We all search for happiness. Everything we do, everything we feel, every word we speak is aimed at bringing us closer to a state of bliss. Many of us believe that happiness is something that happens by chance. It’s easy to become jealous when we see people living a happy life. We can easily assume that they’ve always had it easy and that somehow they’ve escaped the less desirable elements of life.
But the chances are that they’ve recognized something difficult to grasp: you must fight for true happiness. Here are a few things to think about to get closer to happiness.
Memory
If you’ve ever hit a rough spot in your life, you’ve probably since heard the phrase ‘Don’t dwell on the past.’ But our power to recall is one of the greatest assets we have in altering our mind frame. An inability to engage with our memory can hold us back and have very damaging results.
Memories are often changeable, and we attach different meanings to them at different times. So do recall memories, even painful ones, but allow yourself to see them in a new light.
Present
Having said that, it is also important to live in the now. If you spend your time dwelling things that are beyond control you lead yourself towards stress. Being present means that you can help yourself be okay with what may lay ahead. You can’t completely destroy the fear of what may come, but with enough willpower, that which we fear can be made to seem small. Whatever challenge you may face, visualize the moment as a thrilling waterslide that you must hurl yourself towards in order to get the best out of it.
Others
You cannot escape the fact that life would be very dull indeed were it not for other people. Our mood and well-being are completely linked with those that we associate with. You cannot please all the people all the time and conflicts are inevitable. But seeking to find de-escalation with these people is the best you can do. If you listen attentively, adopt a nonjudgmental attitude and forgive without condition, you’ll find your relationships improve. Loving environments take work and vulnerability from everyone involved, and sometimes it takes someone like you to make the first step.
Time
Time is a resource that seems to elude most people. It is a slippery thing that somehow always gets away. But once you learn how to control your time, you’ll find it much easier to do the things that make you happy.
Take a blank calendar and before you do anything else with fill in the dates which you know will make you happy, like birthdays, holidays and other anniversaries that will make smile. Make time for your passions.
Lifestyle
Our lifestyle choices changer as we get older. What made you happy when you were a teenager may not make you happy now. There is always room for change. If you’ve led a life that has meant you’ve only ever eaten junk food, drunk beer and watched TV – it may have worked for you at one point but ask yourself – does it now? You may find losing that weight, giving up that bad habit will be just the achievement you need to feel the happiness you seek.
Conversely, if you’ve worked since you left school, exercised every day and rushed about trying to hold your life together through stress, maybe its time to slow down and enjoy your life. There is nothing wrong with daydreaming.
Once you let go of the destructive habits that have limited your growth and create habits that create happiness, it will become easier to find joy in everything you do.
Author
Nora Mork is a lifestyle journalist at UK Writings and Essay Roo. She enjoys doing yoga, reading American literature, and writing columns for magazines and blogs, such as Boom Essays.
Don’t get me wrong, I love going to bed, and there’s nothing that makes me happier than snuggling up under my duvet, flipping the pillow and drifting off at the end of a long day. However, this doesn’t help you throughout the stressful and commonly overwhelming daytime hours. This post will help you to wake up happier.
By putting yourself in the right frame of mind when you go to sleep, you can then rest easily. Th,en you can wake up in the best mindset, ready to face everything life has to throw at you the next day. With this in mind, here are some really simple habits to help you sleep great and wake up happier.
Avoid Stimulants and Depressants the Night Before
In the evenings, we get home after a long day, and all we want to do is put our feet up, and relax. Many of us will have our own different ways that we like to relax. You might want to sit and have a cup of coffee, nibble on your favourite candy, or have single glass of wine.
Hand in hand with the consideration above, it’s best to avoid food altogether. When it comes to bedtime and eating, your body will need to digest this food. Late night digestion can lead to stomach rumbles and digestive processes that can keep you up at night. Try and leave at least four hours between eating and going to bed.
Settling Arguments with Your Partner
If you’re going to bed next to your partner, but you’ve argued, it’s going to play on your mind. Further, it’s going to disrupt your sleep and therefore how effectively you rest, according to stydy by UC Berkely.
Margot Harper, a psychologist at Writinity and Lastminutewriting, explains, “If you’re sleeping in the same bed as your partner, it’s only natural that forcing yourself to sleep next to each other is only going to make things worse, so try settling the agreement and sorting it out, or sleeping elsewhere for a much more refreshing and less stressful sleep”.
Be Grateful
It’s surprising when you start becoming mindful of what kind of mood you’re in before you go to sleep. A lot of us find that we focus on the negative aspects of life, such as someone who annoyed us or a worry about paying our a bill.
