These past couple of months I have been able to read an easy book every once in a while and discover more ways to find happiness. Happy Habits by Karen Salmansohn was a really good book to read and had some great ideas and statistics. If you want some ideas on ways to find more happiness but don’t want to take a lot of time to read, this is definitely a book for you.
This book shared things that I was shocked about, but also some things that I could relate to. There were so many good things she shared that can help you increase your happiness, so I thought I would share eight of them with you – but if you have the time go check this one out for yourself! 1. Take your vacation time 52 percent of Americans don’t use all their vacation time. Just by planning and looking forward to a vacation can make you happier. (Here’s your hint to use that vacation time even if that just means taking a day or two off and relaxing at home :) ) 2. Listen to your favorite songs You could boost your mood in just 12 minutes by listening to your favorite songs. When you have the time, make a playlist with your favorite songs and just hit play when you’re feeling down. 3. Unplug from work after work If you give yourself enough time to rest after work (or change rooms if you work from home), you more fully release stress, fatigue, and pessimism, which gives you a more positive mindset. Make sure to unplug and do something for yourself. It will make the next day at work much better. 4. Watch funny videos This is my favorite one because I do this ALL the time. Putting on a funny video (my personal favorite is of animals) will help you feel less stressed and happier overall. I like to share my funny videos with my mom and I think she gets a boost of happiness from it as well. 5. Play relaxing video games There are actual studies that show that this helps boost happiness and decrease levels of depression and stress – just make sure it's not violent and maybe even makes you laugh. I tried this and I think it works – just don’t play it too much and remember to take some time away from your phone. 6. Don’t walk too fast Studies show that people who walk quickly are a lot less happy than people who walk slowly. It's so important to take in the environment around you and appreciate what you see. If you walk too fast you’ll miss it! Slow down every once in a while, both while you’re walking and just in general. 7. Dance! Exercising as little as 20 minutes will help boost your mood (and your health). If you dance, even as little as once a week – it will greatly improve your mood. Grab a friend (or just yourself) and put on that happy playlist. I did this a lot when I lived by myself for a little bit during the pandemic. I put in headphones and had a silent dance party and that was one of the things that kept me going. I strongly suggest it! 8. Do a headstand! This one may take a little more work and you do have to be careful – but if you can do yoga or are up for a challenge, they have found that headstands help you see more joy. This past semester I learned how to do a couple of types of headstands and even got to teach some friends how to do it too! It definitely made me happier, but I didn’t realize that it was proven to make you happier too. I think this is the perfect excuse to do more of them. I love saying it’s the little things and I think this book helped prove that. Doing the little things really adds up, especially if you know that they bring happiness. If you decide to give one of these a try, or read the book and find more, comment below how it brought you some extra happiness!
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I’m sure you noticed that I haven’t been posting lately. It has actually been almost three months since I have written a blog post! This year I have been really struggling, but with family and friends I feel like I am finally starting to get back on track.
“I can’t call it depression” is what I told myself because there are people out there that hurt so much more than me. Because of that, I tried to cover up how I was feeling and go back to how I was before I felt this way, even when it felt impossible to move. I ended up getting even deeper before I let myself get any help. Since COVID this is what I told myself. I said in my head over and over again that I can’t struggle with depression… I write a blog about happiness, people know me for my smile, my happiness is my identity - but I felt sad, I felt numb and I wouldn’t let myself accept that I was feeling this way. I stopped answering texts, I lost all motivation, I cried for no reason, ate too much or not at all and sat on the couch all day if I could. I lost control of my happiness to the point where I didn’t even run or write this blog (as you’ve probably noticed). I debated sharing this, but I bet there’s other people out there that struggle with this too and need to hear it. I still find it extremely hard to say that I have mild depression because it isn’t anywhere near as bad as other people, but there are so many different kinds of depression. I’ve learned in today’s world almost everyone will feel some variation of it at some point in their lives. I was always so thankful that I didn’t need to worry about where my smile would come from because it was already there but when COVID hit, I lost my smile. I lost what defined me and I felt numb. I was no longer able to be the one for others to give them a smile and hoped someone would be there for me. I knew what it could be so I pushed myself some days when I felt like I couldn’t, but I wouldn’t let myself call it depression. I’ll still say I experience “sadness” because I don’t feel I have the right to call it that. But the thing is, to overcome it, I have to call it what it is, and it is depression. How could I, the creator of Pieces of Happiness, experience depression… Well, the easy answer is I’m human. So many things can cause depression and many, many people experienced it during this past year and a half. The thing that gets me the most is that life is great! I have an amazing boyfriend, I get to spend time with my mom and family, I have a great internship, and so much free time! So why be sad? Honestly, I don’t have an answer for that… but I do know that it’s okay. Sometimes you don’t need a reason, but you have to acknowledge the feelings. So, where’s the pieces of happiness in this? Honestly, I’m still figuring this out. It still can be hard but I have been getting a lot better. Going to a therapist has helped me so much. If you feel any of this at all (even a little bit) I strongly suggest seeing a therapist. There’s the social stigma with it, I know, but it has changed my life in so many ways. I wish everyone could have a therapist because they are so so good. In therapy I got the push I needed – being able to share how I am feeling and talk about it with someone is huge! I signed up for a nutrition program, went to the library every week, started working out more, and am starting to feel really happy again. There is a difference between depression and sadness and it is good to know those differences, but if you think you could be experiencing depression, it’s ok to ask for help rather than to label it as sadness and try to ignore it. I still have days where it hits me and I can’t do anything about it, but I am learning how to overcome it. I hope to start posting more consistently again and learning some more about happiness! If you need someone to talk to or are afraid of the label, please reach out! I would love to talk with you :) |
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August 2022
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