How to Start Your Happiness Journey
By Krailyn Guymon
Happiness is something everyone seems to struggle with. The effort you give into changing your life to find happiness can be stressful. What if I told you that you don’t have to change your life to find happiness, but can incorporate a few things to help you see the happiness you may already have?
When it comes to feeling happy, you need to find the things in your life that work with the chemicals in your brain that release serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin. All of these chemicals help to make up your moods and the amount of pleasure you feel in life. There are many things you can do to try and boost these chemicals. Here are just a few things to try that could help. Each one will work differently from person to person.
1. Write a Journal
Keeping a journal about positive things that happen within your good and bad days can help you see the good things that happen each day. Although you may have a bad day, you might find that keeping a journal can allow you to review your day and find clarity. Getting clarity may come by getting all of the jumbled thoughts and feelings you experience out in the open.
2. Less is Better
Living life with less distractions can inspire more gratitude for the simple things. This creates an environment where you can start to see clearly what is more important to you in your life, and what’s potentially standing in the way of your happiness. One of the new trends is van life — I’m not saying you have to go live in a van to find happiness. Living in a van engages in a free kiond of lifestyle, letting go of some of the things that aren’t as important.
3. Listen to a Inspirational Podcast or Read Self-Help Books
Sometimes listening to a motivational speech or podcast helps you on days that you need a little extra push. Here are just a few of many that you can listen to on days that are just a little harder.
Podcast
- The Science of Happiness with Dacher Keltner
- Kindness Podcast with Nicole Phillips
- Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris
Self-Help Books
- Get Out of Your Own Way by Mark Goulston, M.D. and Philip Goldberg
- Atomic Habit by James Clear
- Declutter Your Mind by S.J. Scott, Barrie Davenport
4. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
It can do a lot for you if you are able to get out of your comfort zone a little bit. Making yourself a little uncomfortable from time to time isn’t going to hurt you. It could actually help you in the long run. Doing things like walking around the mall, going to a park, making new friends, trying a new school activity. There’s so many things that you can do everyday to get out of your comfort zone a little bit and make your life a little more spontaneous.
5. Seek Support
Go out of your way to reach out to people if you find yourself struggling. If you have goals that you want to achieve, it’s always good to have people behind you and supporting you, helping you stay on track. Receiving support from family and friends will help you long term. It’s important to know that if you feel you need professional help and support, that’s ok! Therapists, career mentors and counselors can help you work through things that may be holding you back from your full potential and lasting happiness.
6. We All Have Bad Days
No one is perfect, or all put-together. I know it’s easy to compare yourself and your progress to that of someone else’s. Bad days help you figure out what you really want in life. Bad days happen, and that’s just part of life. How you learn and grow from the experiences is how you are able to remember that bad days happen. It is important to stay focused on your journey to keep bettering yourself.
7. Get Out of Bed
This is probably one of the most important mind set changes. If sometimes getting out of bed is all you can do that day, then that is enough. Getting up to even brush your teeth or hair on a day you feel like you can’t move is a success. A little bit of movement everyday contributes greatly to our lasting happiness. Changing your mindset from, “I didn’t do anything today” to, “I was able to get out of bed today” will make a huge difference in how you view life and in the long run, how you view your happiness journey.
8. Call a Friend
Some distractions are good. Catching up with friends is always good, especially when you’re feeling down. Giving someone a call can help to brighten your day and lift a little weight off. If you feel like you are starting to have a down day, it wouldn’t hurt to distract yourself and give a friend a call. It can help you feel a little better; feeling better is what matters.
9. Get Good Sleep
How much sleep you get each night can seriously affect how you feel. If you wake up and feel gross, because you got too much or too little sleep, then it’s incredibly hard to get out of that funky feeling and have a good or productive day. Everyone’s schedule is a little different. We all work differently. But getting 7–9 hours of sleep a night is significantly recommended for a positive mental state of mind.
10. Eat Better
What you put in your body can affect how your body and mind performs. Making sure you fuel your body with healthy and beneficial food will help you to accomplish everything on your to do list. Eating healthier makes you feel lighter, fueled and provides us with a better outlook on things. Whereas eating junk food all the time can weigh you and your mood down. Develop a healthy balance of food. It’ll benefit you in every aspect of your life.
Happiness can come from changing your mindsets and how you view the things that happen in your life. It is especially important as college students to learn that not everything has to be bad or hard. When it comes to your mental health, there are no rules. Do what works for you. Life is full of opportunities for learning and growing. Shifting your headspace to a more positive focus will help you discover your happiest self.
