Happiness is all about feeling joyful, satisfied, and content. Many people say this to be like a mirage as they can never get close enough to it. Our constant fights for survival at times surround us with many negative emotions. So, it becomes a challenge to be happy in life. But we need to understand what happiness is before we find out how to be happy in life.

In this article, we are going to dig into this topic and help you know how to make yourself happier.

How do you define Happiness?

Happiness may mean different things to different people. However, the basic understanding of happiness is associated with the feel-good factors.

Now, this feel-good feeling is all about feeling positive emotions that can be short-lived or permanent. For example, a movie outing with friends or a surprise gift might give you momentary joy. On the other hand, getting yourself engaged in something you love might make you feel happy for a long time. The first kind of happiness is known as Hedonia and the second kind is Eudaimonia.

As per experts, you need both kinds of happiness in life for the overall well-being of your mental health.

How to Be Happy in Life

Let’s find out the best possible ways to make yourself happier in life.

1. Regular Exercise

Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are chemicals that are responsible for relieving stress and uplifting your mood. Besides, exercise also helps us produce other hormones like dopamine and serotonin. They also play a great role in reducing depression and making us feel good. These 3 are also known as happiness hormones. Thus, regular exercise can help you to be in a good mood and positive state of mind all the time.

2. Indulge in small pleasures

It is important to enjoy momentary happiness even though it is short-lived. Anything that can leave a smile on your face for some moments counts. Try getting yourself a treat or visiting a new place or even watching a movie, etc. Whenever you feel stressed or depressed, try to do something to make yourself happier. Fulfilling activities like these will trigger the release of serotonin and endorphins. Thus, it will help you to lighten your mood.

3. Consume food higher in tryptophan

Many researchers have found that foods that are high in tryptophan can increase the level of serotonin. As a result, it will reduce your anxiety and depression and boost your mood. So, start consuming food like chicken, fish, peanuts, cheese, turkey, milk, etc. that are high in tryptophan.

4. Get your Vitamin D level up

Besides keeping our bones strong, Vitamin D also increases the level of serotonin in our body. So, increase your intake of Vitamin D. You can get this Vitamin in foods like tuna fish, salmon fish, egg yolks, beef liver, and cheese, etc. Also, exposing your body to sunlight can also help you get enough Vitamin D.

5. Take care of yourself

Your body releases oxytocin when you give or receive love in any form. Oxytocin helps in making you feel highly satisfied and happy. Even loving yourself and taking care of yourself means self-love and results in the release of this hormone. Getting yourself a massage or a new haircut or even getting into a yoga class can make you feel loved by yourself. Thus, it can make you feel happier than ever.

6. Spend time with loved ones

You already know the magic of oxytocin. So, if you want to increase the oxytocin level in your body, you need to spend more time with your loved ones. Besides, hugs and kisses also play a vital role in making you feel happy. Displaying love and kindness like this can even stimulate serotonin and dopamine. So, once you know how to trigger oxytocin, you will learn how to make yourself happier in life.

7. Eat chocolates

Cacao, the main ingredient of chocolates, is rich in tryptophan which elevates your mood. Tryptophan is responsible for releasing serotonin. Also, cacao contains phenylethylamine which is released by the body when someone has feelings like attraction, excitement, or new love. So, eating chocolates in moderation can enhance your level of feel-good.

8. Set goals and achieve them

Achievements of any sort can increase the level of dopamine. It sends a message to your brain – “ You have done a great job!” So, start setting goals for yourself and make plans to achieve them. These can be either small or big and achievable. Do not set unrealistic goals. Also, you can make any sort of goals like personal fitness, finance, career, or education, etc. Every time you achieve a goal, you will feel happy.

9. Focus on bigger pictures

Many times, we tend to miss the beauty of life because we are stressed with petty things. Have a broader view of life. Think beyond the picture and have a bird’s eye view when looking at things or circumstances. If you are stuck in a traffic jam on your way to the office, sing a song or think about a joke. There are many people in the world who are waiting for a job. If you have people constantly criticizing you, focus on the people or things that can elevate your mood. For any unfavorable situation, look at the bigger picture. Thus, you can reduce your negative emotions and make yourself happier.

10. Be kind to others

Many kinds of research have proved that acts of kindness can make you much happier in life. You can start following a routine of the daily act of kindness for a week. See the difference it makes in your life. You will feel more satisfied and happier. If it’s not possible to do a daily act of kindness, practice an act of random kindness. Acts like these will have profound and long effects on your happiness.

Last but not the least, you must always keep yourself busy in life to live a stress-free life. Also, examining your lifestyle, diet, health, and relationships can help you to know how to be happy in life. The more balanced you are with everything in your life, the better you will feel. As the famous author, Tom Bodett quoted –“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: Someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”