How to make yourself happy

This article will center on showing what are the best ways to make yourself happy. The article will show what are usually the factors that are mostly associated with happiness, and how you can work towards getting them.

How can I make myself happy?

There are many ways you can make yourself happy. And this seems extremely important in the world nowadays. Knowing how to pursue your happiness, is the best way to guarantee that your happiness won’t be dependent on others. Here are the best ways to make yourself happy.

Get hold of negative thinking 

The first rule to making yourself happy is related to taking some control of your thoughts and emotions. This doesn’t mean they won’t happen, having negative thoughts, and experiencing difficult emotions are all a part of life. 

Denying the negative will only make it stronger inside you. Acknowledge them, but don’t let them define you. A good way to let yourself surrender to the negative thoughts is by treating yourself as you would treat one of your friends. 

If they had some negative thoughts and shared those with you, you would most likely aid them, and be extra supportive. So try to show yourself the same affection. And when the negative thoughts take over, you can try to challenge them.

If you are thinking “I am a failure”, you might challenge your thought and say to yourself “I have had many successful moments in my life, and now I am dealing with a setback that can happen to anyone”, this will show you that this is a difficult moment, not something that defines you.

Learning how to embrace your negative thoughts, and how to direct them will make it easier for you to make yourself happy.

Pay attention to your breathing 

Many studies have made clear how breathing exercises and meditation can have a positive impact on your mood, and even on your mental health. They will reduce your anxiety, and improve your depressive symptoms.  

Aside from that, having that moment to yourself in which you can center yourself, and focus on your body, will, according to Buddha help you become

more enlightened, your concentration, and vitality.

Write it out 

When you write about your thoughts, and what is happening in your life is a way for you to not only understand your emotions better, and make you happier. But not only that, but it will also improve your mood, and help you cope with any mental health issues you may have.

Research has shown that writing, or journaling, 15 minutes a day will allow for your sense of happiness, and overall well-being to improve considerably. That is because it will give you a space to express your emotions, and deal with your conflicts. This will often allow you to move from a negative mindset to a more positive one.

Move your body 

It is scientifically known that when you move your mood tends to quickly improve. And you don’t need to do a big workout. Something like 15 minutes of walking will already have a positive impact on making yourself happy. 

Although it is not clear if moving will make you happier, or if happier people will usually move more, allow yourself to feel the benefits of moving your body.

Look at the positive side

Even though it is not possible to always be positive, working on having a positive outlook on things will make you happier. This is not something that will come easier for everyone. It is known that there is a part of positive thinking that is related to genetics, but another part of it seems to be learned.

Someone that has a more positive outlook on life will often see when facing a challenge, not only the problems ahead but the possibilities that can come from it. 

This means they will usually be more resilient, which will often make them happier. Try to always keep in mind that, in the same way as negativity, positive thinking is often infectious.

What are the factors that lead people to happiness? 

Although people are constantly in search of what would make them happy, as seen before, happiness is often related to the outlook you have in life. But aside from that, it seems that some factors will often make it easier for people to feel happy.

People that have reached a balance, or feel fulfilled in such areas refer to experience an overall sense of happiness. 

The most common factors that lead to happiness are money, friends, health, good living conditions, feeling well in their community, spirituality, and having a sense of purpose in life. When one of those areas is not balanced, it may be that the person will not feel so happy.

How can I pursue happiness?

If you are trying to make yourself happy in life, you should know that happiness is not a constant thing in life. But it is something you can pursue to make your life better. Aside from making things such as mediation, and writing a part of your life, you can also make yourself happier by identifying the things that make you happy.

Keep in mind that this doesn’t have, and should not be connected to your societal role, and what people expect of you. Get in touch with yourself and understand what makes you happy. Once you have identified it, you can start to work on pursuing it.

As you do that, try to keep in mind that trying to reach it all at once can be overwhelming, and set yourself to fail. So try to establish a small, and achievable goal. Try to change your habits little by little in the direction of making yourself happier.

As you get a sense you are moving forward, try to give yourself some rewards. Don’t neglect what you have done just because it isn’t your main goal. Recognizing the process is a way of making yourself a lot happier.

And finally, be surrounded by people that will support you on your path, and congratulate you when you achieve something. That social recognition will strengthen you to deal with all that is ahead as you make yourself happier.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): How can I make myself happy? 

What is happiness? 

Happiness is an emotional state in which the person experiences a sense of well-being. It can be a reaction to something good happening to them, which can lead to a fleeting sense of happiness. Or it can be a reaction to someone evaluating their life. 

And in that process, they notice that they have a positive view of what they have been able to achieve in life. Happiness is often connected to a subjective sense of well-being, which means that each person will experience happiness in their particular way, and because of different things.

When a person is happy, they will usually demonstrate it through a smile on their faces, or even by laughing.

What is sadness? 

Sadness is an emotional state that encompasses a range of emotions. A person will say they are sad when they experience a small discontentment or even anger. It is a basic human emotion, which means all of us will experience it at some point in our lives.

When a person is sad, their mood can become low, and they may feel unhappy. It is often a reaction to some bad news, or event a person has gone through in their lives. And the intensity of it can vary depending on the news, and how emotional the person is.

But sadness is often fleeting and will go on until the person recovers from the news or event they went through. When the person is feeling sad, they will often benefit from sharing their feelings with others, writing them out, and even crying, since those are all ways of externalizing how they feel, and it is also a way to think of ways out of their sadness.

What is the difference between sadness and depression? 

There is a difference between sadness and depression. Although the first one is a symptom of depression, common sadness is a common reaction to an event. It is fleeting, and unlike depression will mostly be related to one area in the person’s life.

Depression is often something that will lead the person to an overwhelming sense of sadness. And that is not related to some particular matter in the person’s life, but it touches all aspects of their life, intensely. And that won’t go away quickly or without any form of treatment.

What are ways to quickly make myself happy? 

If you are experiencing a hard time, know that there are some quick ways you can make yourself happier in less than a minute. The first one is by taking a deep breath, which will take you out of a stressful situation.

Finding something that makes you feel grateful is also a way to make yourself instantly happy, in the same way as being grateful for something bad that didn’t happen. Smiling, or having a laugh is also something that will quickly lift you when you are feeling down.

Naming your feelings will also make it easier to assess and care for your emotions. And as surprising as it may be, sitting up straight will also make you feel better. Research has shown that this is something that can help improve your self-esteem and make you feel more confident.

Recognizing the little things, and appreciating yourself will also make you feel happier. Aside from that, finding positive possibilities in difficult events, and keeping the focus on what your purpose in life is, will also make it easier for you to feel happy.

What are ways to diagnose depression?

Depression is often diagnosed by talking to your doctor. During the interview, they will ask you how you have been feeling, how long has it been since you realized your emotions have changed, and how they have been affecting your life.

A person will be considered depressed when they experience some of the most common symptoms of depression for more than two weeks.

Conclusion 

This article explained what are ways to make yourself happy. It showed what are the most common factors that lead people to feel happy, and how they can achieve it.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write them in the section below.

References

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-be-happy

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-be-happy-an-introduction-3144720

https://wearehomesforstudents.com/blog/health-and-wellbeing/simple-ways-to-make-yourself-happy

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/tips-and-support/how-to-be-happier/