Do More of What Makes You Happy

Think about the last time you felt happy, what were you doing in that moment? What things in your life make you feel happiness? Mental health is something that we all have, whether or not we are taking the time to consciously think about it or not. When we search for answers to the question ‘how to be happy?’ there are so many different ideas out there without one seemingly clear path. There is lots of information available on the things we should be doing to support good mental health which in turn may increase our happiness. But are we taking enough time to consider the things that we know make us happy? There are so many different ideas and areas of research on the topic of happiness. With Positive Psychology, and the Science of Happiness, self-help books, and the media promoting its own image of happiness, we can become lost in information and unsure of what we really should be doing in order to feel happy. Maybe a good place to get started is by utilizing the things that we already know.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, let’s focus on the things we love as we discuss happiness and consider how to be happier! There are lots of great resources on the topic of happiness with endless ideas to explore, some of our favourites that helped inspire this post will be included at the end. Taking the time to think about what makes us happy can be an enjoyable activity in and of itself. By implementing strategies to make our own happiness a priority we can find ways to make being happy a regular part of our everyday routine.

Being happier impacts all areas of our lives and is linked to improved physical well being as well as emotional wellbeing. Most of us want to feel happier and set goals for ourselves with the intention of creating better, more fulfilling lives that will contribute to our own happiness. Doing things that we enjoy is good for our emotional wellbeing and can contribute to an increased sense of achievement. While there are incredible benefits from making big lifestyle changes to support better mental health, such as making daily exercise a part of your routine, doing smaller things that make us feel good can also have a big impact on our wellbeing.

What things we do to make us feel happy are incredibly individual and can include a variety of different activities. We can probably easily come up with two or three things that we know make us happy. By taking a little bit of extra time to consider what makes us feel good, brings us joy, increases our energy, or that we simply find fun to do, we can come up with more ideas of the things we would like to dedicate more time to. These could include spending time with a friend, watching a favourite show, practicing a hobby, or taking a hot shower. It doesn’t matter what these activities are, it's simply about considering what makes us happy so we can make more space for these things in our lives.

Making more space for enjoyment in our daily lives can happen in many different ways. Consider what makes the most sense for you and try to find ways to incorporate more happiness into your day. Create enjoyable daily rituals that can easily become a part of your daily routine. Taking more time to notice and savor small pleasures that you experience can be helpful to recognize what makes you feel happy. This could be something like listening to an audiobook on your commute or giving yourself the time to linger over your morning cup of coffee. Whether or not you already have a list of things that you know make you happy, taking extra time to be mindful as you go through your day can help you appreciate the good things in your life more. If you aren’t sure of how to start, try reliving some happy memories. Whatever these may include, be creative and choose ways that you can find time to include more moments of happiness into your life.

Here are some ideas from our list of what makes us happy to help you get started on your own:

- Sharing a meal with friends and family

- Pushing yourself through a hard workout

- Going for a walk and taking in the season

- Waking up early and getting a head start to the day

- Learning more about things that interest you - books, articles, videos, and podcasts!

- Disconnecting and spending a lazy afternoon in the company of someone you love

This Valentine’s Day think about the things you love and what brings joy and happiness into your life! If you are interested in exploring more information on this topic here are some resources that guided this post:

GretchenRubin.com

Pursuit-of-Happiness.org

Cultivating Happiness (article)

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