10 Ways to Add Happiness into Your Daily Life

Happy Tuesday! Today’s post is one of my favorites because it’s brought to you by No Compass Necessary. Cassie was kind enough to share on the blog with us 10 ways that she adds happiness to her daily life! All words are Cassie’s, and I definitely recommend you check her blog out too HERE!

10 Ways to add happiness into your daily life

Everyone wants to be happy, but how do we go about it?

You can easily identify when you are unhappy, however, we don’t always recognize simple joys that can be found in ordinary moments because of the business of everyday life.

Happiness is a state of well-being. We all know it when we feel it.

It is important to us to find what makes us happy and the little things that add a bit of joy to our lives. From what my husband and I have read, watched, and experienced ourselves, we have finally realized that you have a choice to make yourself a priority and increasing your happiness is only up to you!

That’s why we’d like to share ten ways we’ve discovered work for us to create a happier life:

1. Reflect on what makes you happy.

It’s so easy to be consumed with our own thoughts and create a great deal of unnecessary stress and anxiety, that we lose sight of what is truly important. You may not notice what already makes you happy, so spend some time really diving deep and thinking about what has made you happy in the last month and create a gratitude journal. Taking this time will allow you to affirm those feelings of happiness and recreate them for the future!

2. Create a daily checklist.

Creating a to-do list or a checklist allows you to organize your tasks for the day and gives you a satisfied feeling when you get to check something as completed. List even the smallest things, like “shower” or “eat breakfast!” It might seem oversimplified but I put it to the test. Instead of getting overwhelmed when I’d write down a huge list of projects I needed to work on, I’d end up getting upset and pitching the list because I felt bad about not accomplishing it all. Having everything written out made me feel good, as I recognized I accomplished more than what I thought.

3. Random Acts of Kindness.

At the end of each day during my meditation time, I like to ask myself the following question:

“What did I do today to help someone else?”

Whether it’s as simple as a compliment on someone’s nails or as thoughtful as helping someone get their groceries to their car, acts of kindness go a long way in adding value and happiness to your life. Most of us have seen a commercial along the lines of a stranger performing an act of kindness. While they perform said act, another bystander witnesses this and in turn goes on to do something kind a few moments later. Acts of kindness are like a sneeze or a smile – they’re contagious!

4. Unplug for a while with some “Me time.”

As life goes on day-by-day, and everyone’s lifestyle is a little different than the next person, something that never seems to vary too much in this world of technology is the dependency for our cell phones, computers, and tablets. Even when the workday ends I still find myself checking my text messages before going to bed and again right as I wake up! Even though I think I am being dutiful by checking my phone first thing in the morning, it isn’t very healthy or productive. Your mind starts running immediately and you get distracted way too early in the day.

Some may even call it an addiction. So my challenge to you is to plug your phone in at night and then shut it off and use your watch or a regular alarm clock for your morning wake up call. The next thing I ask of you is to get up just a little bit earlier to enjoy a cup of coffee. Don’t just put it in a travel mug or buy it from Starbucks on the way to work. I really want you to set your coffee maker on a timer, have a cup brewed for yourself by the time you’re dressed for work and actually take time, breathe in the wonderful aroma, and sit down and enjoy it.

5. Get moving.

From walking to lifting weights, adding a good workout into your daily routine is a well-known method to release all sorts of “feel good” chemicals in your body. One of the best examples of this would be what is referred to as a “runner’s high.” Having that rush of good feelings flow through your body increases your contentment and satisfaction.

For me, it’s not necessarily an actual physical feeling as much as the mental realization that I did something to make myself healthier. This usually sparks better decisions throughout the rest of the day. For example, I’ll choose a protein shake over ice cream (my weakness)! In turn, this leads to less regret about poor health habits and a happier body. I also always add my workouts to my to-do checklist and I keep track of the calories I burned throughout the day in my head. This way I know if I worked hard enough to deserve that glass of wine with dinner or before bed. Sound like good motivation? Definitely.

6. Reconnect.

This one is about rekindling an old friendship or maybe contacting a family member you haven’t spoken to in a long time. As much as my husband would like to think he can live without emotional connections – he lights up whenever he gets to talk to one of his best friends that he never sees and will talk for hours with his mother whenever they get around to calling each other.

Making new friends and building a network of solid friends is something everyone enjoys, so why wouldn’t keeping old connections alive and strong be just as good? Try to think about someone who used to be really close to you that might not be in the picture as much anymore. Reach out to them and start a conversation. Just make sure to listen more than talk and a phone call is always better than a text!

7. Find a good read.

Even spending as little as 10 minutes a day is beneficial. Any type of book stimulates the mind, but we’d like you to aim for more of a book on personal development. Your options are unlimited, from a book on southern cooking recipes to financial literacy for single mothers. The average CEO reads about a book a week; I think we can manage a book a month. As with other examples on this list, it gives you a sense of achievement and it also helps your mind grow.

8. Create something.

Creating something evokes a sense of purpose. Think about that time you finished that DIY project you found on Pinterest! How did it make you feel? Did you text a picture to all of your friends to show them how crafty you are? You feel proud of yourself. I know anytime I finish one of our DIY home projects or cook something fancy from a recipe I haven’t used before, I feel so good. So try it out!

9. Be one with nature.

If you know us, you know we love camping and being outdoors. Don’t get us wrong, we are definitely home-bodies and still enjoy a night on the town every once in a while, but there is something calming about the stars unobstructed by the pollution of city lights. I’ll often find my husband sneaking off into the backyard to take a nap mid-day in his hammock rather than curling up in bed or taking a nap on the couch. Being outside makes him happy and it’s rubbed off on me, too.

We’d like this one to go hand-in-hand with unplugging, so if you’re willing to give it a try then we suggest you leave the phone on silent and go take a nap outside, on the grass, in a chair, or in a hammock. Or take a walk through your neighborhood or a local park. We want you to just take some time for yourself and relax. Don’t stress about the have-tos or the have-nots. Just focus on what you have now, what makes you happy and how you plan to make the good in your life even better.

10. Positive thinking.

You know that feeling you get when you’re dreading getting up for work, you lay in bed for a while longer, sulk a little bit, think to yourself… hmm, do I have a headache? I might be feeling a little sick. Have you ever noticed that when you wake up, well, on the wrong side of the bed, telling yourself that “today is going to suck,” it actually ends up being pretty crappy? The truth of it is that it’s your fault; You’ve set your mind to negativity for that day, so that’s all you’ll receive in return.

So, instead of when you get up in the morning look at yourself in the mirror or even leave yourself a sticky note on your bathroom mirror saying, “Today is a good day.” When someone cuts you off on your drive to work say, “I am happy.” Give it a shot. Let’s see how your world-view changes. The more positive thoughts you send through your body, the more you’ll truly believe it.

I’m sure you have heard this before, but I believe that happiness is a choice. It is up to us how we decide to react to moments in our life, whether good or bad! Have any more ideas on how to add happiness to your daily life, don’t be afraid to share.

Thank you Cassie for sharing your thoughts with us, it is so moving & inspiring! And I must admit, it’s time for me to think positive thoughts more often! Let us know in the comments what you thought! & Don’t forget to check out No Compass Necessary for more inspirational posts from Cassie!

Until Next Time,

-Ell