Finding Your Way to Happiness

Little tips to get you thinking how to feel better every day…

1. Watch what you watch. Sounds simple, but in truth we might find ourselves in a default setting, mindlessly watching a detective show, something scary or intense. Over time our threshold for negativity and drama decreases. We can’t always feel on edge. Find something captivating. Funny. Sweet or inspiring. Though I save scary movies for October, but I don’t watch them alone. It’s a thing for me.
2. Treat yourself. If you get it for yourself everyday, then it’s no longer a treat. Get your coffee fix at home, then make it a splurge twice a week when you buy a fancy coffee drink from a barista. Ditto on ice cream or pizza. Treats come in on days when we need a lift or we’ve completed a project. It can be a magazine or a cigar. Make it special and take note of what you’re enjoying. Savor it.
3. Date yourself. It’s expensive going out with your love. If a babysitter is needed, then it becomes crazy expensive. So go out on your own. Not a bar. Go see a movie by yourself. My husband bought the best seat for a Red’s baseball game one year. I’ve had delicious lunches on my own, and I do bring a book. Being alone is more than okay. You are with you all the time, so take yourself out.
4. Get outside. You will feel better out there. Every season has its merits. Walk in a spring rain. Enjoy swimming in the ocean in summer. Hike the hills in autumn. Shovel snow or go sledding in winter. Adults can sled. I love being outside after a snowfall when my neighbors are all out and shoveling away. Sit in a park and watch the autumn leaves as they drift downward. Soak it in. You’ll feel better afterwards!
5. Flowers on clearance. Your grocery store has flowers that are on sale, so buy them and enjoy the $4.99 dozen of roses for a few days. Put the flowers in the fridge at night and they’ll last longer. You might have to ask where they “hide” the cheap arrangements, but you’ll have that pop of color in your space.
6. Clean. Having a neat apartment or home is calming. So get rid of the clutter, donate lots of your old stuff that’s piled up over time, and vacuum. Make your bed every day. You will feel more restful in a calm and clean space. Besides, cleaning can be okay if you play some music or listen to a podcast. I’m used to cleaning with a window open for freshness. Clean!
7. Open a window or a door. When I was in Germany I found out they freshen up the house by opening most of their windows for half a day once a month. I’m not saying you should invite subzero temps into your bedroom, but one open window is an instant mood lifter. You’ll hear a bird, maybe some traffic, people walking, lawn movers and more. But the way your home will smell when you open a window is amazing. Instant happiness.
8. Use scents wisely. I’m thinking of your apartment more than you personally. I use candles liberally, because they really do provoke memories; and if you use a scent that brings a flood of contentment; then you’re onto the power of scents. I burn candles after dinner to have a beautiful smell permeate the kitchen and family rooms. Use diffusers. Spray your sheets with linen spray every day. Change up your scents, because you will get used to a candle and won’t smell it any more. So have a few scents to choose from and rotate them.
9. Go back in time. When I’m feeling nostalgic, or if I’m listening to a song from my teen years, I like to go onto ebay and buy some old magazines or books that are from those years. Looking at old ads will take you back in time. Even the old font types will bring you back. You’ll realize how much fun you had back then. Memory trips are wonderful.
10. Take the back roads. When you’re driving down familiar back roads, take a street you have never been down ever. Pick an evening or a weekend to get lost. Find a new diner. A store. Just look at the houses and dream. I am tired of walking in my neighborhood, so I drive over to another subdivision with miles of streets, and I walk them. Go somewhere new. It’s refreshing.
11. Celebrate anything and everything. Birthdays, Harry Potter’s birthday (July 31st), Cinco de Mayo, your cat’s birthday (make one up), NFL football games, basketball games. Find a team and make them your favorite. Tailgate at games. Christmas in July. Easter. A chili cook-off contest between friends. Friendsgiving. Festivus. (Look that up.) I know ladies who watch The Bachelor together while drinking wine. Life needs more days of celebration! We need fun, and Americans are known for celebrating any small thing. So go all out. Make it special.

I have other ideas for you, but I don’t want to overwhelm you with ways to be happy. Choose some ideas from here, and see if your gloomy day doesn’t suddenly brighten. We have to find ways to be happy, because plenty of days bring us trouble. If we can insert snippets of happiness in a Wednesday or a rainy Monday, then life really is better. We need those little things that make us smile.

Which reminds me. Write down a list of what makes you happy. Pay attention to your mood, because what worked a year ago might not be doing anything to lift your mood anymore. We do change over time, so find new ways to feel good. I’m off to light my last summer candle. I burn autumn candles only in…autumn. Weird, I know. But I like the change, and it makes summer’s end a little sweeter. Have a happy day!