16 Ways to Feel Happier

How to Make Every Day More Joyful and Happy

Because happiness is recognized as a basic human right, the United Nations declared March 20 as the International Day of Happiness. This day is celebrated worldwide, and it’s a thoughtful initiative considering stress is a worldwide problem. So, if you’re feeling stressed or unhappy, here’s a day when you can officially put the brakes on stress and claim yourself happy and stress-free. By why stop there? Shouldn’t we feel that way all of the time, or even most of the time?

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A Note About Stress

Believe it or not, stress can be both good and bad for us. Good stress can be described as the stress we feel just before a big date or when we’re trying to convince the boss that we deserve a raise. This type of stress is short-term; it gives us energy, increases adrenaline, quickens the mind and spurs us into taking action. Bad stress is chronic stress—the kind that plagues us on a daily and ongoing basis. It could come from an unhappy relationship, money worries or chronic job stress. Both good and bad stress can affect us internally and even externally, but bad stress (stress we feel we can’t avoid) can cause a whole host of problems such as metabolic syndrome which can be associated with high blood pressure, insulin resistance and obesity. It’s even been tied to external issues such as rosacea and eczema.

But there are many things we can do to counteract those stressors, including finding ways to feel happier. Here are some tips to feel happier any time, any day, and every day. Adopt just a few of these short-term and long-term happiness habits and you’ll change your life for the better.

Short-Term Happiness

There are many things you can do to boost your mood instantly. Here are a few of my favorite:

1. Turn on some uplifting, happy music.
2. Call a funny friend and let them make you laugh (even at yourself).
3. Get some fresh air and a little sun to boost your mood and vitamin D levels.
4. Take a catnap. You just need 20 minutes to feel refreshed and revitalized.
5. Play with a pet for some unconditional love.
6. Do something nice for someone else.
7. Pamper and beautify yourself. Get a manicure or take a luxurious bath.

Long-Term Happiness

Don’t neglect your overall happiness and well-being. If you start today, you’ll enjoy the long-term benefits. Try some of these tips:

1. Learn to let go. You can’t control everything around you, so why stress yourself out trying to.
2. Schedule regular breaks. Take 10 or 15 minutes a few times a day to walk away from your desk and decompress.
3. Banish clutter. A mess can bring you down. Get rid of what you don’t need.
4. Take a tech break. Turn off your phone, laptop and tablet at the same time every night.
5. Make grateful statements. When you express gratitude, you lift your energetic vibration.
6. Get regular exercise. Those feel-good endorphins will boost your mood.
7. Have sex. Release more of those feel-good chemicals.
8. Regulate sleep in order to regenerate the mind, body and soul.
9. Get organized. Know where your stuff is so you won’t lose your mind looking for it.

Your happiness is really important to your overall well-being. If you try these tips, you’ll notice a difference in your mood and chances are, so will the people around you.