Finding happiness can come in many shapes and forms. And I often wonder what paints a picture of happiness? While traveling through Europe I found a field of sunflowers and it brought about a feeling of happiness and freedom that I have never forgotten.
We all have many versions about what it means to be happy. However if I told you that according to one article by The Telegraph UK only 3 out of 10 people feel happy with their lives, where would you fit into this equation?
The importance on finding your happiness lies in your expectations of life. So unless you suffer from Cherophobia which is a fear of happiness there is no reason to feel down. Most of us have all the life essentials and commodities we need, so why do so many people still feel stuck in life and uninspired?
What does happiness mean to you?
Happiness is the first step to understanding what you want in life. Whether you value relationships, money or success, your picture of happiness is unique.
During challenging times, it is easy to fall victim to what is happening around us and if we are not careful, it can lead us to a pit of emptiness. Unless you have recently gone through a rough life cycle or tragic event, it’s important to understand and question why you feel sad.
Perhaps you feel lost, unmotivated, depressed or confused about the direction of your life. If so then you might find our post on finding clarity helpful. Better still we have put together a self-reflection guide to happiness, which we are currently offering to our readers for a limited time. Simply sign up to our Newsletter and we will send you the workbook guide. With uplifting information and techniques, you’ll find it a helpful tool to building positive habits.
Happiness is a habit
Finding happiness in life can be as simple as finding peacefulness in a moment when you forget about your worries. Sometimes this can be when you are around children or having a great time with friends. They say life happens when you least expect it and this is generally the case. When you feel present in the moment you are in the flow of life, this is what I call my happiness.
Our emotional state can affect many aspects of our life therefore it is important to know that happiness is a habit. Yes you heard correct. You can train yourself to be happy and although it feels false at first, you’ll soon see it actually works. In the same way you have fallen into a bit of a rut, through habit, you can train yourself to be happy. With the same amount of effort.
Maybe it is time for that black cloud, sitting just above your head to blow away. Be mindful in your daily tasks and appreciate all the things you currently have. Some simple techniques used to train yourself to be happy can be found in our Self-reflection guide to happiness.
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” Thich Nhat Hanh
Reasons why you feel unhappy or stuck?
Each one of us is wired a little differently, so there are many reasons why people feel stuck or unhappy. These can relate to an unhappy marriage or relationship, maybe you don’t like the way you look or you are questioning your life purpose. Perhaps you want a family, a life partner, or financial abundance, but you just don’t see the wheels in motion.
The thing is happiness is not a destination, so you shouldn’t necessarily think that once one thing comes along, all your worries will be over. That is just not true, because with it will come other things, worries and doubts. Remember back to a time when you felt that you really wanted something. Maybe you brought yourself an expensive gift or got into a new relationship with the one you’d been crushing on for ages. How did you feel afterwards, didn’t other feelings of sadness or unhappiness return in other ways?
Dealing with the real issue, AKA your emotions & thoughts
Ah did someone say emotions? While most of us run from trying to face our truths, thoughts or feelings, there is no easy way out. The good news however, once you admit to what you really want and acknowledge your behaviours or patterns towards it by putting yourself in question, then you will overcome the issue before you. It will take time, patience and perseverance but if you manage to stay consistent, guess what… You will grow past it.
Simple steps to finding healthy happiness habits
- Practice gratitude
- Set aside time for you. Maybe improve some of your skills, make time for catch up with quality friends or just spend some time grounding yourself in nature.
- Build on your confidence by writing your own positive affirmations
- Push away negative self-talk. Train yourself to be consciously aware each time you tell yourself no or doubt your abilities. The only restrictions we have are the ones that we place on ourselves. Don’t deny yourself before you even begin. Challenge any negative thoughts, acknowledge where they come from. For example; maybe you feel you are too old to change career. Were you told this by someone or is it just you conforming to what society says? Dig a little deeper and I am sure you will find it stems from a false belief that has no place in your life.
- Make it a daily habit to notice the good in the world
- Focus on happy thoughts and memories in order to boost your mood
- Shift your perception towards what you want rather than what you don’t have
- Find clarity in your life purpose. This is what most of us crave and when we feel stuck, it normally has to do with not knowing our purpose in life.
Simple daily routines for a happy life
- Have time out from social media, TV and anything that can bring you down. With so much information coming into our lives through so many different channels sometimes it can be overwhelming. Knowing what to take in and what to let go of is important.
- Protecting your energy by having a cleanse every now and then will benefit you immensely.
- Buy into things and experiences that will enrich you
- Try shifting your focus. Make it about donating goods or time to others or creating long-term goals to work towards
- Shift your perception towards what you want rather than what you don’t have
- Stop procrastination and ignoring your feelings or problems. Most of us shy away from things that make us feel pain or even uncertainty. Maybe because it makes us feel vulnerable or lost. These feelings however help us to grow and evolve. By ignoring re-occurring issues in our lives we are only doing ourselves an injustice. This could also go hand in hand with always blaming others or using the situation as an excuse for your unhappiness
- Being accountable for your actions, thoughts and feelings. When we make ourselves accountable, it changes the bigger picture. It is each one of us stepping up to make positive changes in the direction we want to go in
- Don’t compare yourself to others or even judge yourself for how you feel. Simply just be and listen to yourself
Now that you have more clarity on what happiness is and how to apply it to your life, hopefully you can create healthy habits for yourself.
Whether you have self-inflicted feelings or judgements from past experiences or disappointments, know that you will overcome these feelings of being stuck or unhappy.
Sometimes professional guidance or simply talking to a friend or someone who understands can be a source of light for us. Remember this, we all go through periods in life where we feel lost or confused. Sometimes it is a part of our path to discover ourselves and sometimes it just means we need to address certain things. Either way by offering yourself love, support and dedicating time to work through your feelings, you can overcome it.
The true secret of happiness lies in the taking a genuine interest in the details of daily life. -William Morris
Stop waiting to find happiness in things or for a firing gun to go off to start, and make a change to your routine today.
P.S Don’t forget to sign up to our Newsletter and take advantage of your free downloadable Self-reflection guide book. Then send us an email and we will send you an email with the free workbook.
