1. Be present
When you’re constantly living in the future or the past, it is no wonder you find it hard to be happy. Whether it is dwelling over the events of the past or worrying about the future, you’re still not living in the present moment.
So try to be more consciously aware of when you’re doing this and bring yourself back to the present. Focus on your surroundings and observe the things happening around you to help you stay in the present.
2. Learn to be comfortable in your own skin
For a lot of people, unhappiness can come from a place of insecurity. Which not only contributes to unhappiness but also leads to other feelings of worthlessness, anxiety and even depression. So learn to be comfortable in your own skin and confident in who you are as a person.
It is important to not only constantly reinforce your own confidence in yourself but also do things that make you feel confident. Stop picking out all the flaws in your body, wear clothes that you like, don’t underestimate yourself or rob yourself of experiences because you internally feel like you don’t deserve them or won’t excel in them.
You can have a look at our in-depth article on 9 steps to stop being insecure for good.
3. Indulge in self-care
Self-care is an amazing way to help you instantly feel better and happier. Take a long bath, give yourself a facial, partake in yoga or other workouts. Do something to take care of yourself. When we feel calm and looked after, we become happier. Working out is also a great way to release endorphins and dopamine – happy hormones yay!
4. Find hobbies you actually enjoy
Whether you want to learn how to cook, play an instrument or even learn a new language, hobbies are great to have. Pick something fun and unique that you don’t have much exposure to from before and see how that works for you. Besides if you don’t try something new, how will you know if it’s for you or not?
If you already have a hobby that has won you over, try to make more time to do that hobby.
5. Eliminate the things in your life that bring you down
Whether it’s people or projects, if it is affecting your mental health and harming you, it’s not worth it. Some things like an extra rough week or month at work are things you can just brave through. But if it is something permanent or you hate everything about it (like your job or study major) then don’t pursue it.
It’s the same with toxic people that make you feel unhappy or negative. Life is too short to carry along the things that no longer serve us.
6. Learn to manage your time
Lack of happiness can come from a place of lack of time management. When we procrastinate a lot and fall behind on all our responsibilities, the burden and guilt from that can weigh us down. This is why it is important to manage your time. If you’re on top of all the things you’re supposed to be getting done you’ll feel a lot more relieved and stress-free in general.
Read our article on how to quit procrastinating once and for all to help you with time management.
7. Spend designated time in places you’re happiest
Are you happiest in the library? Do you feel most at home in nature? Wherever it is, make time to go there. Designate time specifically to go to the places where you’re the happiest. Try to do only things that make you feel happy when you’re there so you don’t accidentally start associating your favourite place with negative emotions from doing things you don’t enjoy.
8. Give back
It is one thing to give with money but it is another thing to give back with time. So give back to your community or humanity with your time. Consider doing volunteer work, help out in charities and community service events. You could work at an animal shelter or take part in charity events. By giving back to humanity, not only will you learn to be more grateful but you’ll give yourself the chance to open up about what’s going around you and understand the world better.
9. Choose kindness
Being kind pays off. Not only does it make you feel better about yourself when you’re kind to the world but it also contributes to making you a better person in the long run. So pick kindness when you can.
10. Make other people happy
Many people say they feel the happiest when they’re making other people happy. So do exactly that. Make other people laugh and give back to your loved ones. You might be surprised by how much happiness you get just from trying to make other people happy.
Have a look at our article on the 5 love languages to try and understand your loved ones better in order to make them the happiest.
11. Put yourself out of your comfort zone
By putting yourself out of your comfort zone, not only do you help get over some of your fears but you’re also giving yourself a chance to grow. Only when we step out of our comfort zones is when we really blossom. You’ll experience things you like and things you don’t like and you’ll be happier for the lessons and the confidence you gained.
12. Calm your mind
Meditation is a great way to calm your mind and your thoughts that will help you improve your focus and your emotional management long term. If you struggle with a lot of intense emotions that interfere with your focus and productivity, you might want to consider practising manifestation and mindfulness. By practising meditation, you can adopt a much more positive outlook on life.
If you want to learn more in detail about meditation and how to do it properly have a look at our article on meditation to help calm your mind.
13. Work on yourself as a person
When you’re trying to work on better yourself as a person, you’ll be happier with all the amazing results that you see on your journey of self-development. You’ll be more confident and see improvements in all aspects of your life from career to relationships. Who wouldn’t be happy with that?
Read our article on 21 powerful ways to become a better person to get started with this.
14. Fall in love with yourself
People come and go. But the only person you have with you for the rest of your life…is yourself. That is why, the love you have for yourself, is the most important love of all. There is no better way to find fulfilment in our lives and in ourselves than learning to be our own friends. When you learn to love yourself, you live a much happier, comfortable and calm life.
15. Find time to get active
Working out and getting your heart rate up increases the secretion of endorphins and dopamine – happy hormones. So a great way to work on being happier is by incorporating more and more exercise into your schedule. One of the most famous “feel good” workouts is running – thanks to the “runner’s high”.
Want to know how to become a runner? Have a read on our ultimate guide on how to become a runner for beginners!
A final note on mental health
While these are all great ways to help you become happier in general, sometimes it is more complicated than that. If you find that doing none of these ways help you become happier, it might be time to consult a professional. It is possible you could be suffering from a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, PTSD etc. Which can contribute to your feelings of unhappiness.
If you feel that your past is something you’re not able to work through or let go it is also time to seek out professional help to get assistance in trying to heal any trauma or old wounds.
Depression is very serious and if paired with suicdal thoughts/tendencies it is crucial you seek out immediate help.
