Easy Ways to Become a Happier Person.

My current season of life is an incredibly stressful one where everything is up in the air. There are big decisions to be made, there is no plan (I really just always need there to be a plan), and I pretty much wake up and say good morning to my hovering anxiety every day.

But...I think I'm also the happiest and most grounded I've been. And I think that's because I've stopped trying to mess with the big things and have been focusing on living day-to-day life instead.

I've recently discovered some super easy ways to be happier, no matter what the circumstances are.

Realize the difference between things you can control and things you can't. This is a big one for me. I would like a detailed plan for my future and I'd like one right now, thank you very much. But that's just not in the cards at the moment. So spending my time worrying and stressing over what I have no control over? That's just stupid.

Get excited over the small things. Something so small, like spilling my coffee, will happen and I'll get upset over it. But something small and good will happen, like an extra long green light, and it will go by completely unnoticed.

If you're going to get upset over the bad littles, get excited over the good littles.

Make an effort to be thankful. I talk about this all the time, but it's so true! If someone asked you if you were thankful for your relationship or your house or your car, you'd say yes. But it's probably not something you think about on a daily basis.

When your heart is grateful and your mind is thinking thankful thoughts, you're happier. It's just that simple.

Clean up. I'm a messy person. I like to blame it on my creative mind, but really, I just don't like to clean.

That being said, I'm the happiest and most relaxed when my house is clean. Sometimes it's well worth it to suck it up and clean for an hour or two and then be able to enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Fill your day with little joys. Sometimes the smallest things can turn your whole day around. I'm on a big hot tea kick lately, so I've started bringing a little bag to work with a mug and truvia and a bunch of tea bags. A few times a day, I'll pick out a different flavor and have a cup of tea while I'm working, and it's stupid how much happier it makes my entire day.

Take advantage of the little things, the cheap things, the silly things, and make your own happiness.

Realize there's some stuff that's just gotta go. You're never going to have a happy life if you're always surrounded by negativity. I think it's important to examine your life every now and then and see what you need to get rid of.

What makes you a happier person?

Happy Life Advice: Part Two.

happy life advice part one

Dress however you the heck you want to.

Wake up an hour earlier to live an hour more...

...but every now and then, sleep in for as many hours as you possibly can.

Compliment other people as much as possible.  If you like something about them, tell them.  Don't keep it in your head.

Write letters.  To friends, to lovers, to strangers...just write them. 

Have a go-to playlist that is easily accessible for the not-so-great days.

Don't let a day pass you by without reading something. A book, a chapter, a page, a quote...just something. 

Buy something at the start of every season to celebrate a new chapter.  Fall should be celebrated with new boots, or at least a pumpkin spice latte.

Celebrate good hair days with all the selfies your little heart desires. 

Say something positive out loud every day, even if it's just to yourself.

Drink lots of water.  Because there's only so much that coffee and champagne can do for you.  Water is your friend.  

Learn to be amazing at cooking at least one thing--cookies totally count. When you're having a bad day and feel like you can't do anything right, go cook the heck out of that one thing.  See?  You're super talented.

And of course, get a puppy. 

What's your advice for a happy life? 

Happy Life Advice.

Walk barefoot at least once in every new place you go. 

At least once a week, do something that scares you. 

Find a lipstick that you love, and wear it whenever you're having a bad day.

Always be reading a book.  Even if it's just a page a day, always be reading.

Every now and then, put your iphone down and just live in a moment instead of taking a picture of the moment.  Make a memory just for yourself, not for your instagram friends.

Make to-do lists, but don't be afraid to ignore them.  Sometimes real life can't fit on a to-do list, and that's okay.

Start fresh every morning.  Have a cup of coffee and treat the day like the blank slate that it is.

If you're passionate about something, work it into your life.  It doesn't matter if it's impractical.  Life is too short to ignore the things you're passionate about.

Work hard at everything you do.  If you're not going to work hard at it, get rid of it and work hard at something else.  If it's something that has to be in your life, like a job you don't love, suck it up and work hard at it anyway.  You're never going to be happy with something that you're lazy with.

But be lazy sometimes.  Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Recognize moments of pure happiness and hold on tight to whatever causes them.

Always be dreaming.  Big dreams, small dreams, doesn't matter.

Remind yourself, often, of how fantastic you are.  Whether it's the fact that you have awesome handwriting, that you're amazing at your job, or that you cook really great breakfast, remind yourself that you are wonderful.

If you love the people in your life, tell them.  In as many ways and as often as you can.

Get yourself a puppy.  Because, duh.

What advice do you have for a happy life? 

How-To: Turn a Bad Day into a Good Day in 30 minutes or Less.

1.  Take 5 minutes and just have a terrible, no good, awful, bad day. 

In LOST--the greatest show of all time--Jack has a unique way of dealing with fear.  He allows himself five seconds of being terrified.  He counts to five, letting the fear consume him as he does.  But when he gets to five, he doesn't allow himself the privilege of being afraid anymore.

Wallow.  Pity yourself.  Think of all the reasons you're having a bad day and how you'll probably never have a good day again.  Throw the biggest pity part of the year.  But when your five minutes is up, stop it. 

2. Change your perspective, literally. 

Change locations.  If you can't move to a new location, move to a different spot in the same room you're in.  If that's not an option, take a quick walk.  If you're stuck at a desk, rearrange the things on your desk to give yourself a clean space.  Just do something that will make your view different for at least a few minutes.  

3.  Make a list of 5 happy things.  

This can be a mental list, but I like to physically write down a list of happy things.  It doesn't have to be serious; no one else is going to see this.  Just list the first five happy things that pop into your mind.  

4.  Have a process that you associate with being happy and calm. 

Drink a cup of coffee or tea. If you're at home, paint your nails or put of comfy slippers.  Light a candle.  Take five minutes to do something small that makes you happy but doesn't interfere with the rest of your day. 

Since some bad days tend to strike while I'm working, I always have a mug and teabag in my purse.  It takes less than two minutes to fix a cup of tea, and then I can be back at my desk doing something that makes me happy without disrupting my work.  

5.  Keep on going with your day. 

The worst thing to do when you're having a bad day is to simply write off the rest of your day.  It's not time for yoga pants and wine yet; the day can still be salvaged.  Treat it like a new day and get stuff done.  It's hard to have a bad day when you're too busy being a productivity beast. 

And when all else fails. . .there's always the humor section on pinterest.  

What do you do to turn a bad day around?