you’ll genuinely feel happier by just trying to smile, even when you don’t feel like it.

Make time for your joy. Take a look at your daily routine and identify the activities that truly bring you happiness. While you can’t spend all day working for just an hour and hanging out with friends for five, you can make small adjustments to prioritize the activities that bring you the most joy. If you find that yoga makes you happy, reduce your TV time by two hours a week to make space for yoga. If spending time with a close friend brings you joy, cut back on socializing with colleagues to spend more time with your friend.

• You may not have considered which part of your day brings you the most happiness. Make a list of everything you do daily, and identify where your happiness truly comes from.

Do kind things for others. A study shows that people who receive bonuses at work often feel happiest when they spend most of that money on others. This doesn’t mean you should spend all your money on your friends, but it does suggest that making an effort to do good for others can boost your own happiness. It could be comforting a friend who just had a breakup, even by simply being there for her, or volunteering to help the homeless. No action is entirely selfless, and by helping others, you can also increase your own happiness.

• Each week, do at least a few kind things for others “just because.” Doing this will surely make you feel better.
• Don’t do something nice for a friend just because it’s her birthday. Give her a thoughtful gift simply because you care about her, and see how it makes both of you happy.

Create 'me time.' If you want to feel happier, you need to spend more time reflecting on yourself. This doesn’t mean being entirely self-centered, but rather setting aside time for you to just sit alone with your thoughts, ideas, and personal activities. No matter how busy life gets, you can still find 30 minutes to an hour here and there to be yourself, whether that’s going for a walk, journaling, or just reflecting on the week.

• Time alone will help you de-stress, relieve pressure, and make you feel happier.
• Don’t let a last-minute plan from a friend invade your personal time. Treat your “me time” as you would a date with your favorite celebrity.

Let go of the need to control. If you truly want to be happier, you must release the idea that you need to control everything that happens to you – from career success or failure to the health of your pet. The reality is, you can't control everything that happens in your life, not even how long you live. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you'll realize that while you can't control every event that life brings your way, you can control how you respond to those events. The right to be happy or sad is in your hands.

• It can be scary to admit that many aspects of your life are influenced by forces beyond your control. However, the quicker you embrace this, the quicker you will understand that you hold the key to your happiness.