Sadly, many of us grew up in households where affection between parents wasn’t openly expressed, but this doesn’t mean that a fulfilling life is out of reach. For guidance, this article offers insights into how you can cultivate your own happiness and create a life full of meaning and joy.
Be Optimistic
There’s nothing that will put a damper on joy faster than a bad attitude. Forty-seven percent of people are either very or somewhat optimistic, notes the SCAL. However, we still need to be more optimistic, as this will help us to think positively about our futures.
Be Purpose-Driven
When our lives have a purpose, it makes it easier for us to find happiness and fulfillment. So, when you consider getting a new job, starting a family, or looking for a house to buy, think about why you want to do these things. Then, as you complete them, you will achieve true satisfaction.
Look After Yourself
Being happy with your body image will make you have a more positive outlook on life. A great way to look after yourself is by going to the gym. Joining a gym is a great way for you to motivate yourself; it’s not just a way to keep your body healthy, but your mind.
Be Compassionate
When something doesn’t go right in life, don’t beat yourself up about it. Being kind to yourself is an important step to achieving happiness. Be kind and compassionate with yourself, especially when you’re going through a tough time. Learn to laugh at the mistakes you make and move on.
Get Enough Sleep
Frontiers agrees that there is a correlation between how much sleep we get and our happiness. In a study that monitored this correlation, the average sleep duration explained 30% of the variance in happiness. So, if we want to feel good, the first step is getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night as adults.
Be Honest
Honesty is key for a partnership to work. So don’t shy away from expressing how you feel to your partner. Have open conversations about how the relationship is going and what you need from each other. Then work together to make the needed changes and thus strengthen your bond.
Give
It’s often said that the act of giving makes us happier than receiving. So doing things for others, including your partner, will make you feel more content in your life. Giving doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money. Giving your time is often better than giving physical gifts.
Be Realistic
While we want everything to go well in life, we have to be realistic and recognize that we’ll have slip-ups and setbacks. But if we’re mentally prepared for these, there will be no need for them to get us down. We can pick ourselves back up immediately and start back on the track to happiness.
Know Yourself
You must go through a type of auto-analysis to decide what you want out of life and how you can get it. Once you know yourself, look for someone who will make you happy because they want the same things out of life as you do. Don’t settle for anything less.
Be Cautious
Falling head over heels with someone is exciting. Right from the get-go, you want to let them into your life and tell them everything there is to know about you. But hold back a little until you’re sure you are with the right person. Protect your heart by being cautious about how much you share before things get serious.
Appreciate the Little Things
Life’s little pleasures can make us happy if we stop and concentrate on them. Think about the joy and relaxed feeling you get when walking through a park, looking at a sunset, or even serving yourself a hot coffee. Loving the little things will make your life happier.
Don’t Blame Yourself
When things don’t go according to plan, many of us have the tendency to blame ourselves for everything bad that happens. Accepting responsibility is important for us to learn from our mistakes, but we must also recognize that we’re not solely to blame for what went wrong.]
Love Yourself
You can only begin to feel happy around others if you feel happy within yourself and truly love yourself. 78% of people think their self-love is not as good as others’, according to statistics from Gitnux. So, the majority of us need to work on loving ourselves more.
Don’t Be a Perfectionist
Expecting perfection from yourself will quickly sap you of your joy. Do you set unreasonable expectations for yourself? Then you’re not alone. The Hardin Group says that 92 percent of people (yes, you read that number correctly) struggle with some form of perfectionism. But we need to be aware of our limitations.
Make Goals
Setting goals and making a plan are essential ways to ensure we find happiness in life. But not enough of us are doing this. In fact, numerous studies have shown that only three percent of the population sets goals, and only about one percent actually writes them down, reports business leader John Kapeleris on LinkedIn.
Don’t Wait
Many of us wait out difficult situations and put up with negative circumstances in the hope that there will be a silver lining. But more often than not, waiting just ends in more suffering. Instead of waiting for your circumstances to improve, actively change your situation and get on the fast track to happiness.
Focus On the Future
Spending too much time mulling over past relationships, thinking about the things you did wrong, or meditating on a tragic childhood isn’t healthy. Instead of looking back at the bad things you’ve been through, concentrate on the future and the good times that await you.
Open Up
We all need friends, and for a friendship to grow or a romantic relationship to strengthen, there has to be vulnerability. That means you have to open up to your friends and partner about how you feel. When you’re not happy about something, don’t bottle up your feelings.