Have you ever come to a complete halt, looked around, and wondered where other people's happiness comes from?
Do they find satisfaction from other people or their possessions? You may appear to have everything you wish in terms of material possessions, but you still feel empty within. There are just days when we feel like nothing is going right. Like everything gives you frustration.
On days like these, we need to step back and find joy within ourselves. We regularly spend time dissatisfied with something, allowing our surroundings, various circumstances, and things that don't matter at the end of the day to define our happiness. But the truth is if we seek internal joy, no one can take the journey from us. If it’s joy you seek, you must also have the proper mindset.
How Do You Define Happiness?
It's a pretty simple question. For many, happiness is a state of mind.
However, when we dig deeper, we find that every one of us has a different meaning of the word. Our response to this question can be complex and confusing at times, and you’ll find that it may also change with time. Some are content despite having a low income and a modest lifestyle, while others have large homes, nice cars, beautiful families, secure jobs, and excellent health but are unhappy and unfulfilled with life.
In short, happiness begins within you. You have the ability to control your happiness, no matter where you are right now. If you're confused about where to start, we’re committed to help you understand how to discover happiness within yourself.
How to Find Happiness Within Yourself
“Probably the biggest insight… is that happiness is not just a place, but also a process. Happiness is an ongoing process of fresh challenges, and it takes the right attitudes and activities to continue to be happy.” – Ed Diener
As mentioned, we hold the key to our happiness. No matter what is going on externally, we can bring out the inner joy that is non-reliant on any other person. With that in mind, here are ten ways to find happiness within you.
1. Stop looking for happiness
The more we stop looking externally for happiness, the easier it becomes to obtain it. We tend to associate bliss with achieving particular goals or dreams. If this is the case, happiness becomes a reward rather than a constant daily emotion that we deserve to feel.
We should allow ourselves to feel joy whenever it comes our way. Joy can, and often does, come in the smaller, more inconspicuous experiences.
2. Do things you love
Happiness typically comes after fulfillment. Doing activities you genuinely love differs from doing things you merely like. When you like what you're doing, you can have both temporary fun and enjoyment, but if you genuinely love what you're doing, you'll always be content. Do more of the things that you love and less of the things you only tolerate.
3. Forgive and Forget
We're all capable of making mistakes. These errors don't always stay in the past because we keep on recalling them, and it keeps us awake at night. By forgetting about it and forgiving yourself, you can start over. As they say, don't let your past spoil your present or future. Keep the lessons in mind, but let the pain go.
It can be difficult to forgive others, but you forgive for your own sake, not for theirs. Doing this helps to achieve peace of mind, which leads to happiness down the road. Strive to put negative memories behind you. It can take time, but soon the weight associated with those negative memories will be shed and that stress and anxiety will be lifted.
4. Build your confidence
We are all distinct individuals that we are prone to insecurities. It's a mental battle within ourselves that only we can fight. As a result, we need to focus and improve on our self-esteem, beginning with a self-evaluation that identifies problems and shortcomings. Work on it until you feel comfortable with it. The less you compare yourself to others, the more confident you’ll be in your skin. Eventually, your thoughts will be full of positive ones and the negative ones will be easily won over. While confidence may not be the key to happiness, it’s certainly a building block towards it.
5. Treat yourself well
A treat is nice, but the way it makes you feel is even better. It's personal, and it brings you joy and comfort. If reclining in your favorite chair while reading your favorite book under your favorite blanket makes your heart happy, then go for it.
Eat well, get enough sleep, and drink enough water. These simple activities can have an influential impact on your life. In addition to that, be with who you love. These days we have been taught to prioritize practicality over happiness. But sometimes, it is more practical to be happy with the one you love than to suffer in silence. According to Robert Waldinger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, our relationships have a powerful influence on our health. Although he recognizes that taking care of our bodies is essential, Waldinger believes that "tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too." [1]
Furthermore, treating oneself well makes us feel worthy, which leads to confidence. Always keep in mind that a treat should make you feel better, not worse. We should treat ourselves best first before allowing people to treat us right.
6. Find your purpose
Some will argue that finding your purpose in life will lead you to happiness. That may be true, but finding your purpose can take many years. It’s not a short term experience, instead it’s a journey that one goes through in life. Typically you’ll find that one’s “purpose” was an illusion for a larger purpose you hadn’t been aware even existed. Life is a journey with many forks in the road, but opening your eyes to the possibility of being a part of something bigger than yourself, a calling, or a purpose, is a path to happiness within yourself!
7. Appreciate little things in life
Happiness is a result of appreciating and recognizing what we already have. Constantly looking for things that may or may not bring us happiness doesn’t work. When you know how to practice constant gratitude, even the tiny things that make you happy can make your day the most beautiful.
8. Be content
To say “just be content” is a vulgar oversimplification, but contentment and happiness go hand in hand. Being content allows you to experience a higher level of satisfaction. It means that whether you acquire more or not, you will be happy and appreciate life for what it is at that moment in time instead of what you hope it would be. When we demand more based on what others have or achieve, it can backfire on us because acquiring those physical objects aren’t necessarily what make us content. Being content is a mental state, not a physical one.
9. Meditate
Meditation is so effective that it can help you heal various ailments. Our minds are full of negative thoughts. They appear to be locked inside our thoughts, causing us to think adversely about ourselves, impacting those around us. As an example, sound meditation also promotes mental tranquility. It relaxes our bodies, allowing us to hear our inner voices and declutter the chaos within us.
The Lovetuner is a simple breathing and meditation tool that is the key to helping you be in control of your happiness. The Lovetuner combines a profound, yet simple breathing exercise with the powerful 528hz frequency, bring you quickly into a state of deep meditation. In this state of relaxation and no mind you reconnect with yourself, making it possible to work through the barriers that are keeping you from reaching an ultimate state of happiness.
10. Live life to the fullest.
Being yourself means living your life to the fullest. If you're on a quest to find happiness within yourself, you may have to let go of people who you think are toxic in your life. Don't feel bad about it; removing yourself from them can benefit both of you. Furthermore, as you become happier, you’ll find that you connect and impact others in a more profound way. You’ll gain a much larger sense of fulfillment if you align your purpose with others who share similar visions.
Conclusion
You can have a million reasons to be unhappy, but having a “glass half full” outook can provide the daily happiness you need to feel emotionally and mentally fulfilled and happy. Sure, life has it’s challenges, and it’s equally not healthy to bottle up emotions, but your ability to find the better side of any situation can make you a much more successful, happy, and healthy person. You possess a power that can only be taken away if you allow others to do so, but that same power can be given to you without ask, or without permission from anyone else!
Resources:
- Good genes are nice, but joy is better | The Harvard Gazette
