“Listen therapist, I’m so stressed, anxious, depressed, overwhelmed, going through a rough or traumatic time, etc.; how do I experience happiness in my life?”
It’s the million-dollar question, right? How can I find happiness? And furthermore- How can I find happiness when things are hard?
Maybe you’ve asked friends or co-workers, bought some self-help books, watched a few documentaries, or reached out to a therapist or counselor for some guidance about how to experience happiness in your current situation. The first point to consider that we discussed in Part I of this blog is that happiness is not a destination, it’s in the journey. When you keep that point in mind, it makes sense then that we must strive to do and have certain factors in our lives in order to experience the joyful and happy experience that everyone so desires in our everyday life.
To help get you started on your journey of happiness, I’ve compiled a list of 7 things that you should practice daily that will help you experience happiness in your everyday life. Let’s get started with the first four on the list…
Mindfulness
Ah, mindfulness. What a wonderful way to experience the world around you (and yourself). In its most basic definition, mindfulness means to simply be present. It sounds easy enough, but I must caution you; it is definitely not a simple concept to practice. I will also say, it is WELL WORTH the time and effort that you put in. In my opinion, it is one of the larger factors that can play a role in experiencing happiness in your daily life.
There are several foundation pieces to the practice of mindfulness, but for this blog, let’s look at just four. The first is the Beginner’s mind. The beginner’s mind provides us with the quality of awareness that guides us to see things in a new way, as if we have never seen or experienced it before with a sense of curiosity. The second is the concept of Non-striving. To enact the concept of non-striving in a given situation, one does not attempt to change or move away from that situation. This idea of not trying to be anywhere other than where you are can be tricky when you are in a particularly painful or confusing situation. To sit and experience the hurt or fear in a situation may seem counterproductive, but in the practice of mindfulness, it is not.
Implementing mindfulness into your daily life has been shown to increase levels of happiness, decrease depression and anxiety, and raise self-esteem. #JacksonMS #Therapy #Counseling
The third concept is Letting be. This concept is similar to non-striving; however, this concept more lends itself to having no want or desire to let go of whatever is present. When enacting this notion, you can simply let the things be as they are. The fourth concept that I will mention to help you on your way to finding happiness in your daily life is Self-compassion. The idea of loving yourself as you are without judgement, criticism, or fault allows a certain peace to manifest itself and allow you to see things around you in a different way.
Imagine if you were able to apply these concepts to your mind during or right after conflict with your spouse, while experiencing a loss, or when feeling overwhelmed at work. Shifts in your mindset, even when seemingly small, can have a ripple effect in changing how you view and experience the world. For more on mindfulness, including a prompt for a mindfulness exercise, read Part III of this blog located on the Therapist blog page to check out another of your local, Jackson, MS therapist’s blog post.
2. Go Outside
Countless research studies have been conducted that have shown that by simply being outside, getting some sun, walking in the grass (concrete walking shows less benefits), breathing in the plants and air around you (hopefully not during pollen season- oye!), and experiencing nature (walk through the woods, lay on the beach, plant a garden in your backyard) all have overall mental and physical health benefits AND leads to increased levels of happiness. Go outside and breathe it in…like actually right now…we will pause this blog here for you for when you come back from your walk.
3. Gratitude
Gratitude is first acknowledging the good in your life (it is there, even in the hard times…you may just have to look harder to see it) and then acknowledging that the good comes from something outside of yourself. To practice gratitude in your life, you can do something good for others- a smile, a compliment, hold a door open, etc. or simply let someone know that something they did (or didn’t do) provided something positive to your life for which you are grateful.
The benefits are two-fold: you will get a positivity boost (read: happiness) AND the people you helped/spoke to will also get that happiness boost. For more about gratitude, check out the blog post titled Stress: What is Stress and How to Manage It (Part III) located on the Therapist blog page, or click here.
4. Connect
Humans are wired for connection. I cannot begin to explain to you how beneficial it is, even if you consider yourself an introvert, to have people that you can connect with during the good times and the bad. Having people to joke around with, lean on during rough times, and help out in return when they are going through life’s difficulties is also well-proven in the research (I’m all about the research, so rest assured; I’ve got your back with good information).
Connection does not stop with being connected with people (friends, biological family or family of choice, co-workers, neighbors, your volunteer group, etc.). Connection to yourself, nature and animals, spirituality, God/religion (different from spirituality), and even the connection that you have with your job can all be important connections to build and develop to contribute to your overall mental health and happiness.
People are wired for connection. It is supremely helpful to have support/someone to share the good times with, as well as the difficult times. You do not need 20 close friends…2-3 will benefit you. Reach out to make a connection with someone today. #JacksonMS #Therapist #Counselor
Stay tuned for Part III of this blog: 7 Things to Do Daily to Increase Your Happiness- Tips from your local Jackson, MS Therapist for the remaining 3 things that you can do daily on your journey to increasing your happiness. Until then!
If you feel that your lack of experiencing the levels of happiness that you desire have gone beyond the help that you can get from reading a blog post, or if you are ready to start positive change in your life today, feel free to call me at the Jackson office of Central Mississippi Therapy Solutions - (769) 300-5259 – to set up an appointment where we can get to the bottom of what is causing your unhappiness, stress, or anxiety. We will fix this together.
If you have a topic or a question that you would like for Bahar Dunn, our Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Central Mississippi Therapy Solutions, LLC in Jackson, MS to answer, please email centralmstherapysolutions@gmail.com. Please do not include any identifying information (unless you are comfortable in doing so), as email communication is not always a confidential medium of communication.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is for general information purposes only. Nothing in this post or on this website should be taken as therapeutic guidance or therapeutic or medical advice for any situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, a therapist-client relationship.
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