7 Daily Practices for Happiness

7 Daily Practices for Happiness

I often receive the question, “What do you do to be so happy?” Here are 7 that I do every day.

Information taken from:

• Feeling Good: 35 Proven Ways to Happiness, Even During Tough Times and
• Feeling Good with Dr. Peggy online mental health program

1. Allow myself to feel painful emotions (Ch. 17 Allow Yourself to Feel Unwanted and Painful Emotions)

• There is no such thing as a “negative” emotion. All feelings are valid and need to be felt, expressed, and regulated so that you control your emotions and they do not control you.
• When we do not allow ourselves to feel, we become numb. Then we unwittingly numb ourselves to joy.

2. Get Outside in Nature (Ch. 2 Get Outside in Nature)

• Social benefits
• Physical benefits
• Emotional benefits
• Cognitive benefits
• Immune functioning benefits

3. Exaggerate the Good/find things to be grateful for (Ch. 27 Develop a Gratitude Mindset)

• Notice and pay attention to simple things that bring you joy and exaggerate them
• It starts as focused intention, and then your brain starts to do the rest for you as new neural pathways are formed when you do this on a regular basis
• Seek it out. Look for simple things and exaggerate or highlight in the beginning, if necessary.

4. Get adequate sleep (Ch. 29 Practice Self-Care)

• Pick a schedule that works for you
• Sleep is related to mood, mental health, frustration tolerance, ability to concentrate and pay attention

5. Don’t take things personally (Ch. 19 Don’t Take Things Personally)

• Acknowledge that for most people, it is a daily practice
• What other people say and do is not about you
• Read the chapter Don’t Take Anything Personally in The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

6. Be creative (Ch. 4 Be Creative)

• Being creative helps to induce relaxation
• Could take on a different form every day
• Crafts with a repetitive motion help to achieve a meditative state
• Think about what brought you joy in childhood
• Keep it simple

7. Connect with people (Ch. 8 Connect with People)

• The quality of our relationships is the #1 predictor of happiness
• All relationships matter (partner, friends, family, coworkers, strangers)
• All connection matters. There’s no such thing as “small talk.”

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