Often when you think about your journey to happiness, you think it’s a long-term ambition. But there are plenty of things you can do right now to jump start that journey. Here are five things you can do today, this week, or this month to boost your happiness.
Let go
Let go of the toxic things in your life. Toxicity can come in many shapes and sizes. It can be friends who only take from you and don’t offer the same selfless friendship in return, never allowing your glass to be filled. It can be a relationship with your significant other, or maybe it’s your job that leaves you miserable outside of 9-5 – the best thing I ever did? Leave them. It could even be the 15 fitness influencers you follow on Instagram who were born with good genetics and different body types than you; we don’t need those extra unattainable beauty standards in our faces all day.
Whatever it is that’s making you feel less happy, let it go. Get rid of it and give no explanation, because you don’t owe that to them. You only owe yourself happiness and self respect.
Travel
I absolutely love to travel and I like to do it often. Temporarily getting away from the town you grew up in, the people you know, your job, and everything you know for a getaway is the perfect pick me up. There are plenty of affordable trips you can go on to get away and recharge. New air, new sights, new foods, and new experiences await you.
But don’t feel like you have to hop on a plane and head to a different time zone if it’s not within your budget, you can easily go for a weekend getaway somewhere that’s close to home but just far enough that you won’t run into everyone from high school. Grab your gals or even go alone. Unplug from social media and truly be present while you’re away and you’ll come back feeling refreshed.
Unplug
Speaking of unplugging… try it out. I don’t mean immediately delete all of your social media apps (I mean…unless you want to). Start by changing some of the notification settings on your phone. Six months ago I made it so that I don’t see Instagram, SnapChat, or Twitter notifications on my lock screen and I found that I’m spending way less time on the apps by not getting sucked in and distracted.
Studies have shown most people spend 15-20 minutes on social media first thing in the morning and this really sets a precedent for your day. Think about the posts and topics you see on Facebook and Twitter, not always positive, right? Try Instagram for photo content (puppies!) or even better – skip it all.
Reach Out
Take time to reach out to those you love. I’m a firm believer that if you love someone, tell them and tell them often. Call your parents, your relatives, or a friend you haven’t caught up with in awhile. Life gets busy when you’re an adult as you juggle your job, relationships, things at home, and more. Every week I have a call with a friend who lives out of state and it’s always the best ending to my day. Take just 5-10 minutes to reach out and catch up with someone you love.
Treat Yourself
This is always a given. I don’t mean splurge your whole paycheck at the mall as soon as you get paid while yelling “TREAT YO SELF” every time you swipe your credit card. Maybe you’ve been working really hard in the gym – give yourself a rest day. Or you’ve been doing so well saving money and you haven’t been to Starbucks in weeks – grab your favorite drink and go for a walk.
I often find I give so much of my energy to other people – because I’m fulfilled by doing so – that I seldom take the time to do things for myself. But I’ve learned that finding the time to do something for YOU is imperative to living a happy, healthy life.
I’ve done all of these things over the last two months and I can honestly say I’ve waited years to be this happy. Life is good – and you should always remember to do things for yourself that make you feel good. What are some of the things you do to get those feel-good vibes going?