6 More Simplest Things to Make Oneself Happier

So you read my first article on 13 simple things you can do to make yourself happy, and yet you’re still frowning? Hopefully these next six additions to the aforementioned article above will do the trick in turning that frown upside down. Here we go:

1. Paint.

Even if you think you suck at art, trust me, you don’t. You could throw up on a canvas and hang it in any gallery and someone will see the art of it. And that is the beauty of art, there is no such thing as being bad at it, there is only your interpretation. Go ahead and pour your heart out, puke if you wish, do whatever feels good to you. Paint until you cant paint no more and you should feel a lot better than when you started. Sign and date your painting, and name it if you wish. Who knows? You may be the next Picasso. Sometimes it is in our sadness that we find our greatest inspiration.

2. Take a day trip.

Open up a map and choose a spot within reasonable driving distance. Pack up some snacks, a blanket, and your camera and hit the open road. All you need is a good playlist and a destination, and before you know it, you're happy. Simply getting away from your usual surroundings is sometimes all you need to turn that frown upside down. It changes the energy that is around you and relieves stress, so grab that map and on you go.

3. Ditch Negative Nancy.

Haven’t you heard that happiness is contagious? It’s not a myth. As a matter of fact, it is actually quite true. Happy people give off happy energy and positive vibes and creates a happy environment which makes it virtually impossible for you to be negative. It all comes down to who you surround yourself with. People give off energy automatically, and we naturally pick up that energy, whether it is directed towards us specifically or not. Bottomline is Negative Nancy and misery both have one thing in common- they both love company. As long as that company doesn’t include you, Nancy and misery are free to do as they please.

4. Make a Bucket List.

Grab a pen and paper or your laptop, whichever you prefer and make a list of all the things you want to do in life. The list can be as specific and detailed as you want it to be, it’s all about you and your wishes. It should include all the places you want to see, all the things you would like to do, hobbies and sports you may want to try, people you would like to meet, even things you would like to buy. Writing all the things you want to accomplish in this lifetime allows you to take a time out from your current situation and gives you a chance to put onto paper all of these amazing things you have to look forward to so that you can do more than just look forward to them but actually start crossing them off your list, one by one, as you begin doing them.

5. Be productive.

Human beings are most happy when they are able to get things done. Putting things off and procrastinating make us nervous and create chaos in our mind. So make a list of things that need to be done and just do them. I don’t mean things like ‘graduate from medical school and become a doctor’ type list. I mean, a simple, short term type of list like, go to the post office, pick up the cleaners type of list. Small errands that you have been putting off and can easily accomplish within a day. You will feel a load off your shoulders by simply being productive and crossing these little things off your to do list.

6. Clean out your closet.

Go through your closet and start downsizing on the clutter. If there’s an outfit in there that you last wore in the 80s, do everyone at the thrift store a favor and donate that shit immediately. Excess clutter in the closet equals excess clutter in our minds, so start downsizing immediately and watch how quickly the extra pounds shed off your shoulders. If only that weight would shed off these hips, I’d be cleaning out my closet all day.

These are just a few little short term things that we can do to make ourselves happy, almost instantly. Keep in mind that happiness is a state of mind, and that state depends on how we decide to perceive it. Is the cup half full or half empty? What cup? I don’t see any fucking cup, but I do see a bottle of champagne! Just my fucking luck too, no damn bottle opener. Duh, you don’t need a bottle opener, its champagne not wine! Most of the time, things are much simpler than we make them out to be, don’t get so stuck looking for a bottle opener that you don’t even need, that you miss the chance to enjoy the mimosa.