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3 Strategies to a Happier You!
What would you give to be happier each moment? . We all want to get the most out of our lives. We want satisfaction and we strive for joy. Happiness is something we all universally seek. It doesn't require having loads of cash either. You'd be surprised at what helps boost your happiness levels.
Why Happiness Matters
Happiness helps us get through challenging moments in life, it helps us stave off depression, and it allows us to connect more deeply in the present moment. It's something all of us seek. Many of us would define success as a life well lived or a life happily lived. Many of my clients who are facing anxiety and stress are also seeking the opposite experience: Peace, Calm, and Happiness.
If you are happy with the work you do or the activities you spend your time in, then you will enjoy your time more. It won't feel like work. It will feel like flow, satisfaction, and contentment. Most of us are so rushed in life that we don't really know what brings us joy. We are in survival mode...focusing on our next "to do" item.
Happiness is really a very intentional way of living. We can experience happiness in almost any moment, even the challenging ones. It just depends on our perspective and our view. When we know what brings us happiness and joy, we can use those as tools to get us through tough times. We can help lighten the mood and bring laughter to our loved ones when it's needed most. We can be the light in the dark times.
For example, when I'm sitting in traffic, I could allow myself to get really frustrated, stressed, allow my shoulders to edge up towards my ears, and I could even subject myself to road rage. However, I could also choose to listen to a new podcast or some music I really enjoy. I could also instead choose to call a friend I want to catch up with. I could even choose to do some deep and mindful breathing instead. We can shift our experience any time we stop, become present, and ask ourselves "what do I want in this moment?".
What is Happiness?
So what is happiness? How do we define this?
Happiness is defined as contentment, pleasure, contentedness, satisfaction, cheerfulness, merriment, merriness, gaiety, joy, joviality, jollity, jolliness, glee, blitheness, carefreeness, gladness, delight, good spirits, light-heartedness, good cheer, well-being, enjoyment, felicity.
I don't know about you but when I read through the list of other words to describe happiness, I find myself thinking "I need to get myself MORE of that!".
So if happiness is about contentment, satisfaction, joy, and cheerfulness, then how do we get more of it? Many of my clients confuse their happiness with how they define success. And how we each define success is part of the equation. Because when we hit our goals, we feel satisfaction. Defining what success means for you is a great idea because it varies for each of us. Some of us define success as raising our children well while others define it as earning a certain income or getting a specific job.
Beyond defining success and achieving our goals, what are some other ways you can obtain more happiness?
Roadmap to a Happier You
If you are ready for more happiness in your life, then I hope you keep reading and please do share this with your friends and family. Let's spread the happiness around the world. Below, I have three simple strategies that you can use today to increase your happiness, anywhere, anytime.
Strategy One: Be Present & Enjoy Your Journey
Most of us set goals, hit those goals, and blow right through them only to set the next set of goals. Instead it's really important to be in the present moment. If you just hit a small or big goal, stop and celebrate. Take in how it feels to achieve something that is important to you.
Be sure to also enjoy the journey along the way to your goals. Know that you are exactly where you are meant to be and as you continue to build momentum towards achieving your goals, enjoy and savor every moment. Enjoy the learning, the lessons, the ups, and the downs.
As Sean Stevenson would say "we all experience pain, suffering is a choice....what do you choose?". Next time you find yourself unhappy or suffering, stop and ask yourself how can you release suffering in the midst of your pain and appreciate that moment, painful as it may be.
Next time you feel stress, anxiety, or unhappiness, stop and ask yourself, am I thinking about the future, the past, or am I actually in this very moment. Most of the time we are unhappy it's because we aren't in the moment or we are comparing ourselves to others. Practice being present and being in the moment and even if it is a painful moment, you will find more consistent happiness.
Strategy Two: Make a Gratitude List
If you started every morning with a short list of the things you are grateful for, I wonder how many more happy days you would experience. I bet if you started each morning with 3 new things you are grateful for, it would help you wake up on the right side of the bed, ready to tackle the day.
The more we practice the habit of gratitude, the more we appreciate what we already have. This helps us become more present and more open to enjoying the present moment. Starting building your gratitude muscles by making this a daily practice.
I like to start and finish my day with a short gratitude list. My morning includes 3 new things I am grateful for and my evening list is more about what I accomplished for the day that I am grateful for (i.e. an email I wrote, a project I wrapped up, a dinner I made, or a phone call I made to a close friend). If you bookend your day in gratitude, you'll find that being unhappy is much more challenging.
The more we practice gratitude, the easier it is to release comparison. In coaching, we call this the "compare and despair" problem. And guess what, I struggle with this too. It gets easier the more you practice gratitude and catch yourself in compare and despair mode.
When you do find yourself in jealousy or wanting what someone else has, go back to your gratitude list and baste in what you do have right now. The grass always looks greener than it really is. You have no idea what that other person's true experience is. Don't take for granted all the amazing things you already have in your life right this very moment.
Strategy Three: Send Encouraging Words to Someone Else
Many studies on happiness have proven that sharing words of gratitude, encouragement, or kindness to others, boosts our own happiness levels. Next time you are feeling gloomy, try reaching out to someone that you appreciate and tell them why you appreciate them. It could be something you admire them for, something they did that you are thankful for, or a skill that they are masterful with that you appreciate. Send them an email, letter, or text message. Be authentic and genuine.
If you really want to boost your happiness, try doing this for 1-3 minutes each day. This means reaching out to 1-2 people a day and giving them a compliment or words of appreciation. It's that easy. And the really awesome part of this tip is that you are helping boost someone else's happiness while getting your own happiness boost. Imagine if we lived in a world where we did this, how much happier we would all be.
All of these strategies take less than 5 minutes a day, you can do them anywhere, and they are proven to work. I'd love to hear which ones you adopt and which ones you like best. As with any new habit, it can take some time getting used to, so try this on for a few weeks before ruling it out. Please share your comments below on what works best for you and any other tips you have for boosting your happiness.
Share Your Happiness Journey
I would love to hear what strategies you are using to increase your happiness. What brings you the most joy? What's working for you? What has been the best part of making this commitment to happiness?
Please contact me. I can't wait to hear what you are experiencing!
Need Support?
Sometimes starting a new routine or trying to uncover what brings you the most joy can feel overwhelming. And sometimes we just need someone to guide us through the process. You are not alone. Most of my clients feel this way. I am here to partner with you in creating attainable action steps side by side to get you to your desired destination. The first step on that journey is finding your clarity and purpose....and what brings you more joy.
If you need coaching support, please schedule a complimentary Total Transformation Discovery session with me today.
