How To Make Yourself Happy

There is no secret formula to happiness that can apply for everyone.  Each of us is a unique individual and the path to being happy is different for every single one of us.  If we want to be truly happy, we must take charge of our own happiness and find out what makes us happy.

But the following pointers are simple common sense guidelines as to the directions that you may want to explore.  They work very well for me, and I'm sure that they are relevant and useful for many of you reading this.  But do remember that happiness does take a little work, but if you keep at it, you will find that being happy becomes the norm rather than the exception.


Happiness Is A State Of Mind

Volumes can be written about happiness being a state of mind and how to achieve it.  But I think, for most people, it can be simply an act of will.  It is simply a decision to be happy, pure and simple.  From this moment on, make the decision that you will be happy, despite whatever unhappy events that might happen in the future.

There will be temporary setbacks and there will be times in which you feel unhappy, but remember that happiness is not an all or nothing game.  Everybody is unhappy sometimes, the trick is to make sure that you are happy more than you are unhappy.


The Glass Is Half Full And Not Half Empty

There is always a silver lining to every cloud.  You just have to consciously choose to see the positive side of things rather than the negative.  If you have always tended to see the negative, this might take some serious unlearning on your part.  But remember, it is your happiness that is at stake.

If you are fired from your job, you can choose to look at it as a sign of your incompetence, or you can look at it as an opportunity to work for an employer more appreciative of your skills.  But being realistic of your talents is also a factor here, but that is the subject of another hub.

Or if you have just broken up with your boyfriend, be happy that you get to watch your soap operas and love stories uninterrupted, without him telling you that he wants to watch something called sports, which, basically, involves a couple of grown-up men throwing balls at each other.


Stay Healthy

Of course you may have conditions that are not in your control but there are simple things you can do to stay as healthy as possible.  Make sure you eat properly, don't overeat and have enough exercise.  Don't work too late at the office and do find some time to socialize and relax.

The trick to being able to do all these consistently is not to force yourself but to find ways to incorporate them seamlessly into your lifestyle.  For example, if you don't like to jog, then don't jog.  But do find an activity which you enjoy, which can give you the exercise that you need.

Or if you find that you are eating a little too much and are getting a little chubby, don't just go on a diet.  A diet is a short term solution and the problem will return when you stop the diet.  It would be better to find a way to get rid of your excess fat that you can maintain over the long run.  For example, if you like to snack in between meals, rather than just stop, a better way might be to find a less fattening and healthy snack.


Surround Yourself With Happy And Positive People

People who are happy and have a positive outlook in life are infectious.  They will infect you with their mood, their can-do attitude and the way they never let anything get them down.  These people practically never have a bad day, never get up on the wrong side of the bed and they always have a smile and a kind word for everybody.

Go seek out these happy, positive people in your office, your social circle or even in your family and spend more time with them.  After a while, you would probably find that happiness is a natural state of things and you would find it difficult to be sad, even if you wanted to.


Get Out There And Help People

There is something about helping that helps the person helping.  Maybe it is the realization that you have managed to make a difference in someone's life, whether it is just for a moment or for a lifetime.  Or maybe when confronted with the obstacles that others face, your own problems seem petty and insignificant in comparison.

Or maybe it is simply the fact that when you make somebody else happy, some of their happiness rubs off.  It could be something like when somebody yawns, we feel to urge to yawn as well.