How to Find Happiness in Life
Are you always sad and full of discontent? Always the person "outside the picture" or the wallflower? Silent and lonely instead of perky and peppy? Well, don't worry, this article is created in order to help you overcome some of the feelings that are keeping you from reaching your happiest potential. Read on for more tips and strategies about how to find happiness in life all over again.
Finding Happiness by Yourself
1
Be strong and optimistic. Don't let negative circumstances and sadness creep into or ruin your life. Whenever you are sad, try to keep your head high. You should tell yourself that life is full of hopes, challenges and unexpected twists and turns of surprises.
2
Keep yourself busy. You know what they say about idle hands, right? Research has consistently found that people who stay busy are happier than people who stand idle.[1][2] Not only is too much free time a little depressing, it can also be unproductive. Think of all the things you could be doing, like joining clubs, visiting places, hearing lectures, and then think of how little time you are given in life to do just that.
3
Give yourself reasons to smile. Scientists have found that the act of smiling may actually make you happier.[3] That's right: just smiling. Give it a try. Find any one of the following reasons to smile and give it a go:.
4
Follow your instincts. People who stick with their gut instincts can be happier than people who labor over their decisions. This is why: if you stick with your gut, you're less likely to question what the other options might have been like, tasted like, etc; if you labor over the decision, you're more likely to wonder if you made a mistake in picking one thing over the other.
5
Be generous and compassionate. You might feel smart for thinking that winning a lottery ticket could make you happy, but you'd be wrong. Money increases happiness only up to a certain level, where your basic needs are met.[4] After that, money makes you no happier than other people. What does make you happy, however, is compassion.
6
Learn how to forgive others. Forgiving others is the act of letting bygones be bygones. If you can find it in your heart to forgive other people, even ones who don't deserve it or aren't willing to forgive you, studies say that you'll be a happier person.
7
Whatever you do, and whoever you are, exercise. Research has established a pretty firm link between exercise and overall happiness.[7] Exercise can increase endorphins in your body, lowering your overall stress levels and giving you that blissed-out feeling.[8]
8
Do the things that make you happy. Don't do what you think should make you happy, or what makes other people happy; do what makes you happy. Throw away preconceived notions about what you're supposed to do and go after what you know you can get.
9
Listen to inspirational messages. Whether it's reading books, skimming the internet for quotes, or attending interesting lectures, the world is full of inspirational messages if you know where to look. Here are a few inspirational quotes that may get you motivated to go out into the world and find things that make you happy:
Finding Happiness Through Other People
1
Join clubs or organizations that expresses your personality and mirrors your interests. Whether that interest is bowling, knitting, debating, experimenting, cooking, flying, sporting, or gaming, getting involved with a community of like-minded people will make a huge difference.
2
Ask other people for help. Don't be afraid to ask your friends for help. When you do, be appreciative. As mentioned earlier, people get satisfaction out of helping others out; it makes them feel useful and accomplished. Guess what? Useful and accomplished people are generally happy and fun to get along with. That means that you'll have an easier time socializing and just being yourself around them.
3
Don't be afraid to open up about your feelings to other people. Holding it all in can be a tricky thing: you can feel stifled, like you have no one to open up to. For these reasons, it's best to trust in other people and tell people you trust about what you're going through. Talking about your problems, with a friend or a professional, can help you reach catharsis, which is a word for the cleansing of emotions.
4
Keep other people's secrets. If someone trusts you enough to let you in on their secret, be good enough to keep it. That means no gossip, no accidentally letting it slip, and no playing sides against one another. Imagine what would happen if you told someone your secret and they let it accidentally "slip" to a group of other people? You'd be hurt and feel betrayed. Don't make the other person feel the same way. Finding happiness is all about keeping your friends close and giving them good reason to trust you.
5
Keep your promises. Along the same message: if you say you're going to do something, follow through with