Instead, try to sit on your bed as the last thing you do. You can close your eyes and think of three things you’re grateful for in that day. It could be the way that someone spoke to you, the way the birds were singing or anything else. No matter how big or small it may be, focusing on gratitude can make a huge difference.
According to study, gratitude helps you to sleep better and longer. This will help you to fall asleep with a positive attitude, a level of positivity that will reflect into your dreams and the next morning.
Cut Down on Digital Devices
All digital devices with a screen, such as our computers or smartphones, have a blue light that emits from the screen. This wavelength of blue light has been proven to stimulate our minds. Thus, making us believe that it’s daytime and therefore tricking our brains into making us not want to go to sleep.
Instead, try reducing the amount of time you spend on these devices. Try reducing technology use especially in the two hours before you try and sleep. This helps your eyes to get tired and want to sleep. Try doing something other than screens before bed. For example, reading or spending time with your loved ones.
Try Your Hand at Writing
Writing is renowned for its therapeutic properties, especially when it’s handwritten in the form of a journal or diary. While most people go to sleep with all the stresses and worries of their day in their heads, it’s far better to ‘vent’ and get it all down on paper, so you can clear your mind and your soul.
According to Robert McElveen, a Lifestyle blog editor at Draft Beyond and Researchpapersuk, “writing as the last thing you do at night, especially in a book, rather than a computer screen, is a great way to rewind, switch off and clear your mind of sleep-disrupting thoughts and feelings”.
Keep Your Window Open
According to study, even if your window is only open a little bit, this is far more beneficial than keeping it closed. When you breathe out, you’re expelling carbon dioxide into the air. While a breath of carbon dioxide, a gas known to be poisonous to human beings in large doses, doesn’t seem like a lot, if you’re sleeping for 8-hours a night, your room can fill up, and it can leave you feeling light-headed and achy, not the best start to your day.
Summary
As you can see, there are many things you can do when it comes to making sure your bedtime is actually bedtime, enabling you to enjoy some of the best night’s sleep you’ll have had in a long time, leading to a happier, healthier, most energetic you!
Cornelius J. Johnson is a regular contributor to Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays. As a specialist in Marketing, he loves to write about entrepreneurship and aspects of finance and marketing.
Just because you are not happy in your relationship, doesn’t mean that you are not with the right person. It justmeans that you need to take the right steps so that you can begin to focus onyourself while also making sure that you are getting the space you need.
Be Self-Sustainable
The secret to having a happy relationship is completely self-dependent. A relationship is about sharing your life with someone else, and not about depending on them for every little thing. You can’t expect your partner to be your constant emotional or financial support. If you do, then this can eventually turn into resentment, and this can cause major problems. It’s completely normal for you to depend on your partner for some help and support, but if you are constantly relying on them for everything, then this could indicate deeper insecurity.
Accept Yourself
A lot of people enter a relationship with the idea of finding love. They want to fill up the hole that they have within themselves, but if you can’t love yourself, then it can be hard to expect someone to do that for you. Joyful relationships tend to be formed by those who already love themselves, and therefore want to share that love with someone else.
Create Space
If you want to be happy in the relationshipthat you have now, then it is so important that you learn how to give yourpartner space. It’s completely normal for you to wantto spend the rest of your life with your partner and you may also want tocreate a family as well, but you don’t want to trample their hopes and eventheir dreams by not giving them the freedom they need to live their life. Thiscould be financial, religious or eventhrough their career.
Respect Differences
No two people are alike, and this is one of the best things about life. Diversity is everything, so if you want to be happier in your relationship, then it is so important that you are able to appreciate and even respect these aspects. Remember that just because they are different to you, doesn’t mean that they are wrong or that you are not compatible. It just means that you are two individuals and this is perfectly normal. If you feel as though your differences are coming between you and your partner and this is something that you cannot move past, then it may be worth going your separate ways. If you are married, then this may involve you trying to file for divorce. This can be difficult, but sometimes this is the only way for you to find a relationship that you can be truly happy with.
Being in a relationship is not without its challenges. At times you may argue, and you may disagree on major topics, but if you are able to come together by the end, then this shows that you have found the right person. It also shows that you are strong enough to go the distance.
This post was written in collaboration. Collaborative writingmeans that while I have contributed to this post and edited its content andformatting, I am not its original author. By posting this content on my blog, I may receive financial compensation. Want to guest postfor Jihi Elephant? Learn more here.
It is so incredibly easy to fall into a slump of anger, sadness, or anxiousness. The world can be so depressing and hard to deal with. If you are in a slump or looking for something to brighten your mood, check out these 20 positive quotes!
