Happy Actions
So I didn't know when I wrote my post about happiness the other day that today was happiness day. Figured another post was in order, hopefully I can keep it different after reading a couple of other websites.
I don't know whether the two are connected but I've always been optimistic. To me optimism helps you with the happy! Life is too short to see the down side in things, I know sometimes it's hard.
There was one situation in my recent life that made me realise this about myself, and it took the most negative two years of my life to see what I thought wasn't true. I am actually a happy person. I was dating a man who couldn't see the good in anything, every challenge was something to get angry over and shout about. Bad things happen for a reason, and once I realised that everything changed.
So... I was surfing on Action For Happiness and came across their ten keys for happier living.
1] Do things for others. I always try and offer to help people, even if I'm not convinced I want to do it. I let people out into my line of traffic in the mornings, you never know, it might be the thing that lifts their day. I stay up late to fix things. I even offer to do things for people who aren't people I choose to spend my life with because I know it will ease their life. I'm not saying I'm a saint, everyone's allowed to have "one of those days".
2] Connect with people. There are people in my life who always rise my spirits when we talk. Be it the sensible conversation or debate to the daft waffle. There's nothing quite like talking to someone for an hour and not actually achieving anything by the end of the call.
3] Take care of your body. As I said in my previous post, I know exercise makes me happy... if I like it! My only other example would be this... you've not been feeling yourself and haven't had energy for a few days. You've now got to the point where you feel grimy and have that soak in the bath, or hot shower. That feeling, refreshed, clean, energised... that's when you know that taking care of your body works wonders for your happiness.
4] Notice the world around you. My favourite example of this is puppies... frolicking puppies. Watching someone or something enjoying something completely meaningless... like a puppy playing with a leaf. You need to be able to enjoy the simple things in life. Watching the water rush in a stream. Birds jostling for fresh seeds in a feeder. Babies laughing. People smiling at each other on the street after fresh snow has fallen.
5] Keep learning new things. I think it's the challenge that keeps us chirpy. If you've found something you love as a hobby make it your skill and see how much joy you get from it then.
6] Have goals to look forward to. I know this one works. When everything was getting to me with work I knew that I needed something to keep me going, so I booked a week off work. I couldn't afford a holiday but for that week I was going to do all the things I loved doing. The moment it popped up saying authorised I felt better, just thinking about all the things I could do made me feel happier. In my other post I said about planning a holiday I'd never take, I know I'm unlikely to take it but that doesn't stop me from thinking how fun it would be.
7] Find ways to bounce back. This one I might struggle with. There's nothing in particular that I can say I do to bounce back. In all likelihood it's watching cartoons. Or maybe looking at cat memes... yeah I know, I'm soooo deep! But at the end of the day it should be that thing that after a tough time you think... "this'll snap me out of it."
8] Take a positive approach. This is essentially how I discovered I was a happy person. If the TV doesn't work it's not broken, there's just something wrong with it you haven't discovered yet. Why jump to the worse outcome when there are so many more learning opportunities available first?
9] Be comfortable with who you are. People around me nag. "You should date." I don't want to put on airs and graces to meet someone, as much as I try to be myself, my online and offline personalities are very different. I'm happy being the person I am, and currently that is a single one, but it's difficult to make people understand that. I would much rather meet someone on a random night when I'm enjoying myself and there are no preconceptions. Me at my most honest is the way I'm comfortable.
10] Be part of something bigger. Some day that bigger thing will be a family, more extended than the one I have. Right now I'm happy with the bigger thing in my life being my life.
So there's my happiness post, mark 2, I hope you all have a happier day than a puppy playing with a leaf!
I don't know whether the two are connected but I've always been optimistic. To me optimism helps you with the happy! Life is too short to see the down side in things, I know sometimes it's hard.
There was one situation in my recent life that made me realise this about myself, and it took the most negative two years of my life to see what I thought wasn't true. I am actually a happy person. I was dating a man who couldn't see the good in anything, every challenge was something to get angry over and shout about. Bad things happen for a reason, and once I realised that everything changed.
So... I was surfing on Action For Happiness and came across their ten keys for happier living.
1] Do things for others. I always try and offer to help people, even if I'm not convinced I want to do it. I let people out into my line of traffic in the mornings, you never know, it might be the thing that lifts their day. I stay up late to fix things. I even offer to do things for people who aren't people I choose to spend my life with because I know it will ease their life. I'm not saying I'm a saint, everyone's allowed to have "one of those days".
2] Connect with people. There are people in my life who always rise my spirits when we talk. Be it the sensible conversation or debate to the daft waffle. There's nothing quite like talking to someone for an hour and not actually achieving anything by the end of the call.
3] Take care of your body. As I said in my previous post, I know exercise makes me happy... if I like it! My only other example would be this... you've not been feeling yourself and haven't had energy for a few days. You've now got to the point where you feel grimy and have that soak in the bath, or hot shower. That feeling, refreshed, clean, energised... that's when you know that taking care of your body works wonders for your happiness.
4] Notice the world around you. My favourite example of this is puppies... frolicking puppies. Watching someone or something enjoying something completely meaningless... like a puppy playing with a leaf. You need to be able to enjoy the simple things in life. Watching the water rush in a stream. Birds jostling for fresh seeds in a feeder. Babies laughing. People smiling at each other on the street after fresh snow has fallen.
5] Keep learning new things. I think it's the challenge that keeps us chirpy. If you've found something you love as a hobby make it your skill and see how much joy you get from it then.
6] Have goals to look forward to. I know this one works. When everything was getting to me with work I knew that I needed something to keep me going, so I booked a week off work. I couldn't afford a holiday but for that week I was going to do all the things I loved doing. The moment it popped up saying authorised I felt better, just thinking about all the things I could do made me feel happier. In my other post I said about planning a holiday I'd never take, I know I'm unlikely to take it but that doesn't stop me from thinking how fun it would be.
7] Find ways to bounce back. This one I might struggle with. There's nothing in particular that I can say I do to bounce back. In all likelihood it's watching cartoons. Or maybe looking at cat memes... yeah I know, I'm soooo deep! But at the end of the day it should be that thing that after a tough time you think... "this'll snap me out of it."
8] Take a positive approach. This is essentially how I discovered I was a happy person. If the TV doesn't work it's not broken, there's just something wrong with it you haven't discovered yet. Why jump to the worse outcome when there are so many more learning opportunities available first?
9] Be comfortable with who you are. People around me nag. "You should date." I don't want to put on airs and graces to meet someone, as much as I try to be myself, my online and offline personalities are very different. I'm happy being the person I am, and currently that is a single one, but it's difficult to make people understand that. I would much rather meet someone on a random night when I'm enjoying myself and there are no preconceptions. Me at my most honest is the way I'm comfortable.
10] Be part of something bigger. Some day that bigger thing will be a family, more extended than the one I have. Right now I'm happy with the bigger thing in my life being my life.
So there's my happiness post, mark 2, I hope you all have a happier day than a puppy playing with a leaf!
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