9 No Fail Secrets to Start Feeling Happy Again
Have you ever woken up feeling uber-pissed off at the world and everyone in it?
Have you ever felt sad or depressed for no reason?
Have you ever just been unhappy or discontented with your life with no clue in the world (or reason) why?
I’m willing to put money on the fact you have felt all of these things at one time or another. I know I have.
In fact, this past week, I was very out of sorts. If I could have stayed home alone under the covers with no human contact, I may have. Fortunately, I have people to see and things to do that forced me to pull my head out of my behind.
Whether we realize, admit or like it or not, happiness comes from within each of us. Whatever your life experience is in any moment, you have the power to turn things around. It’s not always easy. In fact, a lot of times it’s difficult to get out of a deep, dark funk.
Feel better about this: taking one little step to make yourself feel just a teeny bit better could be all you need to turn the tide in your favor.
Feeling crappy? This is your chance to take control of your life. Help yourself feel happier.
Today, I’m going to give you “9 No-Fail Secrets to Start Feeling Happy Again” for when you just aren’t “feeling it.” Pick at least one of my suggestions and do it. Don’t wait. Do it now.
1. Go to any store with a greeting card section and peruse.
I just went shopping for Valentine’s Day cards yesterday. I was reminded of how many stupid greeting cards are out there. I mean…ridiculously stupid. There are, however, some really funny ones, too.
Stupid or funny…I got sucked into the card section at Target for at least half an hour. I actually enjoyed it. I wasn’t the only one so easily entertained because there were two guys on either side of me still standing there chuckling when I finally managed to pull myself away.
Go check out some greeting cards. And, if you’re really feeling adventurous, BUY a card for someone you care about and send it to that person.
2. Handwrite and mail a letter to someone you love.
Do you remember the days when you used to receive handwritten letters in the mail? When I was a kid, I used to sign up for pen pals (through the The Big Blue Marble) just because I LOVED getting mail from friends. I can’t the remember the last time I received a handwritten letter from someone.
I would love this. Wouldn’t you?
Pay it forward and write a letter to someone you care about. You will make that person’s day. In fact, you might even hear from that person after he or she receives your letter!
Wouldn’t that make you feel happy if it happened?
3. Treat yourself to that “thing” that you only “allow” yourself on special occasions.
I have a gynormous sweet tooth. Since I have incorporated a paleo diet into my life, it is rare that I indulge in my favorite all time treat: ice cream. Whenever I walk into my favorite gelato shop and see the colorful flavors in the cooler awaiting me, my mood is instantly lifted. Paleo or no paleo…sometimes I just need me some ice cream.
What lifts your mood? A foo-foo coffee drink from your favorite shop? A craft beer that you wouldn’t normally drink? Hmmmm…is it a gourmet cupcake or homemade peanut butter cookie?
Give yourself the gift of something delicious. Remember though, you’re not consuming the treat to feed the emotion you are feeling. You are treating yourself to experience the pleasure of being a human who is alive and can feel.
A few other pointers: Don’t gobble your treat in two bites. Don’t slam it in a single gulp. Don’t eat it in front of the TV, at the computer or while reading.
Close your eyes as you take your first bite or drink. Focus only on it. Appreciate the flavor, the texture, and the aftertaste. Be aware of the sensations you are experiencing. Savor every moment.
Be thankful for your sense of smell, taste and touch.
4. Create a mix “tape” of your favorite music.
Remember back in the day when you used to need a dual cassette recorder to make a tape of your favorite music? Didn’t you love hearing a soundtrack of your favorite handpicked tunes?
Today, with iTunes and Spotify, what used to take hours can be done in less than a 5 minutes. However you are feeling right now, set that mood to music by making a playlist of your favorite songs. By doing this, you will be expressing your emotions through the music.
Go ahead and sing, cry, wail, thrash or do what you need to when listening to said playlist, too! Remember…expression is healthy.
5. Do something to help a person who needs a hand, a shoulder, an ear or just someone to care.
There are some people in the world who have nothing nor nobody. It might be the guy standing on the corner at the freeway intersection. Or, it might be an elderly person in a retirement home. It might be a hospitalized baby suffering from a condition who just needs to be cuddled. That person might be a soldier in Afghanistan who craves encouragement.
Pick someone and give that person what s/he needs. Give conversation, a hug, a care package, a buck or a cup of coffee. By making someone else feel better YOU will feel a sense of belonging, contribution, and purpose. It doesn’t get better than that, my friend.
6. Clear out some clutter.
Don’t spend the whole day doing this. Commit to taking 30 minutes to clean out your junk drawer, your car, or the space underneath the bathroom sink. Trash the stuff you don’t need or that has been sitting half-used for years. Power-purge, then do a quick reorganization.
After 30 short minutes, you will feel a sense of accomplishment. Beware…after doing this, you might want to tackle something bigger like the attic, shed or garage. Watch out world!
7. Get hot, sweaty and dirty.
No, I’m not talking about sex. That could work for this suggestion, though. OK…focus…focus…keep reading.
Sometimes when I’m feeling mean, I like to go to the gym and throw some weights around while listening to angry music. Other times, I need to get to a hot, relaxing yoga class that allows me to get into a meditative zone. Regardless, as I sweat, I can feel the toxins leaving my body, as well as my mood shifting as the blood starts flowing.
If you’re a gardener, get out and dig some dirt, baby. If you like to play basketball, find a pick-up game. Like to swim? Get yourself wet.
Do something to get your body moving. Get physical. Get sweaty.
8. Turn on a movie, comedy show or some music that makes you feel great.
Order the movie you love so much that you know all the lines by heart. Or… find the sitcom or comedian that makes you laugh out loud. Turn up the volume and jam to that artist who makes you want to get up and boogie.
Get into it. Say the lines, laugh out loud, scream at the top of your lungs or dance. Your mood will lift. I promise.
9. Think of the five things you are most grateful in your life and fixate on them for five minutes.
Have I brought this up before? Yes.
Why? Because it works.
I don’t care who you are. You have something to be grateful for in this moment. What is it? Why are you grateful for it? How does thinking about it make you feel?
Once you get started on the “being thankful” roll, it can snowball. In fact, I challenge you not to stop at giving thanks for five things. Can you think of 10? What about 20?
It Starts One Choice to Feel Happy at a Time
It’s difficult to go from feeling like total crap to skipping with glee in an instant. If you think about doing easy, little things to start feeling happy again, kickstarting your mood isn’t so overwhelming. Once you are feeling a little better, do something else to build on top of that and keep on going.
Before you know it, you will be back to your old laughing, smiling, and bouncing self.
That’s how you like to feel. That’s the you we love to see the most. That is who you are meant to be in this life.
Sending you my wishes for a week in which you indulge in at least one thing that helps you start feeling happy again.
All my best,
-w
P.S. What step are you going to to take today to start feeling happy again?