Well Being

5 min read

10 Ways to Make Yourself Happy Every Day

Ideas to help you experience happiness even when it seems lost.

As with almost all of my posts, I come here to write this one as a form of therapy for myself. I’d been doing well until recently, I found myself quite miserable for an extended period of time.

After much introspection, which is still continuing, by the way, I realized some ways that would help me make myself happy.

Happiness is within you, right? But, when it seems lost, I think there are some things that I can do to bring it to the surface, slowly and steadily. I’m sure that they will help you out too. Let’s begin.

10 Ways to Make Yourself Happy

Embrace your emotions
Do what is true to you
Feel grateful when you can
Stop comparing yourself to others
Forgive yourself for your past
Don’t isolate yourself
Leave what doesn’t serve you
Prioritize your health
Do small acts of kindness every day
Celebrate the little joys of life

1. Embrace your emotions

You feel what you feel, there’s no way around that. Forcing yourself to feel a certain way will clash your current state with your intended one, leading you to be neither here nor there.

The first step is to accept how you are as you are in any state of emotion (see how I started this post by telling you how I felt). Let your tears run, don’t fake a smile, and don’t laugh when it’s not natural. To be truly happy, you have to be truly happy.

2. Do what is true to you

What matters to you? What would you do if there were no self-inflicted obstacles in your way? What are the values in your life? And, do you speak up for yourself? Do you voice your discomfort or denial when you should? Do you let your friends know when you don’t have the mental energy to show up for something?

It takes courage to live the life that you want to. You have to take risks and face fear to be what you need to be. I’ve heard countless regrets from people over the years for not doing what they could. And, curiously, they still don’t do that. It’s easier to complain. Be who you truly are, and honor the values in your life.

3. Feel grateful when you can

I know, on sad days, gratitude doesn’t come so easily, so don’t force yourself. I just want to tell you that gratitude is not always joyous and celebratory, it can sometimes just be acknowledging a little good thing.

For example, yesterday I wrote in my gratitude journal: “Weather is nice today.” That’s it. It didn’t suddenly change my mood, but it was nice to appreciate something that was going well around me.

Today, I look back on it and smile knowing that yesterday had a little beautiful charm to it.

4. Stop comparing yourself to others

Having others inspire you with their lives is one thing, but making their success your loss is not fair by any standards. You have not lived their lives. They haven’t lived yours. Spend this energy on learning and becoming what you want instead of disempowering yourself.

5. Forgive yourself for your past

Are you still holding on to the mistakes that you made in the past? If you have done all you could to redeem yourself, your guilt has served its purpose.

Continuing it is the same as heating the food even when it’s ready to eat, it’ll only get burnt. Move on from your past, you deserve it.

6. Don’t isolate yourself

I firmly believe that no one in this world has ever done anything on their own. I’m typing this down on my laptop that was designed, packed, ordered, and shipped by different people. This writing software was made by other people. I learned English from my teachers.

So, while the credit to this post is mine, there were many involved in making it happen. Similarly, independence doesn’t mean not asking for help when you should. It doesn’t mean that you reject support when it could really help in making you feel better sooner.

Crying and confiding in my thoughts to my mother this morning made me capable of writing in the evening. There is strength in trusting someone, don’t confuse it with weakness. You’re not in this alone.

7. Leave what doesn’t serve you

In the first point, I advised you to do what is true to you. This also means that you walk away from people, situations, systems, and choices that don’t empower you anymore. Don’t do things to please others. Shaping your behavior and responses to fit someone else’s won’t make you happy.

It is okay and encouraged to try where it is needed, but when you know it will only go downhill or stay as it was, and that doesn’t serve your well-being, choose to let go. Again, it’s not convenient or comfortable, but if it is good for you, you know what to do.

Similarly, if you have some disempowering habits, choose to change them. Whether it is overthinking, being too focused on the past or future, always looking to improve without appreciating what is, or anything else.

8. Prioritize your health

Nothing is more important than your health, not money, not relationships, not your career. When we have something in plenty, we forget that it might run out someday if we’re not careful.

Your body and mind are connected. Your mental health is a part of your physical health. Shape your lifestyle so that your health receives what it needs.

Lucky are those who have a healthy body, and wise are those who know that their choices keep it that way.

9. Do small acts of kindness every day

There is joy in giving joy. Doing good feels good too. Every day, try to do something nice, no matter how little, for someone.

It could just be putting your arm around your friend’s shoulder and giving them a big smile, encouraging someone when they doubt themselves, or helping out someone with their chores.

As you empower others, you also empower yourself.

10. Celebrate the little joys of life

Life is full of little wonders for the ones who pay attention. We are so busy with things to do that we rarely stop to look around. Let’s be where we are more and be excited about little things.

If you’re walking down the street, instead of having your head down, your thoughts running as you tread fast, look around. Maybe there’s a flower growing in between stones, maybe there’s a bird chirping, maybe a dog walked past you, maybe someone laughed, maybe the sky has painted itself in different colors.

These little experiences are what make life rich. Let’s celebrate them as much as we can.

And, that’s all! These were my 10 tips for you to make yourself happy in life. Being happy for life doesn’t mean that there will never be sorrow, but that even in the hard times, there will be hope and belief that there is happiness that always exists and will soon be felt again.

Thanks for being here. I wish you a happy life!

👉 Continue reading:

9 Tips to Stop Being a People Pleaser and Respect Yourself

Image with list of 10 ways to make yourself happy

Aarushi Tewari

The writer and affirmations speaker at Gratitude, Aarushi believes that one of the most effective ways of feeling inner peace is by being grateful and having a loving self-relationship.