5 Ways to be Happier Every Day
Since deleting IG and FB, my daily levels of joy have gone up significantly.
One of the many reasons this has happened is because I have been extremely intentional about doing little things each day that bring me joy.
Without the pressure to share any of these experiences on social media, I am able to create small moments of intimate connection with myself, my loved ones and the world around me, without inviting in the judgements or opinions of anyone else but me.
Each one of these moments adds value to my "Self-Love Bank" that gives me fuel for tackling life's bigger challenges.
In the age of social media, our society has become obsessed with showing off big accomplishments and experiences. Weddings, engagements, job promotions, skydiving, parasailing, scuba-diving, exotic vacations and more. The pressure to always do something "BIG" can make you feel like your daily life doesn't matter. Worse, it can make you feel like YOU don't matter.
And don't get me wrong, it's not that these accomplishments and experiences aren't important, they definitely are, but they only constitute a small portion of your actual life! I often fear that because we put so much weight on creating these big moments and making them absolutely Instagram-worthy perfect, we overlook the importance of creating a daily life that we love.
Then, even in our daily life, we might feel pressure to share every single moment to the point where we're not even doing things that bring us genuine joy anymore. Instead, we are choosing to do things for social acceptance and approval.
I know that this is certainly how I felt before I decided to delete my Instagram and Facebook. I would be doing something simple, like drinking a cup of coffee or going for a walk, when all of a sudden I would think "oh! I’m really enjoying myself, I should share this on IG." Then I would take a few minutes to post it on my story and see who watched and reacted. If I didn't get any interaction, it would often ruin my day. It made me feel like people didn't care about me, and in turn, it made me feel judgmental of myself. Not only that, but after posting something simple that brought me joy, I would often see something magnificent that someone else posted -- a glamorous beach vacation, a romantic kiss by the Eiffel tower -- you name it. All of a sudden, the impact of my joyful experience went right down to zero. It was a vicious cycle that often left me feeling insecure, unhappy and disconnected from myself and the world around me.
Since deleting these apps, my daily levels of joy have gone up significantly. One of the many reasons this has happened is because I have been extremely intentional about doing little things each day that bring me joy. Without the pressure to share any of these experiences on social media, I am able to create small moments of intimate connection with myself, my loved ones and the world around me, without inviting in the judgements or opinions of anyone else but me. Each one of these moments adds value to my "Self-Love Bank" that gives me fuel for tackling life's bigger challenges. Furthermore, because I am not on IG or FB, I am also not subjecting myself to comparing the value of these seemingly small moments to other people's BIG moments. This creates a protective shield for the things in my life that really matter to me, regardless of what anyone else thinks or does.
Overall this has helped me create happiness in my day to day life, and has decreased the pressure I feel to always be doing something amazing according to society' standards. This has genuinely changed my life for the better, and I think it has the potential to change yours too.
Here are 5 Ways to Be Happier Every Day
Create a protective shield
In order to create daily happiness, it's really important that you first set up time in your day where you are protected from the influence of the outside world. This could be from social media, from the news, from texts, or from email. At the bare minimum, I suggest finding time in the morning and evening to protect yourself from these outside influences. This is the time in the day when you are most vulnerable, reflective and susceptible to internalizing any judgements and comparisons you might experience. Although I took an extreme route and decided to delete my IG and FB all together, that doesn't mean you have to (though, this is definitely an option if you want to do this!). Instead, you can download an app like AppBlock, and block yourself from using specific sites during certain times. This will help protect your mind, heart, and energy during times in the day that are meant just for you.
2. Indulge in un-distracted moments of intimacy with yourself, loved ones and the world
Throughout your day, take time to pause and indulge in un-distracted moments of intimacy with yourself, loved ones and the world. What does this mean? This means intentionally pausing frequently throughout your day to enjoy what you are experiencing. For example, if you are drinking a cup of tea, take a moment to really experience that. Feel the warmth of the mug in your hand, feel the steam on your face, and delight in its delicious taste for at least a few gulps without doing anything else. When your loved ones enter your home, let yourself feel their embrace, soak in their smile, and be curious about their day. Look out the window and acknowledge the beauty of the sunset or the brilliance of the moon, without taking a picture. Simply breath in that moment and feel the impact of the wonder and awe it evokes within you.
3. Ask yourself "what could make this experience more enjoyable?"
Throughout your day, I'm sure there are many things you have to do that aren't necessarily considered "fun." Things like cooking, cleaning, running errands, working, sleeping etc. For all of those types of activities, ask yourself "what could make this experience more enjoyable?" For example, maybe when you're cooking, it means making yourself a cocktail to sip on, or putting on a trashy reality tv show. For cleaning, maybe it's making a killer playlist that totally pumps you up. For running errands, maybe you use that time to check in with family members or friends. For work, maybe it's investing in clothes that make you feel confident. For sleeping, maybe it's getting the coziest bedding and pillows you can possibly imagine. Ask yourself how you can elevate each experience you have throughout the day. Get creative, and have fun with this! Doing this can help create a positive association even with things that you don't consider remarkable. It will ensure that you have joyful experiences throughout your day, even if you don't do anything beyond what needs to be done.
4. Set up joy triggers throughout your day
One of my biggest projects through the Pandemic was hanging up family photos. I was really missing that in-person connection with my loved ones, and I really wanted to feel close to them. I took time to find photos with all of my family members and ordered some prints to hang up in our living room. I also finally got mine and Christians honeymoon pictures hung up in our room, and set up some picture frames on my bed stand with my parents holding me as a baby. In each one of the rooms in my apartment, I am surrounded by the love of my husband and family. I see these pictures and I instantly feel loved and cared for. They are my joy triggers (a term coined by Arianna Huffington meant to describe simple things that instantly make you feel happier). I suggest you take time to set up joy triggers throughout the spaces you occupy. Perhaps it's putting on your favorite song first thing in the morning, hanging beautiful art that makes you feel vibrant, reading a piece of poetry first thing in the morning, or hanging up photos of your family.
5. Keep it to yourself
The temptation to share every single moment of your life is strong. But, I urge you, keep some things to your self. If you have an experience in your day that lights you up, allow yourself to hold on to that feeling. Decide how you feel about that experience instead of letting other people decide for you. Resist the pull to share everything on social media and reclaim what matters most to you, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Instead of posting, hold your hand on your heart and say "I am grateful for this moment. I am thankful for this experience." See how this energizes you for the rest of the day, and keep adding these moments to your "Self-Love Bank."
Now, I would love to hear from you! What tip from above do you think you'll try this week? What ideas to you have on creating more happiness in your day to day life?What are some things that make you happy every day? Comment below and let me know!