Daily happiness is basically a mindset you can choose – and train yourself to embrace. You can start with these 11 simple tips to find more joy in your life.
Some days it’s easier to find happiness than others.
But every day you get to decide how you think and respond to whatever is going on around you.
Your mission: Learn to make “happiness” your daily default setting.
Consider this article your beginner’s guide to daily happiness.
12 Simple Tips To Find Daily Happiness
1. Do a Shower Power Meditation
Take a shower and multi-task washing away your stress and fears. Concentrate on the feel of the water upon your skin.
Envision the power of the shower washing away your negative thoughts! Whoosh! Next, envision fear, regret, and anger soaping off you and swirling down the drain.
2. Send the Universe Some “Muah!”
Gratitude is often the antidote to depression. And that’s a researched fact.
A study done by the University of California showed that when people took time each day to think about five things that made them happy, they increased their overall joy and improved some health issues as well.
With this in mind, send five “muahs!” to the universe. Literally.
Think up something you’re grateful about, then pucker up and blow the universe a kiss! Then do it again!
Appreciate. Blow a kiss. Repeat. Appreciate. Blow a kiss. Repeat.
3. Smile More
It might sound obvious, but smiling more will ensure that you’re a happier person. For starters, you will naturally put yourself in a better mood. Perhaps more importantly, people around you will react positively.
It may take a conscious effort to make yourself smile more often at the start, but it’ll soon come naturally. If dental health problems currently stop you from smiling due to discomfort or self-conscious feelings, it’s vital that you act now. A sedation dentist is the best choice for any patient with anxiety. Once your treatments are complete, you’ll feel ready to start smiling once more.
Added Bonus: As well as investing in your smile, you should spend time perfecting your pose. It will naturally make you want to show it off!
4. Sniff Your Way to a Happier Mood
Studies from the University of Miami School of Medicine report that lavender is a major olfactory happiness tool—shown to improve mood, soothe anxiety, and even help to reduce some physical pains.
If you don’t have lavender around your home, grab a bottle of Vanilla Extract from your kitchen cabinet. Investing in essential oils and a diffuser will be great for your overall wellness. There are also essential oil bracelets that you can wear and still smell the scent wherever you go.
This yummy scent is also considered a powerful aromatherapy happiness booster.
Added Bonus: Studies also show the scent of vanilla arouses men, so considered yourself forewarned!
5. Get Doodle Happy
Grab some magic markers and doodle lots of heart icons. Big heart doodles. Small heart doodles. Give some of the heart doodles smiley faces.
The silliness of this doodling action combined with the repeated visual stimuli of seeing icons representing love will cheer you up.
Extra Feel Good Bonus: Doodle your heart icons on a plain white card and mail it to a friend/loved one with a note expressing your adoration of them
6. Stare at something yellow.
“Yellow can lift your spirits and self-esteem,” says color psychologist Angela Wright. I suppose that’s why the famous “smiley face icon” is yellow!
So say hello to something yellow!
Put on a yellow shirt. Buy some yellow flowers.
I’ve included a yellow quote poster in this section of this article on daily happiness. Feel free to download it and use it as mobile wallpaper so you have something yellow to look at on a daily basis!
7. Walk on something green.
Being surrounded by nature is good for human nature.
Go take a hike – or go for a stroll in the park.
8. Say “ohmmmmm.”
Give yourself the gift of five minutes of quiet time, sitting in a comfortable position, humming “ohmmmmmm.”
Studies show the sound of this vibrating in your throat relaxes your body—even warming up the skin a bit.
I share more about the power of “ommm” and other mantras in my book Instant Calm.
9. Organize your home/office
You’ll wind up cleaning up messy thoughts in the process.
It’s a funny thing how the less clutter you have all around you, the more calm your mind becomes.
Here’s a help article about the benefits of decluttering your home.
10. Silence is an awesome teacher.
Journal your way to helpful insights and solutions.
Because there’s some questions even Google cannot answer!
I’m a huge fan of journaling. I’ve joked that journaling is a way to “take selfies of your soul” – because journaling allows you to get closer to who you are and how you feel and what you want in life.
I love journaling so much that I created a special Instant Happy Journal – with lots of thought-provoking happiness prompters.
11. Give yourself a helpful hand
Try some hand reflexology. Massage the chakra points on your palms – right at the base of each thumb.
They match up with your adrenal glands, which need a little loving attention when you’re stressed/depressed.
Hold one hand in the other, then use the pad of your thumb to gently but firmly massage this zone.
I share more about the power of massaging specific touch points in my book Instant Calm.
12. Give someone else a helping hand
Studies show that doing acts of altruism and kindness create an instant happy mood boomerang – raising the serotonin in the giver as well as the receiver of these actions of love.
Interestingly, studies show that even observing someone else do something kind can increase one’s own happiness levels.
There’s even an expression for this called “Helper High.”
With this “Helper’s High” in mind, feel free to share this list of happiness tools with others – and give yourself an “instant happy” for knowing you might be improving someone’s day!
Enjoy More Daily Happiness
I’ve filled the pages of this Instant Happy Journal with what I call “happiness prompters” – a range of motivational quotes, thought-provoking questions, scientific research studies, soul-stirring philosophical thoughts etc –
Each page’s “happiness prompter” is meant to inspire you to reflect and focus on where the most joy can be found.
This journal also has fill-in dates so you can reflect and write at your own pace. Feel free to write either in the morning (to set an intention) or at day’s end (to share a reflection).
P.S. Before you zip off to your next Internet pit stop, check out these 2 game changers below - that could dramatically upscale your life.
1. Check Out My Book On Enjoying A Well-Lived Life: It’s called "Your To Die For Life: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret Before Your Time Runs Out." Think of it as your life’s manual to cranking up the volume on joy, meaning, and connection. Learn more here.
2. Life Review Therapy - What if you could get a clear picture of where you are versus where you want to be, and find out exactly why you’re not there yet? That’s what Life Review Therapy is all about.. If you’re serious about transforming your life, let’s talk. Book a FREE consult call here.
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