Welcome back to 5 Things. This week has been super challenging at times and so it got me thinking of ways to try to create happiness. Quite often I find myself in a damage limitation situation, trying to pull myself back to feeling happy, after a series of trying times or a particularly difficult day. What if I can create the happiness in the first place. To consciously invite it, rather than just waiting for it to arrive.
TO CREATE A HAPPY DAY
- Smile more – I mean smile A LOT. Smiling actually makes your happy; your brain can’t fight it. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You are faking it, until you feel it, which is fine as you WILL feel it. Smiling is also contagious. So smile at strangers (o.k maybe not weird ones), but you get my point.
Fake happiness, Feel happiness, Spread happiness.
- Treat people as if they are your friends – Even if they aren’t! Be that lovely person that you admire; the one that seems so joyful and is kind to everyone they meet. You know that person; it is within your power to be that person. Karma will notice.
- Laugh a lot – You know the old saying ‘Laughter is the best medicine’? Well it really is. Laughing immediately creates happiness, so find your laughter trigger and use it. Do you laugh when talking to a friend? Watching a certain programme? Being silly with your child? Whatever it is, find it, focus on it and use it to your advantage.
- Take time – We can get so caught up in hurrying ourselves and our children, to get through the daily tasks. We never letting a second just go by, but always cramming them with something; whether that is the chores or social media.
Not every second needs to be filled, leave room for happiness.
- Act like a child – We are grown ups, but we can learn quite a lot from our little people. They are confident, fearless and honest. They are free, not bogged down by the restraints of adulthood. Maybe we need to try to copy our children at times, to allow ourselves the same freedom.
I believe that if we put ourselves in a happy state (as much as possible!), then it will take more negativity before we start to feel affected by it. If we are just coasting on the borderline, then the slightest negativity will push us into an unhappy state.
Do you believe you can create your own happiness? Do you have certain things you do to create a happy day?
Comments 78
I LOVE this post. I have been practising happiness for some years and it does make a difference. Practising is the operative word. Some days I practise more than others! But the good thing is I know how to get back on track now.
I have developed a habit of smiling as wide as I can while I am driving. I am sure there are other drivers who think I am a total looney but I don’t care anymore because I arrive at my destination feeling so much better than when I set out.
My 2 year old grandson has me laughing out loud most of the time every day. I love playing and goofing around and now I have someone to do it with. People have remarked that it is finally good to see I have found a play mate my own age!
Author
Ah thank you for your lovely comment. Happiness should be something we work at being, and not something we wait to happen. A few simple things can make all the difference. x
Great ideas, we all have down days and it helps to remind ourselves of the things that cheer us up
Author
Thank you, glad you like it x
Great ideas, it always good to focus on the important things, and being happy is a very important thing!
Author
Thank you, yes the most important thing!
A lovely post, some great ideas! #sundaystars
Author
Thanks so much x
Love this post Aby next time I’m just having a crappy day ill think back to your tips i feel like i loose so many days thinking i’ll start a fresh tomorrow but i shouldn’t think that way! Thanks for linking up to #sundaystars xx
Author
Thank you huni. I am so glad you enjoyed it. I remember someone saying, ‘not every day is good, but there is good in every day’. It helps to focus on the positives xx
Lovely post, thanks for sharing 🙂 agree about trying to create happiness so it’s a constant thing, it’s so difficult sometimes when it’s one thing after another but you’re right – smiling (usually at Oscar) can make everything better.
Author
Thank you, I am so glad you enjoyed it. It make such a difference x
A lovely post darling. These are all great tips. Smiling is really important. If you smile then the world smiles with you. Hugs Mrs H xxxx
Author
Thank you so much hun, glad you liked it xxx
What a fantastic post. Great tips, I need to try and smile more. I worry far too much!
Becky xx
Author
Thanks lovely, glad you liked it. Yes worrying is one of my down falls, but I am working on it xx
Great tips, I do think having the right attitude helps, I find it so easy to feel sorry for myself and get stuck in a rut, I feel so much better when I make myself pull myself together and put on a brave face. x
Author
Totally, hun fake it til you feel it xx
I love this post Aby- I am often trying to start my day in a happy way. These are great ideas. x
Author
Aw thank you huni, I really appreciate that. I think it makes such a difference to focus on your happiness in a more proactive way x
Author
Thank you so much huni, I really appreciate it. It does make a difference to consciously look for happiness xx
Love this 🙂 I have tried the fake smile thing before – felt like a prat but it worked!
Author
Thanks hun. It does work doesn’t it x
These are great tips Aby and sound like a great way of helping make those difficult days a lot more positive.
