5 Habits That Can Make You Happier
Is happiness something that just happens to you or is it created through a series of deliberate choices? I believe there are habits that can make you happier.
There was a time in my life when I was very unhappy. When I reflect on the habits I had, I can see why I was unhappy.
Exercise wasn’t something I considered to be an important part of my life. When I did exercise, it was to look good. Because I was doing it for extrinsic reasons, it felt like a chore and I couldn’t do it on a consistent basis.
My hobbies were going for drinks with friends, spending time on social media and watching TV. I still enjoy doing these activities today but looking back I can see that they helped me pass the time but they didn’t make me feel alive.
I wasn’t intentional about the relationships I had and I put up with behaviour that was unacceptable. I knew why I didn't like certain things done to me. I didn't understand why I didn't like those things.
That led to me not enforcing my boundaries because I wasn’t clear what they were. I wasn’t really living, I was surviving. I reached a point where I knew that I had to make changes in my life because I wanted to be happier.
I knew that I could have more happiness in my life. I told myself ‘Nah. This can’t be it.’ I decided to start with discovering who I really was and the woman I wanted to be. The journey was tough and it hurt like hell. It wasn’t easy but it was worth it.
Once I understood who I was and I had the vision of the woman I wanted to be, I started to develop habits that would help me become that woman. The woman I envisioned was happy and was committed to enjoying her life.
I realised that happiness is a journey that requires consistency. You don’t have to wait for things to happen to you to be happy. You can create your own happiness through deliberate and conscious decisions that you make every day.
It doesn’t mean that everything in your life is going exactly as you want it to or that you don’t feel sadness. It’s not about pushing away sad feelings. It’s about knowing your needs and honouring them. Happiness is being deliberate about who and what you choose to spend your time and energy on.
It’s choosing to focus on the things that are going well - no matter how small they are. It’s choosing to do the things you love, especially when you’re going through difficult times and you really don’t want to do anything.
Here are 5 habits that made me a happier woman.
Exercising in the morning
Having Hobbies
Journaling
Practising Gratitude
Prioritising Good Relationships
Do you have habits that make you happy? Tell me about them in the comments.