Happiness is different for everyone and often it’s that elusive thing we are always trying to chase. We know it’s often not as easy as just following a few simple steps to be happy and we aren’t psychologists, but below are five small tips that might help to make your life a little happier!
Compete with yourself, not others
A little competition is always healthy, but if you spend your life trying to better everyone around you and comparing your achievements to those of others, chances are you’ll wind up disappointed. As Baz Luhrmann said in The Sunscreen Song, “the race is long and in the end, it’s only with yourself”. Compete with an earlier version of yourself in order to improve. Always strive to better yourself and your own personal record.
Search for the silver lining
This is probably one of the most difficult things to do. Sometimes, a situation really is truly awful and a positive can’t be found, but in every day life when small things get you down, search for that little glimmer of hope. Remember that you learn from every experience, good and bad, and that sometimes when you view things from a different light they’re not so bad after all.
Trust your instincts
Instincts are often something people can’t understand or explain, but they actually have a very scientific base. Your brain often picks up on things that you haven’t realised consciously and reacts to them. It’s great to talk out a decision with those around you, but if you feel in your heart that something is wrong or right, it’s usually your subconscious giving you the best decision.
Accept that you aren’t perfect
When you are a perfectionist, accepting that you don’t have all the answers and you can’t fix every problem, will be a first step on the road to a happier you! Try to realise that you will make mistakes and you can learn from them. Learn to value yourself as you are, without consistently striving for impossible perfection.
Confront your problems
Burying your head in the sand is definitely easier, but taking responsibility for your decisions and mistakes feels a whole lot better in the long run. We all have difficulties, but they don’t define us. It is how we confront and cope with them that makes us who we are. Take steps to acknowledge issues that are present in your life and think of ways that you can confront them. They will never disappear if you don’t try to help yourself.
(images and sources: lifebuzz.com, sassychunny.blogspot.com, localbandnetwork.com, oprah.com)
