Table of contents:
- 1. Laughter
- 2. Be grateful
- 3. Do what you love
- 4. Do something new
- 5. Take time to play
- 6. Don't deny your feelings
- 7. Enjoy the moment
- 8. Go to nature
According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary or KBBI, happiness is a state or feeling of being happy and serene. Even though the word happy people is simple, unfortunately not everyone can interpret simplicity with happiness. However, no matter how people interpret the definition of happiness, in the end, everyone wants to be happy because being happy is a sign that we are grateful for life.
Like the opinion that states that we have control to determine whether we are happy or not, do you believe that you can create happiness yourself?
Here are some ways to increase your sense of happiness that you might implement.
1. Laughter
Laughter is a sign that you are happy. But without realizing it, as you get older, you will laugh less often than when you were a child. According to a study it is known that children laugh about 200 times per day; while adults laugh 15 times per day. Or at least, if you can't laugh, try smiling. Because according to one study, you feel better when you smile; even smiling can reduce stress.
2. Be grateful
Although it may sound trivial, being grateful is a hard thing to do. Often times, bad things that happen can mess up your day; as a result, you will focus more on the bad than the good that happened that day. Yet according to a study, gratitude is one way that can increase feelings of happiness and protect you from stress, anxiety, depression, and negative things.
Being grateful will make you focus more on the good things that happened. Therefore, to increase your gratitude, try to write down things that make you grateful.
3. Do what you love
The surest thing to make you happy is to do what you love. Starting your day with positive things or fun activities every morning can increase your feelings of happiness for the day.
4. Do something new
Often times, your feeling less happy is because you are getting bored with the routine you are doing. Therefore, do something new. When you notice something new, you will focus on the present moment that can increase feelings of happiness. Start with something simple, like going to a new place.
5. Take time to play
Busyness often makes you tired and makes you a more sensitive person. Therefore, no matter how busy the day you have to live, take your time to play with the people you care about. Because you deserve to be happy, and you will happily go through the days, including making your work lighter.
6. Don't deny your feelings
Maybe you often ignore your feelings of fear, resentment, or sadness just to show other people that you are okay. In fact, you actually spend more energy ignoring your feelings.
It is better if you accept what you are feeling and then look for ways to overcome it; one of them is by writing down what you are feeling in writing. According to one study, people who write about their emotions tend to feel less depressed and more positive about life.
7. Enjoy the moment
Most of the time, you are stuck in a bad past; or even trapped in a hope for the future which actually leads to worries about an uncertain future and makes you less happy. Therefore, live in the present; because the past is only behind you and the future still doesn't know it is.
So, instead of worrying about the past and future, enjoy life now while doing your best for realizing true happiness in the future.
8. Go to nature
Nature always gives surprises through sights that always spoil the eye; especially going to the outdoors such as the beach or mountains, can help you reduce stress and increase feelings of happiness. Nature can also help remind you that you are just a tiny creature on this planet so that it can make you more grateful for living your life.
