Google is filled with questions like this and millions of articles sharing information about how to be happy.
I have had my own personal journey that started with me feeling very anxious and sad all of the time. It's through the daily practice of specific habits and practices, that now I feel happy most of the time.
My own observation of myself has revealed to me that it is what I am thinking about and focusing on most of the time that determines how happy I am feeling.
Now you might have heard of various kind of addictions, but did you know that we are also addicted to the way we are accustomed to thinking? If those patterns of thoughts and beliefs don't serve us well, in other words, if those thought patterns make us feel low, sad and anxious that means we need to change them.
Here are my five big steps that you can start taking now that will make a big difference in how you feel.
Get happy by taking responsibility for your happiness - Many times we think it is what is happening to us that is the reason for our unhappiness. It is our not so caring spouse, finances, other peoples behavior or our health that is causing us to feel unhappy. In reality, it is our responsibility to choose happiness for ourselves irrespective of our life circumstances. In fact if you can use the tools below and activate happiness for your self then everything in your life starts to fall into place.
Get happy by focusing on what makes you happy - Simple enough, yet you can't imagine how often I will hear people make excuses for focusing on what is unpleasant. Excuses like, but that is the truth, that is how it is, you are a fool to think otherwise, it's practical to think of the worse case scenario etc. An example to illustrate this is, when you focus on let's say your big mortgage, you feel anxious and stressed. Then you say to your self and others " I feel the burden of this big mortgage" This then cements the thought that " Big mortgages = stress = burden". And then no surprises here, you feel unhappy. As a deliberate creator who understands how the universe works, you could instead focus on the fact that you have a property in your name. You could focus on how you are enjoying your home. You could focus on how the banks allow you to buy and live in such a beautiful house. It would benefit you more if, from that position of gratitude, peace and happiness, you intended to pay off your mortgage easily. You would then most likely say things like " I am so lucky we live in a beautiful home", " I am excited about paying my mortgage each month as it allows me to live in my home", " I look forward to paying off my entire mortgage". In conclusion, one perspective brings you down and one makes you happy. Choose consciously and choose wisely. Don't take your vibrational offering for granted for that is what will get you to where you want to be.
Get happy by nurturing beliefs that serve you well, that makes you feel good and that raise your vibration. Beliefs like " I am lucky", " Only the best happens to me ", " My children are thriving"," The universe has my back" will make you feel good and improve your life. If you want to know how to rework your current beliefs about the world around you, you can read more about it here.
Get happy by staying in the present - When you think about the future, you are thinking of imagined scenarios that have not yet happened and so you are basically prepaving your future. If thinking about the future excites you and motivates you then, it's good for you but when it makes you worried or anxious then try staying in the present. Focus on your breath and how your body is feeling and ground yourself in the now. Similarly when you remember past events that have traumatized you or given you grief then you are lowering your vibration in the present which is not helpful.
Get happy by nurturing the relationship you have with yourself. Feel love for yourself which reflects in the way you talk to yourself, the way you treat yourself and in the way you let others treat you. What you think about yourself is directly proportionate to how happy you are in your life. So prioritize this very important relationship.
These five steps are tried and tested and practicing them will benefit you for the rest of your life. So don't wait. Get happy now. The big bonus of you taking charge of your happiness is that you attract only the best to yourself which in turn makes it even more fun to live the life you have created.
You can reach me at nikky@happydayscoaching.com. I would love to hear about your get happy journey.