Simple Steps You Can Take To Feel Happier

1. Decide To Be Happy 

Even though you can’t control what is happening around you, you can control how you think about and react to it. Every day, choose to be happy. Although it may not always be easy to focus on happiness, it is worth it. You can’t wait around for happiness to fall into your lap. Instead, you need to actively seek it, no matter where you currently are in your life. 

2. Pay Attention To The Positive Things in Your Life 

No matter how dire your current circumstances may seem, there are always things to be grateful for. Depending on your situation, you may need to dig a little bit deeper than other people to find positive things in your life to focus on. If you search hard enough, however, you can always find something good, even if it is just the fact that you are alive. Some suggestions for positive things you could focus on include your friends and family members, your health, or the fact that you have a comfortable place to live. Your list of positive things may vary depending on your circumstances.

Not long ago, I saw a quote from Marine Sgt. Jonny Joseph Jones. During his time in Afghanistan, his legs were both lost in an explosion. He said that people always ask him how he has managed to stay positive after the loss of his legs. According to him, he responds by asking why they are so negative even though they still have both of their legs.

Sometimes, finding happiness is simply about changing your perspective. Spend time thinking about the things that you have to be grateful for. Then, focus on those positive aspects of your life. Visit claritychi.com for more advice. 

3. Avoid The Comparison Trap 

Comparing your life to the lives of other people is one of the fastest ways to ruin your mood. Don’t fall into the trap of comparing things like your financial situation, your current level of fitness, the size of your house, or the last place you went on vacation with other people. Everyone is at different places in their lives. You can instantly feel better by avoiding comparisons like these. Instead, view your life and your circumstances with gratitude. Live every day to the fullest, focusing on creating a life that you love. 

4. Be Generous And Grateful 

Psychologists who study happiness have found that two primary factors contribute to how happy people are. Those factors include generosity and gratitude.

Instead of thinking of these emotions or actions as a response to certain events or circumstances, try to see them as a discipline. Make them something that you practice every day. Don’t wait until you have a lot of money to be generous. Similarly, don’t wait for your life to reach a perfect point before expressing gratitude. Instead, start feeling gratitude and expressing generosity today. This will dramatically improve your happiness, both now and in the future. 

5. Having More Possessions Doesn’t Result In Greater Happiness 

If you want to live a happy life, there are certain possessions that you need to have. Unfortunately, however, today’s society is obsessed with consumerism. Marketing departments are always working to find ways to convince people that the only way they can feel happy is by purchasing their products.

Sadly, many people wind up believing this is true. Instead of living life to the fullest, we spend our time working hard to make money to buy physical possessions.

When you do eventually accumulate more belongings, happiness doesn’t follow. Instead, having more possessions usually results in higher stress levels. One of the easiest ways to feel happier today is by getting rid of things that you don’t need. Paring down your possessions can positively impact your life.