Happiness is something that many wish was thrust upon them without having to work toward it. Many believe that they are justified in staying unhappy because they have not been given reason enough to pursue the alternative. However, I firmly believe that, like many emotions, good and bad, happiness is a choice. When I wake up in the morning, I try to make the conscious decision to feel happy and convey happiness to those around me. Without consistently making the decision to be positive and enjoy life, it’s impossible for me to truly be happy. Because of this, I have created a 7-step plan to be truly and authentically happy. Sometimes, it involves faking it until you really believe you are; however, making the choice to be a happy person will make your life seem that much better.
- Smile
Smiling is a choice and has been scientifically proven to make you happier, according to NBC News. While you shouldn’t be creepy with how much you smile, making an effort to appear happy can increase your emotional wellbeing
- Tell people how happy you are
When you talk about how happy you are, it makes you feel happier! I’ve found that telling people that I am happy very enthusiastically often allows me to authentically feel that way. Contrarily, telling people you are sad makes conversations awkward and focused around that emotion, which is not helpful in getting your mind off of being unhappy. Again, don’t go overboard with how much you tell people that your happy, but if prompted, talk about the good things going on within your life, not the negatives.
- Do things that “make” you happy
As we’ve established, most happiness comes from our choices and not the things that we do. However, participating in activities that you tend to enjoy can help you get out of a funk. Even if you are tempted to lay in bed, depressed, hanging out with friends or going out for coffee are more likely to make you happy. Forcing yourself to do fun things is important to maintaining your emotional well-being.
- Take pride in how you present yourself
Making yourself look nice and presentable can make you feel more put together and emotionally stable (even if that’s not how you currently feel). I’ve found that putting effort into my outfits and makeup makes me feel happier.
- Basic Needs
No matter, if you feel like you are in a funk, continuing to eat, drink, and get sleep, is essential to improving your happiness. During anxious times, I find myself eating and sleeping less; however, this often just makes me feel much worse. Making the conscious effort to continue to be healthy can make you feel better and increase your happiness.
- Touch Grass
Simply putting your phone down and even taking a walk outside in your neighborhood (and even petting your neighborhood cats) can make you feel infinitely happier.
- Live in the Present
In the past month, I’ve found myself compromising my happiness because I’ve contemplated what consequences might result from everything I’ve done. I’ve gone through the fifty possible scenarios of negative results and made myself less happy and less excited as a result. This sucks because my life has been going pretty great lately and I wish I could just be happy and grateful instead of anxious and worried about how that could change. Nevertheless, living in the present and focusing on being grateful can help make you happier.
All in all, following these 7 steps is bound to make you feel and appear happier. While it’s important to feel out your emotions, making an effort to choose happiness most of the time will make your life better.
