How often do you scroll through your social media feeds, seeing people having fun at weddings, parties, and events and think…
“Why am I not having fun?”
“My life is so boring.”
“Everybody seems so much happier than me.”
Many of us are guilty of this kind of thinking.
In fact, it’s been found that up to 1 in 5 of us feel depressed as a result of using social media. [1]
The reason we feel bad when we see other people having fun on social media is simple:
We value big milestones more than small moments of happiness.
Luckily, we can fix this by altering the way we think about happiness.
Read on to find out how.
Are you only happy when something ‘big’ happens?
What’s the most recent happy memory you can recall?
If you’re like most people, it’s probably a big event. Maybe it’s a birthday, a graduation ceremony, or a party.
While it’s great to enjoy this kind of special occasion, it shouldn’t be your only source of happiness.
After all, why would you only allow yourself to have fun a few times a year, when you could be finding joy in small moments every single day?
We’re here to tell you how you can start feeling happy every single day – not just on special occasions!
Happiness begins with a generous spread of gratitude
Happiness doesn’t have to be about the intensity of a positive experience – it can about the frequency of positive experiences instead.
In order to feel like we’re having lots of happy moments, we need to be constantly on the look out for them.
Keeping a gratitude journal can really help with this.
Buy a new notebook, and keep it beside your bed. Before you go to sleep, take the time to list five things you’re grateful for.
Here’s an example:
1. I’m grateful for eating a delicious breakfast.
2. I’m grateful for spending time in nature.
3. I’m grateful for seeing a friend.
4. I’m grateful for drinking a warm cup of tea.
5. I’m grateful for buying a new T-shirt.
As you can see, you don’t need to have reached any huge milestones to write in your gratitude journal.
Instead, you’ll learn to focus on the many good things that happen every day – the things we often ignore or take for granted.
Keeping a gratitude journal has been shown to: [2]
- Boost happiness
- Make you healthier
- Help you sleep better
- Increase empathy
- Boost self-esteem
- Make you mentally stronger
Don’t look far for happiness. It’s right next to us.
As well as keeping a gratitude journal, there are a few tricks that will help you to focus more on the positive things in your life.
Here are ten suggestions to get you started.
- Surround yourself with positive people. They’ll help you to appreciate all the good in the world, and won’t drag you down with negativity.
- Create positive affirmations based on what you like about your life. Write them down or repeat them in front of the mirror each day. For example, “I have a great life.” “I love my job.”
- Be mindful. Try to bring your full awareness to everything you do. For example, breathe deeply and close your eyes when drinking a cup of coffee, appreciating the full experience.
- Spend less time on social media. Stop comparing yourself to others and start enjoying your own life.
- Take photos of small happy moments. Had a great donut from the shop near your house? Take a photo, and double your happiness by looking back and remembering the experience.
- Write about small happy moments. This is another great way to savour a good experience. Write down every small detail, focusing on all five senses.
- Decide to be positive. How you view situations is up to you. Try to reframe negatives. Instead of thinking, “I hate the commute to work,” try thinking, “I’m so glad public transport exists, and I don’t have to trek miles.”
- Plan treats for yourself. Don’t wait for special occasions to make you happy – create your own. Plan a fun day in the city, or a trip to that museum you’ve always wanted to visit.
- Help others. Helping others is proven to boost your mood, and is a great way to double the happiness you bring into the world.
- Set gratitude reminders. Set an alarm on your phone, and remind yourself to be grateful for something every time it goes off – even if you’re stuck in a boring meeting, or queueing at the grocery store.
Happiness isn’t just about big events and milestones.
Take the time to feel happy about small things every single day, and you’ll be healthier, happier, and mentally stronger.
Reference
| [1] | ^ | Independent: Social media is making us depressed: let’s learn to turn it off |
| [2] | ^ | Forbes: 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round |
The post When Size Doesn’t Matter! Value Happiness By Frequency Instead Of Intensity! appeared first on Lifehack.
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