There are plenty of ways to make your family happy. Make sure they have everything they need, act selflessly, and give them the emotional support they need to become the best versions of themselves. However, while this might seem like a logical approach if you’re trying to make your family happy, it might, actually, not be. It’s much better first to make sure that you’re happy, thrived, and satisfied — if you are, then you’ll find that making your loved ones happy follows naturally. Below, we take a look at some tried and tested methods that’ll have you on your way to happiness, with your family’s improved happiness level following shortly after.
Get Priorities In Order
We’re getting pretty good at figuring out what we need to be happy, or more crucially, what we don’t need. You shouldn’t, for example, but too much of your happiness in the hands of how much you earn. There is a correlation between how much you earn and how happy you are, but it plateaus relatively quickly. If you have enough to meet your basic needs and can have the odd luxury, then you’re good – putting longer hours into your working life to get more money to buy more luxuries won’t make you happier, but will cut into the time you can spend doing the things that will boost your happiness.
Toxic Relationships
Looking after yourself is all well and good, but if you’ve got someone in your life who’s bringing you down, then you’re going to find it difficult to be as happy as you could be. While most people know to avoid the bad influences and toxic people who are already at arm’s length (such as people they used to know well), they’re more reluctant when it comes to closer friends and family members. In the long run, it is better to move towards a divorce by working with family law lawyers than it is to stay in a relationship that’s not working. You’ll be happier, the other half will be happier, and it’ll be better for the kids, too. It is also recommended to put your relationship with your parents and siblings under the microscope, too — if you’re giving much more than you’re getting, then those relationships might not be as good for you as they should be.
Exercising
Not everything that’s going to make you happy is comfortable. It’s not always the easiest option, either. Sitting on the couch might seem like a good way to spend time, but if making yourself happy is your goal, then it’s probably not the right approach. Instead, put on those workout trainers and get exercising. Going for a long run or working out at the gym will get plenty of endorphins – the chemical that makes you happy – flowing through your brain. If you doubt how true that is, try going for a long fun and just see how you feel afterwards.
Other Healthy Habits
Exercising isn’t the only “healthy habit” you should make part of your life in order to be happier. Other things, like the foods you eat and how much sleep you get, can have a tremendous impact on how happy you feel. All the body is interconnected, and if the stuff you’re eating is rubbish, then your mental state is going to be affected. Learn how to cook a range of healthy meals, and make sure you use fresh ingredients — they really do make a difference. If you’re finding that you’re unable to get a full night’s sleep, then look at slowly winding down your mind. For example, it’s advisable to avoid digital screens, like your smartphone or tablet, for around two hours before you hit the hay.
Managing Other People
It is possible to cut people out of your life, but sometimes it’s more difficult, as in the case of your work colleagues. It seems like these people shouldn’t have a big impact on your happiness levels, but as everyone who’s worked with a detestable person knows, they do. The trick is to not let them get under your skin; the only person you’re hurting by letting them get at you is yourself.
Into Nature
There’s something pretty odd about modern life that isn’t always discussed, and that is that we’re spending much more time indoors than we should. Humans weren’t supposed to be sat behind a computer all day! And this lifestyle doesn’t just have an impact on our physical condition (though its negative impact on your body can be substantial) — it also affects our state of mind. Studies have shown that just fifteen minutes spent in the great outdoors is enough to give your mind a boost. Fifteen minutes! If you’re spending too much time on the computer or otherwise indoors, try to make getting into nature part of your routine.
New Hobbies
It’s not always clear what makes us happy. Sometimes it feels like we’re happy in our routine, but when something comes along that messes with that routine, find our happiness levels have been given a jolt in the right direction. It’s always worthwhile finding new hobbies to engage in. While you might have an idea about the types of hobbies you like to do, there are a million and one options out there, and what if your all-time favourite is one you haven’t tried yet? Even if you don’t find a life-changing hobby, it’ll help you to bust out of your rut, which is always a good way to increase happiness.
Helping Others
We’re taught by society that we should only think about ourselves (and our families, which are extensions of ourselves). But scientists aren’t too sure about this approach — the data seems to suggest that acting selflessly, rather than selfishly, is the best way to create long-term happiness. If you’ve got some spare time in your schedule, then take a look at volunteering with a community in your area. It doesn’t matter what it is, so long as it involves improving the lives of others. According to the science boffins, the satisfaction you get from it will be substantial.
Boost Your Confidence
Confidence is, alas, a tricky thing. This is annoying since our happiness is so closely linked with our confidence! Everything could be fine, but because we lack confidence in ourselves, we’re not able to fully enjoy the moment. It’s worthwhile, therefore, conducting a bit of self-analysis, and figuring out which areas of our lives we feel good about and which we feel bad about. Once we’ve got our list of “bad things,” we’ll have the option to either doing something about them or just get over them altogether.
Friends and Family
Life can keep us pretty busy. We have jobs to get to, kids to look after, sleep to catch up on, and so on. As such, often more time passes between seeing our friends and extended family than we’d like. However, since we’re social creatures, it’s worthwhile finding the time to fit them into your schedule. It’s often only after we’ve returned home from a long conversation with a loved one that we realise how much we’ve missed spending time with them, and the positive influence they have on our happiness.
Limit the Tech
Just because something is presented as normal, that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily good for us. Alcohol is presented as entirely socially acceptable, but it’s one of the more dangerous drugs that’s out there! Technology can, to a lesser degree, be lumped into this category. While it’s fine in small doses, if we spend too much time browsing the web, our happiness will take a dive. It’s not so much that the internet is bad for you, but that it’s not really good for you, and is unlikely to make you happy — and all that time you spend online could be spent doing something that actually brings you happiness.
Meditation
Of course, even with all the will in the world, there are going to be days when you’re not feeling at your best. Everything is going wrong, and the anger is starting to build! Wouldn’t it be handy if you had something that could provide a buffer between you and those negative emotions? Well, there is — meditation. It’s an incredibly powerful tool that can help you to manage the negative emotions that everyone gets, and it’s so simple to do, too. All you need is fifteen minutes, and you’ll walk away feeling like you’re walking on air.
Sunny Side of Life
Finally, let’s not forget the tried and tested remedy for feeling better: the power of positivity. There are always multiple ways of looking at what’s going on, why not look at it in the way that’s going to bring you the most happiness? If you don’t feel like you’re a naturally positive person, then fear not — it’s a skill that can be learned. It’ll have a positive impact in many areas of your life, and there are no obvious downsides, so give it a go.