Practicing happiness: 5 simple steps

What really makes you happy?

Mounting obligations and hectic schedules can make it all too easy to lose sight of the things that make you feel happy, fulfilled, and hopeful. But whether it's the little things in life that make you smile, or the joy of working toward a larger goal, focusing on cultivating your happiness each day can help protect both your emotional well-being and your physical health.

Improving your happiness and enjoyment of life is not as simple as just focusing on joy, though. Instead, happiness and mental well-being are things that need an investment of time, energy, and focus each day. It’s a practice—full of action verbs like practicing self-care, taking care of your physical health, developing stress-reduction skills, and connecting with others.

Follow these simple tips to build and hone your daily happiness practices and rediscover your passion for life.

Value your daily diversions

When you're adding items to your to-do list, don't forget the good stuff. If you look forward to reading in bed, going out to breakfast, taking long walks, listening to music, or just sitting quietly outside, make time for at least one of your favorite diversions every day.

Consider crossing out pesky items on your list that you keep saying you're going to do but haven't gotten to in over a year, like organizing your bills or re-arranging your closet. Or get rid of a time-consuming chore that isn't enhancing your life one bit.

Build your strength and independence

We all have low-energy days, but if you can resist the urge to skip your daily workout when you're feeling low, you'll be rewarded both now and later. Try this trick: Tell yourself that you need to do only 10 minutes of exercise.

Once you're up and moving, you'll most likely feel better and want to finish your workout. Even if you can't push past the 10-minute mark on the occasional off day, you'll feel good about doing at least a little something.

Sticking with an exercise plan helps you feel good about yourself, strengthens your immune system, and enhances production of mood-boosting hormones.

It’s also important to take time to appreciate and contemplate your individual strengths, rather than focusing on perceived lacks or weaknesses in your character. We tend to focus on what we think is “bad” about ourselves and rarely give enough time to note and acknowledge our accomplishments, resilience, and positive traits.

Squash your stressors

Defuse daily hassles by practicing stress-reduction strategies. Try taking a break from screens, and especially from consuming media that stresses you out, like the news or social media.

Another easy-to-implement stress-relief practice involves taking deep-breathing breaks throughout the day, inhaling through your nose and then exhaling slowly through your mouth. Repeating this action three or four times allows more oxygen to get into your bloodstream, creating a feeling of calm.

Progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices also are effective ways of reducing tension, stress, depression, and anxiety. And a brisk 10-minute walk will do far more to dissipate your stress and lift your spirits than eating sugary or salty snacks you might crave when feeling frantic.

Celebrate and share your skills

Volunteer at a local school, club, or community organization. Not only will sharing your unique talents and expertise benefit others, but research shows that volunteering can make you happier and improve your well-being, too. Feeling engaged and involved in your local community is good for your emotional health. It's also an opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people. It’s a win-win.

Appreciate the people around you

While independence and a focus on an individuality (feeling good about your own self) are two key aspects of happiness in the United States, happiness stemming from connectedness to others can be of great benefit, too. A 2020 study published in the journal PLoS ONE looked at what happiness meant to more than 15,000 people in 63 different countries.

Researchers found that in Western cultures, self-esteem was very closely linked to happiness, which they dubbed independent happiness. But in many East Asian countries, concepts of family and harmony with others are most strongly linked with happiness, which researchers called interdependent happiness. Neither type is wrong or right; they’re each great examples of the deep and rich value to be found in cultural differences—and celebrated.

But whether your concept of happiness is independent or interdependent, social connectedness is vital for mental health and well-being. Unwind and share a few laughs with your family or friends at least once or twice each month. The openness and trust you share with the important people in your life can help give you the perspective you need to cope with everyday challenges.

These regular connections will also have a positive impact on your health, especially when you share a good laugh. Laughing lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and releases endorphins that can ease pain.

Also, don't neglect relationships at work. Colleagues and coworkers can provide valuable support and keep your blood pressure under control during stressful situations.

Feeling satisfied and fulfilled with your life is an essential part of your emotional and physical well-being. As you grow to appreciate your time, independence, self-assurance, skills, and relationships, you will be amazed at just how good you feel, both in body and in spirit.