Brightening Quotes
“Life is better while laughing.”
unknown
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.”
thich nhat hanh
“Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change.”
anonymous
“Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections”
bob marley
“Smile often, think positively, give thanks, laugh loudly, love others, dream big.”
unknown
“Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.”
albert schweitzer
“Stay positive, work hard, and make it happen.”
anonymous
“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”
groucho marx
“Kindness is a wonderful way to let another struggling soul know that there is still love in this world.”
“Be kinder to yourself and then let your kindness flood the world.”
pema chodron
“The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.”
anonymous
“I’m choosing happiness over suffering, I know I am. I’m making space for the unknown future to fill up my life with yet-to-come surprises.”
elizabeth gilbert
“Happiness is not the absence of problems it’s the ability to deal with them.”
unknown
“Hey little fighter, soon things will be brighter.”
anonymous
“Choose happy.”
unknown
“Regardless of how anyone else feels about me, I am going to choose to be happy and completely love myself today.”
unknown
“I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness.”
unknown
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
albus dumbledore
Positive Quotes
“If you want happiness for an hour—take a nap, If you want happiness for a day—go fishing, If you want happiness for a year-inherit a fortune, If you want happiness for a lifetime-help someone else.”
chinese proverb
“Don’t underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.”
winnie the pooh
“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
abraham lincoln
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
buddha
“Happiness is a warm puppy.”
charles M. schulz
Conclusion
Not all of these quotes are perfect for every person who reads them. I hope that you have found some quotes that resonate with you. These quotes are meant to brighten your mood and help you find happiness. Keep these positive quotes as reminders in your journal, on your desk, in your locker, or in your planner for when you are feeling down.
What is happiness? Happiness is a phenomenon, emotion, or state of being we all strive to achieve. Here are 10 ways to promote happiness in your life.
What is Happiness?
There are a million ways to define happiness.
“Be happy. Be bright. Be you.”
The dictionaries define happiness as
Delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing; OR Characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy (Dictionary.com).
OR
A state of well-being and contentment; OR A pleasurable or satisfying experience (Merriam-Webster).
Others define happiness as fully enjoying all that you are and that is around you.
Despite the definitions, everyone experiences happiness differently. Some might become giddy or feel bubbly inside. Others might experience overwhelming emotions or even tear up. Others simply smile or feel joyfully content. There is nothing wrong with experiencing and expressing happiness your own way!
But, you’ve come here looking for ways to be happier. So, without further ado…
“Being happy never goes out of style.” – Unknown
How to be Happy
Happiness is as much a choice as it is an involuntary emotion. Let me explain.
You might often feel happiness without choosing to. For example, if a friend surprises you with something you love, you would most likely feel happiness automatically. You probably don’t have to remind yourself to be happy about the surprise.
However, you can also choose happiness. During trials and difficult times where you would automatically become sad or frustrated, you can instead choose to feel happy. I am, by no means, saying that you should feel happy instead of these other emotions (because it’s healthy to let yourself feel these emotions too), but it’s an option.
“Don’t let the silly little things steal your happiness.” -Unknown
Take Breaks
Taking breaks is so important. These days we are so busy that we completely neglect to allow ourselves some good old-fashioned downtime. Feeling depressed, overwhelmed, sad, stressed? Take a break, treat yourself! You deserve it.
Taking breaks is so much more important than you realize. Taking some time out allows both your body and your mind a reset or reboot. If you are constantly going and jam-packing your body with caffeine, your body, and your mind will eventually give out.
If I do not take time off of both work and blogging each week, I burn out mentally and end up sick. This is no fun. But if I take some time to myself and practice some self-love while I’m at it, I feel refreshed and energetic!
Not sure how to fit downtime or self-love into your busy schedule? Check out my 30-day self-love challenge that incorporates quick and simple self-love practices into every day for 30 days straight!
“There is sunshine in my soul today.”
Give More
Helping others has always and will always be a huge influencer of happiness. When you help others, you feel better about yourself. You feel happier. Even if what you are able to give is only your time or services. Maybe you share a sandwich with someone who forgot their lunch or help a neighbor carry their heavy groceries into their house. Trust me, you’ll feel great!
“Always Smile.”
Exercise More
I don’t really need to explain this one. We hear it all the time, exercise, exercise, exercise. It’ll make you healthier and this is why it’ll make you happier. Yes, it’s exhausting, and yes, it’s difficult. But at the end, you’ll have accomplished so much, and you’ll feel happy about yourself.
“Happiness is made, not found.”
