Happiness: How to Love Your Life

Happiness looks different to different people. However, achieving it is a worthwhile journey as it makes life more enjoyable, bearable in difficult seasons, and worth living. Studies have been done over the years to try and determine what makes people happy as it has been found that happiness contributes to quality of life and longevity. Though a deeply personal journey, finding happiness has been found to benefit whole communities and the standard of living.

Tips for achieving happiness.

Plan for happiness.

Making happiness and joy a priority means you plan for it. It does not happen on its own. It all starts with believing that you are worthy of happiness and the fullness of what this life has to offer. From that place, seeking joy and happiness becomes a way of life if it is made a priority.

Facing stressful situations head-on.

Life will always bring stressful and hard situations. The best way to make sure that these seasons do not hinder your happiness is to face everything head-on and deal with stressful situations. The sooner difficult situations are dealt with, the less time is spent feeling anxious, angry, depressed, or overwhelmed. Resilience is built from facing setbacks and focusing on solutions rather than letting situations fester.

Live a healthy lifestyle.

Happiness thrives in healthy environments. Living a healthy lifestyle will mean making the necessary changes needed to make sure you are functioning at your best. This will mean eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising, and decluttering. Physical and mental well-being contribute greatly to a life of happiness and a healthy lifestyle is the only way to achieve wellness.

Treat yourself right.

Many of us do not know how to love and appreciate who we are. For us to achieve and experience happiness and joy we need to come to a place where we treat ourselves like someone we love. This means making self-care a priority, not breaking ourselves for others without considering our own needs, and having a positive self-regard.

Live within your means.

Financial stress can hinder one’s ability to live a fulfilling life. Living a life that is within your means will ensure that you do not live a life you cannot afford, which leaves you in debt and financial strain. This will create contentment.

Contentment means individuals are not constantly comparing themselves to others and feeling like they fall short. There is an understanding that our financial abilities are different and there is no need to live an unfulfilled life because others are in a different financial bracket.

Build a community around you.

Building a community means you do not have to do life alone. A community can be filled with family, friends, churchmates, gym buddies, book club friends, etc. These people will be there to help you live a happy life by sharing in your moments of great achievements, moments of fun, or moments of hardships.

People cannot live like islands; our well-being is tied to the people we surround ourselves with. It also means we must be careful of the company we keep, and make sure it’s not negative people but people with the same vigor about life that we desire to have.

Make gratitude a practice.

Gratitude can be experienced by just realizing how blessed your life is. You might not have all you need but being grateful means, you can enjoy that which you have already.

Gratitude also means that you are not constantly seeking self-gratification; it enables you to reach out and help others. This means you are aware of how much you have and what you can share. This can mean volunteering time and resources to help others. Kindness comes from a place of gratitude.

Live with purpose.

Live, love laugh. These are words we see everywhere that aim to encourage people to try and not just exist but make efforts to live with purpose. Granted it’s not easy but with determination it is achievable. Living with purpose will look different for us all, but it starts with having goals and dreams that align with one’s values and natural interests. Pursuing and achieving these goals can bring a sense of satisfaction to one’s life.

Don’t hesitate to seek support.

We are here to help. If you are in a space where you feel stuck and need to start living a more fulfilled life, get in touch with our offices. Counseling and Therapy can provide a safe environment for you to seek assistance in aligning your life with purpose.