Sometimes, it's hard to find happiness in the things that aren't fun. Fortunately, your life can be so much more enjoyable if you can adjust your mindset. With a few steps, you can find happiness in everything.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Prioritize Happiness
Step 1. Play
Often, adults think that their lives should be taken seriously, filled with commitments to work and family. However, just like for children, playtime is also very important for adults. Adults play to learn and develop mindsets, to be challenged, to have fun, and to enjoy activities they love. Don't expect happiness to come by itself. Incorporate fun activities into your daily activities.
For example, for fun, you could pursue a new art hobby, spend more time with your kids, or schedule a movie show with friends
Step 2. Look at the positive side of every situation to feel happy
Even the most annoying things have a positive side to them, if you are willing to find them and accept them.
- Learn to find the positive side by setting aside 10 minutes every day for 3 weeks. In these 10 minutes, name 5 things you enjoy in life (like seeing the sun rise, or hearing a child laugh). After that, think about the annoying thing that happened to you. Explain this, and find 3 lessons you can take from those annoying things.
- For example, when your car breaks down, you may feel frustrated and can't wait for the mechanic to arrive. However, while waiting for a mechanic, you might find time to read a book you've been meaning to finish, call your parents, or come up with ideas for a job. Recognizing the positives in every situation will help you see the other side of something you find annoying.
Step 3. Be grateful for everything
You may not be happy because you are not appreciative of the little things in life. Be grateful for the small accomplishments you or a friend have experienced, and find things you can be grateful for to feel happy.
Find a calendar with odd holidays and try to celebrate those holidays as much as possible
Step 4. Change your environment, whether at home, at school, or at work, to be more pleasant
Decorate your office or room with bright and attractive colors. Keep some potted plants. Change the surroundings by changing the lighting, curtains, colors, or decorations (such as books). Choose decorations that please you.
- The color of your choice can improve your mood and outlook on life. Research shows that someone in a green room is more stress-resistant than someone in a red room.
- Generally, people will feel more comfortable in a room painted yellow or green. If yellow or green paint is too flashy, choose decorations or flowers in that color. To improve the mood at home, you can also use toys like stress balls or slinkies.
Method 2 of 3: Enjoying the Little Things
Step 1. Enjoy the beautiful sounds
Whatever you do, sound can affect your mood. For example, when you clean your room or kitchen, your favorite music can help you enjoy those annoying activities.
- Find a sound that pleases you, such as a baby's laughter, music, waves, or birds chirping, and listen to it. If you can't find your favorite sound naturally, listen to it on YouTube.
- Be aware of sounds that irritate, anger, or irritate you, such as the honk in traffic jams or the phone ringing outside of work hours, and avoid these sounds. If you can't avoid it, mask the sound with a voice you like. For example, to cover up the annoying ringing of your phone, you can use earphones to play your favorite music. Silence can also help you get the job done.
Step 2. Pay attention to the touch on the body
Humans love touch, because touch is the main expression of warmth. In this digital age, touch is becoming increasingly important. Touch increases a sense of security, mental and physical health, trust, team bonding, and reduces the risk of disease.
Take up your favorite activities, and hang out with the people you love to feel happier in life
Step 3. Enjoy your favorite food
If done right, eating can be a pleasurable activity. Many people eat with guilt, for example when they are offered a delicious cake or snack. However, if you eat carefully, you can enjoy your favorite foods without feeling guilty.
- To start eating cautiously, choose foods with small pieces, such as chocolate or fruit pieces. Pay attention to the shape, smell, size, and texture of the food and remember your reaction to the food. Are you tempted or can't wait to taste the food? After that, put the food in your mouth for 30 seconds without chewing it, then compare how you feel before and after enjoying the food with how you generally feel after eating.
- Start eating carefully every time you eat. Get rid of distractions like TV and books, and focus on the food you're enjoying.
Step 4. Smile
If you've been feeling depressed lately, you may need to smile to deal with the side effects of stress. Research conducted by Berkeley's Greater Good Project shows that smiling, even if fake, has a positive effect on health, and helps the heart recover from stress.
To improve your mood and physical condition, smile when you do things you don't like. After that, you will definitely feel better
Method 3 of 3: Changing the Point of View
Step 1. Spend the day as a tourist
When you live in a place for many years, you will no longer consider your place to be special. Therefore, rekindle your love of the place to live by becoming a day tourist.
Visit museums, parks, and art galleries in your area. Take photos, and try to enjoy the place you visit like a tourist. Try dining at a restaurant you've never been to before, or order a new menu at your favorite restaurant. Enjoy your life from someone else's point of view. By doing so, you may recall the things you love about life
Step 2. Meditate
In your mind, meditation may be associated with work, rather than a pleasurable activity. Even though you need calm and concentration to meditate, you can still have fun with meditation. By meditating, you can connect with the deepest recesses of your heart and the outside world, so you can find fun things around you.
To meditate pleasantly, find a friend to meditate with. Change your environment. Trying to change that environment can be both exciting and challenging to you. You can also follow a guided meditation, with certain voices and help words
Step 3. Ignore negative words from within
If your inner voice is constantly critical or complaining, you will have a hard time enjoying life. Ignore these voices to make your life more positive. How to? Follow these 4 steps:
- Pay attention to what's in your mind.
- Decide if a thought helps you, or makes things worse.
- If the thought turns out to be negative, stop thinking about it. Don't think about something negative all the time.
- Turn negative thoughts into positive ones. For example, if you think that errands are getting in the way of your plans to go out with friends, think that by completing the errands, you will be able to set aside time to go.
Step 4. Get in the habit of being grateful
Gratitude can help you enjoy, rather than hate, various activities. Gratitude can be shown in a number of ways, such as saying thank you or keeping a gratitude note. However, one of the best ways to change your mindset is to change the language you use.
