How can I achieve happiness? In order to address this question, there is a need to first define what happiness is. According to PsychCentral, happiness can be defined as “a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.” Each individual may define happiness differently, but it broadly understood as being in an overall state of joy. What happiness means to you may mean something different to someone else, which is why the tips and steps listed below should be considered as suggestions and not concrete ways for achieving happiness.
Here are 8 steps that can help you achieve happiness:
- Act selflessly. Do something good for someone else.
Doing something for someone else can not only make the other person happy, but can also make you feel better about yourself. When you act selflessly and do a good deed without the expectation of something in return, you often get that nice and warm bubbly feeling. It can be something as simple as holding the door open for someone or giving someone a smile. For Aristotle, happiness is obtained by practicing being a good person. Becoming a good person involves practice, which is why achieving happiness may be difficult. Therefore, true happiness according to Aristotle is a matter of who you are and not what happens to you.
- Ignore the opinions of others.
At times it may be difficult to ignore the negativity surrounding you, but in order to achieve happiness, you have to ignore others’ opinions. The only opinion that matters is yours. Listen to your inner voice and get away from people who bring you down. Surround yourself with positivity and focus on yourself and your needs. You should feel free to be yourself and not have to worry about what others think.
- Do something you love.
Practice doing something you love to do. Do you enjoy reading, playing basketball, singing, listening to music, or any other activity? Whatever you enjoy doing you should make time and do it. Although you may get busy, taking a break everyday to do what you love will have a great impact on your approach to happiness.
Also, try to find something you have not done in a while. Maybe embrace your inner child and go to the beach and fly a kite. Find something that you remember made you happy and do it. Think about even the little things that made you happy and rediscover them.
- Be grateful.
Expressing gratitude can help improve your overall attitude and help you achieve happiness. By focusing on what you have instead of what you do not have, you become in control of your attitude. Practicing daily gratitude can shift your perception of your situation and make you see the beauty in small things and be able to easier appreciate simple occurrences throughout your life. One way to get you practicing is by having a journal or diary to note what you are grateful or thankful for every day.
- Let it go.
Are you feeling angry? Are holding onto negative energy? Let it go. It is much easier said than done, but once you practice letting go of anger and negative emotions, you are able to move on. The past may be filled with frustrations and mistakes, but you have to move on in order to stay on the road to happiness. Otherwise you cannot be free from your own emotions.
- Smell something that makes you happy.
This step may sound strange, but our nose is a powerful thing. Smelling something familiar or something that makes you happy can trigger various moods and reactions. Take a moment to smell some of your food, perfume, or flower. For example, lavender not only has a nice smell, it also has relaxing properties.
- Look outside of yourself and be honest.
We can get lost in our own heads sometimes, which is why there is a need to look outside of yourself in order to achieve happiness. Perspective is very important because what you may perceive as happiness may not be someone else’s happiness. Be honest with yourself about what you want and what you need because everyone’s meaning of happiness is different.
- Smile.
By smiling or laughing, you may also brighten someone else’s day. Sometimes even faking a smile can help put you in a better mood because it can heal yourself and bring a smile to others’ faces. Smiling is contagious, and you should pass it on.
These steps are only suggestions, and you can find more tips at Thought Catalog. Stay connected to the present and live in the moment, but do not dwell on if things do not go your way.
Happiness starts and ends with you. Only you can control your own happiness, no one else.
