In this article, we will go into detail about ways that you can become happier and improve your mental health and wellbeing.
Of course, people’s happiness is completely subjective and different circumstances can affect mental health.
However, this article should give you some activities and initiatives that you can try that might just answer that deep question – how to be happy.
Now, we could list 25 things that for a couple of minutes, might just put a smile on your face! – But, we want to give you meaningful initiatives that you can take away and continue to do in your own time that are PROVEN to help you with your mood.
So here are our top 7 things that you can start doing today to answer that question of how do I make myself happier?
Start Reducing The Toxicity In Your Life
Sometimes it can be hard to see it, but having people in your life that don’t lift you up and push you to go further can massively hold you back.
Identifying toxic people in your life can be difficult to do, but taking a step back and looking at things from an outside perspective can help you start to notice patterns and behaviours that make you feel negative.
Emotional attachment, loyalty or fear of confrontation can often create ‘blind spots’ in our perception resulting in us missing these key indicators that you have someone toxic in your life.
It doesn’t have to be extreme – simply just removing people from your life that you know aren’t having a completely positive impact on you is all it takes.
In some cases, it can be more serious – the best way to combat this is to trust your instincts, often if something doesn’t seem right – that’s because it isn’t!
Listen to what other people say, if the closest people around you are all saying the same thing – maybe they’re right.
Establish boundaries and communicate these assertively and limit or cut contact with these people.
If you feel like you are really struggling and it starts to become emotionally abusive, then professional support might be useful – consider contacting something like BetterHelp or the NHS .
Start Finding Purpose
It can be easy to coast along in life with no sense of purpose just going from month to month with no real movement or direction.
This prevents you from having something to focus on, so when you’re not working or doing something you enjoy, you maybe overthink or think negative thoughts, impacting your well-being.
Sit down and think about what you want to achieve in life, where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? What’s your dream job? Where is your dream place to live?
Having all of these things figured out and giving yourself a sense of purpose can massively contribute to lower levels of anxiety and depression .
Find Out Our Top 10 Wellbeing Tips
Prioritise Self-care
Self-care is undeniably important.
Your own self-care should be at the top of your to-do list if you want to be happier, and the beauty of self-care is that it can be done any way you see fit!
Self-care can range from working on your physical fitness, working on your physical appearance, having a night to yourself to relax, going out in nature, watching, or listening to things that make you feel good, practicing gratitude, the list goes on!
Set aside time every day to focus on you and you only, and if you can’t do it daily, at the minimum you should do something every week.
Discover Our Top Self-Care Ideas for 2024
Start Setting Goals
Goals aren’t just for overachievers; they’re for everyone.
Set achievable targets, both short-term and long-term.
Goals give your days direction and purpose, making you feel like you’re moving forward and growing, one step at a time.
Having something to focus on can help to shift your thoughts to something positive when you’re feeling down and can be a great distraction – and that’s without the feeling of satisfaction and achievement when you hit the goals!
Try getting your goals down on paper such as in a journal or in a notepad , you’re 30% more likely to achieve them if you write them down!
Learn More On Setting Goals: The Power of Perseverance, Why You Shouldn’t Give Up On Goals
Reduce Social Media Time
Sure, social media has its perks, but too much can mess with your head and has a significant impact on mental health .
Take breaks and focus on real-life connections.
Cutting down on the virtual noise allows for more genuine interactions, bringing back the joy of being present in the here and now.
It’s no surprise that the majority of the things you see on social media are fake, and at the minimum they only show the good parts of peoples lives which only leads to dark spiral of constantly comparing yourself to others.
Embrace JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)
In a world obsessed with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), it’s time to embrace the joy of missing out on things that don’t really matter to you.
Free up your schedule for what brings you genuine happiness and satisfaction.
It’s all about decluttering your life for a sense of freedom and contentment.
Unless the thing you’re missing out on is going to benefit you in some way – give it a miss and do something productive instead – maybe this gives you time for those self-care days or gives you time to journal or do some exercise!
This is especially beneficial if the thing you’re replacing is a night out drinking!
Start Journaling
Journaling is amazing for self-reflection.
It allows you to set goals, dive into your emotions and figure out why you feel a certain way, track your daily tasks and even complete exercises dedicated to mental health and personal improvement.
Journaling can be one of the single best tools you can use as you are on your path of becoming happier.
The beauty of journaling is that there is no right or wrong, you can do it in your own way and for as little or as long as you like – it’s your own self-care tool to use as you please.
We recommend using a well-structured journal that guides you through all things mental health and still gives complete control and flexibility to the user.
We highly recommend The Self-Improvement Journal as a perfect way to start building long-lasting positive habits get one here .
Find Out How Journaling Benefits Mental Health
Exercise
You don’t need to become a fitness guru, but moving your body regularly is a game-changer.
Exercise releases those feel-good endorphins, reduces anxiety, depression , and helps you sleep better.
Whether it’s a walk, yoga, or hitting the gym, make it a part of your routine for a happier and healthier you.
It doesn’t matter how fit you are, adapt your speed or your intensity to suit you and do what you can whether this is at home or out in nature.
Conclusion
These are just 8 things that can have a huge impact on your physical & mental health and things that you can start implementing into your life today.
Remember, mental health is not a one-size-fits-all and different initiatives will help different people, the trick is to try different things, focus on you and to keep trying to improve yourself every day one step at a time.
We hope we have given you some inspiration in your quest of How to be happy and that the tips we have given you in this article are helpful!
The Improvement Artist