Meditate
Meditation is so beneficial, but it a little bit of a taboo for some. Let me clear the air. You do not have to be religious to meditate. There is actually no one way to practice meditation.
Some people enjoy taking quiet walks to clear their mind by focusing on sights and sounds. Others practice yoga meditation where there is a focus on clearing the mind through breathing and stretching. Or maybe you’ll simply sit quietly for a few moments focusing on your breathing.
Meditation simply allows you to clear your mind of everything that is overwhelming your or stressing you out. It’s not for everyone, but I practice this each night before bed and it allows me to get to bed quicker and start each day new. It doesn’t remove stress, but it allows me to look at my stress more logically, instead of panicking.
“There are two ways to be happy: change the situation, or change your mindset towards it.”
Eat Better
I do not believe that I need to go into detail on this one, same as exercise. We hear all about how eating healthier is so great for your body and happiness. Those people are right. In all honesty, I do not eat right, and I can feel it making me groggier and more miserable. When I do eat healthy though, I feel amazing. I sleep better, I make better decisions, I feel better–I am happier.
“Being happy doesn’t mean everything’s perfect. It means you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”
Drink A Lot of Water
With eating healthier, you ought to drink more water. Not only is it great for your skin, but it’s great for your attitude. Again, I won’t go into details, because we all know this is true. I’m here to simply remind you to drink water because it’ll make you happier.
“I choose to be happy today.”
Socialize
No, when I say socialize, I don’t mean you must constantly be around people. I’m an introvert, so I know that for some people, spending a lot of time around people is exhausting.
However, it is not healthy to hermit all the time (however tempting it might be). If you’re constantly hiding out on your own without human interaction you are going to get depressed.
So, to combat this, just get some socialization regularly. This could be anything from going out to the bar with some co-workers, to a night in with your family. Socializing doesn’t have to be complicated.
Here are some ways for the introvert to socialize!
Go into the bank instead of using the ATM
Strike up conversation at the grocery store check out
Go visit or call some family and just catch up
Happy a close friend over for the evening
Go out in public – anywhere (sometimes being in the presence of people is enough)
Go get coffee with a friend or co-worker
Spend some time at the water cooler at work
Attend a study group or tutoring session
“Surround yourself with those who make you happy.”
Be Positive
For some people, this is easy or natural, but for others, it’s incredibly difficult. I’m a naturally positive person; however, when I am stressed, I am a massive negative-Nelly. Being negative (especially when I am already stressed) does me absolutely no good.
If I am in a bad mood, or even if I’m not in any kind of mood, forcing myself to think about the positive eventually turns my mood around.
Fake it till you believe it.
“Think positive and positive things will happen.”
Practice Gratefulness Regularly
Gratefulness is healing. I can’t think of a better way to explain it, except to share a blurb from my own personal gratefulness story.
I was in a low point in my life, by ‘low’ I don’t mean living on the streets or anything the phrase implies. I mean that I was struggling with a huge transition and a lot of anxiety. It was at this point I decided to start a gratefulness art project. Each day I would write down several reasons that I was grateful. Anything counted, everything I thought was written down.
When you sit around thinking about all that is going wrong, all that is awful, or all that you wish was different, naturally, you will feel sad or angry. But, if you spend your time thinking about all that is going well and all that you enjoy about your life, naturally you will begin to feel happy!
“The key to being happy is knowing you have the power to choose what to accept and what to let go.” -Dodinsky
How Planning Ahead Can Make You Happier
Nothing is worse than the moment you realize that you’ve forgotten to plan for something, causing you to rush around like a chicken with its head chopped off. These scenarios are immensely stressful and can reduce happiness. The only way to reduce this stress, ultimately increasing your happiness, is to plan for it.
Planning ahead does wonders for stress. I highly recommend, and will always recommend, getting or making a planner. Personally, I use bullet journals because they are far more customizable. If you’d like to read more about different ways to get organized check out A Practical Guide to Time Management + Productivity, a guest post I wrote.
“HOW TO BE HAPPY: decide every morning that you are in a good mood.”
It’s not always easiest to be happy, but by following these guidelines, it should be a little easier to do. I hope you enjoyed these guidelines! What do you do that makes you happy??
Meet Elizabeth!
Meet Elizabeth! Elizabeth is the creator and writer here at Elizabeth Journals. In addition to creating for ElizabethJournals, she is a full-time graduate student studying clinical mental health counseling. She started Jihi Elephant to share her experiences, spread organizational tips, and promote positive living. Elizabeth is an avid bullet journalist, dabbling artist, and houseplant fanatic.
You can also read more about the origins of Jihi Elephant and its creator here.
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