(ThyBlackMan.com) Always remember that everything is temporary. Both happiness and sadness are temporary. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that one should stop looking for happiness. What we want from life is happiness. In everyone’s life, there are a thousand reasons to feel happy, but why most of us tend to live in worry, fear, and anxiety, rather than just finding reasons to be happy? For someone who’s happy, it’s easy to say that happiness is just a mindset, but if you dig deeper, you will come to know that happiness is attainable, but you have to find ways to be happy. Here are 7 simple ways to be happier and this is not about finding temporary happiness, by using these methods, you can find long-lasting happiness.
1. Plant a tree and watch it grow
It is one of the ways to be happier and prepare for well-being in the long run. If you don’t have kids around you, planting a tree gives almost the same pleasure because you have to take care of it and 
keep it healthy. No matter if it’s an outdoor plant or an indoor one, you can just buy some seeds or live plants and bring happiness and more life to your room, workplace or garden. It will not only keep you occupied with nature, its growth, fresh leaves and the pleasing smell of soil will always keep you fresh and happy.
2. Challenge yourself
Yes, give yourself a small challenge. It can be anything, but try to make it fun. If you’re still clueless about what these challenges could be, here are some challenges for you.
- Find out what’s the strangest food available in your favorite destination, and try it.
- With which accents or dialect you can speak better
- Learn a fun fact every hour
- Cook your favorite dish and give your best as if you’re participating in a cooking show
- Watch sunrise every day for a week
- Say “No” to everything you don’t want in life, stick to this for a week
3. Plan a vacation
Vacations make people happy, but those who plan vacations show signs of more happiness. Many people don’t feel happy when they return from a holiday, but those who are in planning phase are happier. Even if you don’t have any plan to go anywhere in near future, just take out your passport, look at it or simply open Google maps on your phone or buy one world map. Just choose a place and start planning this trip. No money? No information? That’s absolutely fine. Take help of the internet, find out how much money you will need for such trip, what are the options and get busy in planning.
4. Ditch the “Maximizer” attitude
Chasing perfection is good but is it really killing your happiness? Sometimes, insisting on the best kills happiness and that’s why many people don’t understand the value of satisfaction. Some people feel satisfied with what they have and what they get while some people try to maximize the possibilities, delay their decisions and miss happiness.
For example, you’re not feeling well and just want to take a walk. With maximizer attitude, you’ll not find peace because you’ll be cursing people for not walking properly, you’ll be cursing pollution, pets, drivers and everything around you. On the other hand, if you learn to feel satisfied, you will find out reasons to be happy with your walk while keeping your purpose in mind. Sometimes, ‘good enough’ is actually the best.
5. Buy some happiness
If you think that money cannot buy happiness, it’s not completely true. Of course, it can’t buy you good health, people, emotions and goodness in relationships but you can buy happiness. Buy something related to your interest. Do you love reading? Buy some books, or a Kindle. Do you love to eat something specific which you don’t cook at home? Buy it today and enjoy every bite of it. Buy some food, blankets, groceries, milk, books or chocolates for poor kids. It’s not always about buying happiness for yourself, buying happiness for others gives more happiness and pleasure.
6. Close a chapter
Whenever you feel sad in life, try to clear mental clutter. It takes a lot of energy to think about a bad experience and it affects your life in many ways. Forget something, forgive someone, close a chapter instead of dragging it. It’s a very simple way to let go of hurt feelings. Don’t keep that book of past open unless it makes you happy. Close that book and stop rereading those pages. It’s not easy, of course, but sometimes, all you need to do is to just come out of it, no matter what.
7. Reconnect with an Old Friend
Don’t call someone who is always ready to discuss problems. It’s good to help people with their problems, but not when you’re not feeling happy. It’s better you connect with an old friend who doesn’t spread negativity. You are using a way to be happy and not to overload yourself with stupid problems and stupid reasons behind those problems. So better you speak to someone you feel comfortable with. Do you remember someone with whom you spent some unforgettable moments filled with a lot of fun? Someone from your college group or someone from your previous job?
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
Have any Tech Tips? News? Hit up our Tech Guru at; CoreyS@ThyBlackMan.com
