Everyone wants to be happy, so why does happiness itself seem to be so elusive? One big reason is because people are so often wrong about what will bring about that state. They imagine that lots of money, fame, or meeting the right person will make it happen. Yet if you look around the world, plenty of people have those things and are still miserable. Some of the tips below may seem somewhat unorthodox, but they can help you better achieve this state.
Define Happiness
What does this word mean to you? No one can be in a state of constant, buoyant joy always, so try to be more specific about what you are after. Some words you may want to consider are engaged, content and stimulated. Imagine how you would feel and act as a genuinely happy person.
Set and Meet Goals
There is no single path that will guarantee happiness, but the ability to set and reach goals is an important tool. Goal setting needs to be as specific as possible so that you can identify how to make progress. If you want to go back to school and finish your education, you should set a certain time period in which you want this to happen and write down the concrete steps that you need to check to achieve it. These might include researching colleges, applying, and looking into opportunities for funding. If you visit Navient Marketplace, you can compare rates for many of those opportunities, including FAFSA, student loans, and scholarships.
Find Meaning
What gives your life meaning? This may change over the years, so it’s worth going back periodically and considering it, especially if you’ve been feeling aimless lately. Examples of places where people find meaning include religion, family, or a particular pastime that they love, such as singing or hiking. Identifying what gives you a sense of meaning is a great way to deal with stress and it can help ensure that you prioritize the things that you know fill you up emotionally.
Notice the Small Things
It can be easy in life to take the good things for granted or fail to notice them at all, whether that’s actions your friends or family members take to show their affection for you, a beautiful sunset, or a simple pleasure like a cup of coffee. Try setting yourself exercise, such as noticing three or four small things each day that make you happier.
Practice Acceptance
It may sound paradoxical, but as the final step toward happiness, stop worrying so much about being happy. For one thing, it’s not a sustainable emotion. Nothing is, you won’t feel the exact same way all the time about anything. This means that even when you are living a perfectly satisfying life, if you aren’t careful, you can convince yourself otherwise simply because you aren’t feeling bliss you imagine that you should have. Work on practicing acceptance in your life. That doesn’t mean giving up. It does mean making the most of where you are now and enjoying it even if it’s not exactly where you want to be and you’re striving for a different future.
