Whether you’re just having a bad day or are dealing with ongoing grief or depression, there are things you can do to feel happier. This article lists several ways to increase your happiness, starting with quick happiness boosters and moving on to advice for managing long-term sadness. So, no matter your situation, keep reminding yourself that you can become happy again!
1Put a smile on your face.
1
- The simple act of smiling can give you a little happiness boost. It’s true even if you’re just making yourself smile! Of course, it’s even better if you put yourself in situations where you can’t help but smile. Watch a funny movie. Take a nature walk on a sunny afternoon. Call up an old friend and reminisce about your younger days. Play with a puppy—or a whole litter of puppies![1]
- Keep in mind that the reverse is true as well: frowning, even if intentionally, makes you a little bit sadder, and scowling makes you a little angrier.
Method 2Practice gratitude.
Method 2
- Reflect on, or even write down, the things you can be thankful for. When any kind of good thing happens in your life, take a moment to savor it and soak it in. No matter what it is—finding your keys, getting a good seat on the bus, hearing a “good job” from your teacher, parent, or boss—be thankful for it! Once you start seeking out all the little reasons you have to be happy, you’ll begin to recognize more of the bigger reasons out there.[2]
- Try writing down a list of things you’re thankful for when you get up in the morning, when you go to bed at night, or both. Give it an honest effort and the list will probably be longer than you expect!
- Definitely practice gratitude when others show you kindness. Give a genuine “thank you” and take a moment to reflect on the fact that, despite what you might hear on the news or see on social media, there are lots of good people in the world trying to do good things.
Method 3Be kind to others.
Method 3
Good deeds like volunteering spread happiness to others—and to you. People who are generous with their time, talents, and even money really do tend to be happier overall. Putting a smile on someone else’s face by paying for their coffee, shoveling the snow off their sidewalk, or writing them a thoughtful letter will make you smile as well.[3]- Just thinking about being generous to others can give you a happiness boost—but actually doing something generous is so much more fulfilling!
Method 4Exercise regularly.
Method 4
368Get 30+ minutes of daily exercise for your overall health. Your mood is impacted by many different factors, including physical activity—or a lack thereof. If your body isn’t getting the activity it needs, neither is your brain. Exercise has a direct effect on your mood and overall happiness, releasing endorphins that help to counteract the effect of stress on the body and make you feel happy.[4]- Find an exercise routine that you enjoy doing. Start jogging or hiking. Play squash. Try something new (like ice skating) that you think you might enjoy, then try something else (like square dancing) if that doesn’t work.[5]
- Give your body time to rest and recover between exercise sessions, and get enough sleep at night. Like exercise, rest is essential in keeping your energy levels and your mood steady throughout the day.
Method 5Eat a healthy diet.
Method 5
322Healthy food improves your mood better than junk food. What you eat affects your mood directly. Junk food might make you feel better for a few minutes, but it’s a short-term “high” that won’t last. For more lasting mood improvement, focus on getting more leafy greens, whole grains, fresh vegetables, and fruits into your diet, and cutting back on prepackaged and heavily-processed foods.[6]- Increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in foods like flaxseeds, fish, walnuts, and tofu. Omega-3 supports your brain function and regulates your mood.
- Stay hydrated by drinking water regularly throughout the day. Problems that impact your mood, like headaches and tiredness, can result from mild dehydration.
Method 6Enjoy more sunlight.
Method 6
171Getting Vitamin D from the sun may increase your happiness. The science behind this finding isn’t fully understood, but it is clear that seasonal depression often occurs in the wintertime when the amount of daily sunlight is less.[7] No matter how exactly the vitamin D connection works, there’s plenty of reason to believe that a good dose of natural light can do wonders for your mood.[8]- The best way to get vitamin D from sunlight is to expose your skin, without sunscreen, to the midday sun. Aim for about 10-15 minutes a day, several times per week, if you have pale skin, and longer if you have darker skin—but not more than half the length of time it takes you to get a sunburn. Put on sunscreen after that point.[9]
- If you live somewhere with limited sunlight, invest in a light box that provides a good source of natural light as opposed to fluorescent light.
Method 7Follow your passion.
Method 7
2010Focus your time and energy on the things you truly value. This might not require you to make big life changes, but instead to adjust your existing priorities in life. Identify the things that you’re truly passionate about—the things that mean the most to you in life—and budget your time accordingly. Get busy doing what you love![10]- If you love fashion and beauty, start a blog and write about clothing or products. Explore new ways of enjoying your passion.
- If you enjoy playing instruments, learn a new song, or pick up a new technique that you've been meaning to practice.
- If you love learning and school, educate yourself further by devoting your time to your studies. Head to the library.
Method 8Try new things.
Method 8
361Pursue happiness by making positive changes that excite you. Life experiences that cause unhappiness, like a job loss or a break-up, can also be a great opportunity to try something new. Find something that you’ve long wanted to do but felt held back from doing—and do it! It can be a small change or a big change, so long as it’s a change that you want and that supports your own happiness.[11]- For example, you might start training for a 5k, then a half marathon, and finally a full marathon. Getting in shape and working toward a goal will help you feel happier and more confident.