Author
Thanks huni, I find it helps x
First of all how cute is Baby’s coat???? Love this Aby, I am ok with 4 out of the 5 but I really struggle with new people and I try to treat them like friends but they usually shut me down and I leave deflated 🙁 Not all as lovely as you have been to me xxxxx
Haha! I love it – you don’t need to tell me twice to act like a child 😉 and you’re so right about smiling – even just reading it made me smile! Great post gorgeous lady xxx
Author
Ha ha! Thanks my love xxxx
Such a wonderful post! Love this Aby! One of my favourites from you. Thank you for the reminder to ‘Take time’. At the moment I am rubbish at this so def an area of happy improvement for me.You’re so right about being lovely to people too. It’s SO important and it’s astonishing how a simple smile, pleasantries or a compliment can really make someone’s day. x
Author
Ah thank you darling, very kind of you. xx
Such a lovely post! Totally agree! It’s true what they say about Karma 😉 #TheList
Author
Thanks, glad you like it x
It is hard to be positive sometimes but a funny film and laughter does the trick 🙂
Author
It is, but I think trying to think about it in a more conscious way helps x
I totally agree with the whole fake it till you make if smile thing. It definitely does help x
Author
Fake it til you make it huni! x
A fantastic, uplifting post. I especially need to remind myself to just ‘be still’ and appreciate the moment every now and then and agree life can be too busy at times. I am enjoying a weekly baby yoga class with my little girl which allows me to do just that. It has become the hour of my week that I most look forward to 🙂
Author
Ah thank you so much! Glad you liked it x
What a lovely post, such simple things but they really do work to make your day happier. I particularly enjoy acting like a child, it never fails to raise a smile even though my 12 year old finds it slightly horrifying!
#TheList
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Ha ha yes I bet! Thank you x
A wonderfully uplifting post and I must be happy alot because I act like a child most of the time haha xx
Author
Ha ha! So glad you liked it xx
My fake smile is awful though!!!
I love all these happiness post its so refreshing. I defiantly will be making use of these tips x
Author
Work on it x
Oh what a beautiful post and I love baby always so cute and fashionable. Great tips. Thank you ever so much for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme
Author
Thanks so much huni, glad you liked it x
I love this post, especially point 2. Positivity and happiness can rub off on people, just as negativity can so much better to share the love rather than stress x
Author
Exactly, it is contagious x
Very true things. When you smile it makes you feel better and people around you too! 🙂 #thelist x
Author
It’s contagious x
Lovely post, Aby. I like the point about treating people as your friend – I try and do that all the time and it definitely helps people respond positively. Except in supermarkets, usually. Sigh. Here’s a big virtual SMILE at you, my lovely! xx
Author
Thanks hun, yes enemies only in the supermarket! 🙂 xx
Love this post, I love being around happy people its so much better for the soul xx
I totally agree. You make your own happiness – you can’t rely on anyone else to bring it to you. Great post #thelist x
Author
Exactly! Small things can make a big difference x
Great tip. I think stopping to appreciate the little things in life always goes a long way to make you realise just how happy you are, even if you don’t quite feel like it at the time. x
Author
Thanks, daily appreciation is really important x
My favourite is the sming one, I’m always reminding myself to stop scowling & smile. I probably lol a complete loom met of the time but it really works as a quick destresser. Fan tips #thelist
Author
Glad you liked it huni x
Oh I love this! Especially the ‘treat people as if they are your friends’ as that makes you feel better and makes other people happy too xo
Author
Glad you liked it x
Love love love this. If only this was the law, life would be so much better! xx
This was something I really needed to read today, so thank you. Great and easy things to do but we can so often forget to do them! I am going to smile a lot today 🙂 xxx
Author
I hope it helped huni xx
I Love this! We are the masters of our own minds so can totally control our happiness levels and get rid of negativity. I’m having one of those days so am off to try some of these out now #thelist
Author
Thank you huni, glad you liked it x
Fake it until you make it! True this, I need to do it more often! #thelist
Author
It really helps x
Great tips! I need to try these things more often when I’m tired and grumpy in the mornings! Thank you! 🙂 xx
Author
I hope they help 🙂 xx
I love this post – especially about smiling as it is very true. I have been having some tough days recently and I need to smile more. I also do a lot of being friendly to people I don’t like, haha #thelist xx
Author
Aw I hope your days start to be brighter xx
Laughter really is the best medicine. We do this “fake laughing” thing with S and after about 15 seconds we’re all in real hysterics and it feels so good!! 🙂
Author
I love things like that, they just prove we can create our own happiness x
Such a great list, I think I will try it out over the next few days and see what happens (I’m all about self improvement at the moment) 🙂
Author
Hope it helps x
Love reading your thoughts on this. It’s something I think we just keep having to come back to and back to again, whenever we slip out of the habit of nurturing happiness, to get right back in there and nurture it again <3
Aw, I love this so much! Thanks for sharing!