- If you’ve lost your job, maybe it’s time to pursue a new career that really excites you.
Method 9Keep yourself busy.
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Method 9
7Occupy your mind and body instead of focusing on unhappy things. To be clear, there is a bit of a fine line here. You want to stay busy enough that you don’t have time to just sit and stew over your sadness.[12] However, don’t try to be so super-busy that you leave no time at all to experience your feelings. It’s okay to be unhappy some of the time, and it’s also okay to keep busy so you aren’t unhappy all of the time.[13]- Keeping busy by working with your hands seems to be particularly effective here. Try baking, cooking, woodworking, needlepoint, gardening, cleaning, playing piano, or a similar hobby or new activity.
- You might try to increase your work responsibilities in an effort to climb the ladder. Just remember not to throw yourself so far into your work that you leave no time for your feelings.
Method 10Make a to-do list.
Method 10
4Write out daily goals you can feel good about achieving. Sadness, grief, or depression can negatively impact your sense of purpose. It may make it difficult to get out of bed each morning, let alone do anything productive. Establishing clear, simple, and challenging but definitely attainable goals will help boost your focus and motivation. You’ll know what you need to do each day, and you’ll really want to mark those things off your checklist![14]- List things that you can do today to make yourself productive. You can include extremely small things, like “Brush your teeth,” run-of-the-mill but important things, like “Pick up the kids,” and aspirational things, like “Don’t smoke as many cigarettes as yesterday.”[15]
- Write out your accomplishments each day at the end of the day, if that works better for you. Listing everything positive you did can help you focus on your successes.
Method 11Don’t self-isolate.
Method 11
Get out of the house and around others regularly. Just being around other people can be helpful when you’re grieving, depressed, or otherwise unhappy. Go to public places as much as you can. Instead of making coffee at home, grab a cup at a local spot. Instead of reading the paper at home, read it at the library. Go to a movie instead of staying in and watching TV.[16]- Being around other people reminds you that life goes on and the world keeps spinning during both good days and bad.
- When situations arise that make it difficult to physically be around other people (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), lean on technology to help you maintain social connections.
Method 12Lean on your friends.
Method 12
Spend time and share your feelings with those closest to you. If you feel like talking about your sadness, find a close friend or loved one to open up to. Even if you're a normally private person, talking about your feelings can be very helpful. If, however, you don’t really feel like talking about your feelings, just hanging out with friends and talking about other things—work, sports, etc.—can really help as well.[17]- Surround yourself with people who care about you. Having people around you can help bring your overall mood up, even if you're not doing anything in particular.
- If you’re grieving the death of a loved one, for example, you might share memories of the person you've lost. Talk about the good times and share stories. Look at old pictures. Reminisce.
- You may just want to be alone sometimes, and that’s okay too. Listen to your feelings and find the right balance for you.
Method 13Be patient with yourself.
Method 13
148Dealing with any kind of sadness is a long and tough process. There’s no healthy quick-fix for sadness, and that’s okay. Regaining happiness is a process that has to take time, and there will definitely be roadblocks and setbacks along the way. Accept that this is all part of the process, cut yourself some slack, and keep working toward your goal.[18]- After a break-up, for example, it’s okay to be mopey for a while. Let yourself be sad and go through the motions for a bit. There’s no set timetable for how long the process should take, but it might be time to start trying to pull yourself out of your funk after a few days.
Method 14Write down your feelings.
Method 14
Identifying your sadness is a key step in overcoming it. Write down how you feel, and do it regularly—weekly or even daily. Putting your feelings into words helps you to better accept and address them. Making a list also provides valuable information should you, at some point, choose to see a counselor, therapist, or doctor for help with managing your feelings.[19]- If you’re experiencing depression, you may come to believe that “this is just the way I’m supposed to feel.” Identifying and writing down what you’re feeling helps mentally separate you from your depression and become more capable of dealing with it.
Method 15Talk to your doctor.
Method 15
Discuss any signs of depression and treatment options. Talking to your doctor is always a good choice no matter the cause of your sadness, grief, or depression. Be honest with them about your feelings and symptoms. If you’re diagnosed with a condition like depression, they can direct you to valuable resources to help return yourself to a healthy state of mind.[20]- Bring in your description of how you're feeling. Describe the severity and the consistency of the feelings. Be totally honest with your doctor.
- Symptoms of depression can include a lack of interest in daily activities, feelings of hopelessness, changes in appetite, sleep pattern changes, low energy, irritability, reckless behavior, mental fog, aches and pains, and self-loathing, among others.
- Treatment for depression usually involves a combination of mental health therapy, positive lifestyle changes, support networks, and—in some cases—medication.
Method 16Get help in a crisis.
Method 16
Reach out right away if you’re considering self-harm. Extreme sadness and depression can make you feel isolated, worthless, and empty, and may lead you to think about self-harm or even suicide. Don’t ignore these feelings and don’t be ashamed of them. Talk to someone you trust right away or call emergency services (such as 911 in the U.S.) if you’re in crisis.
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