Happiness

Knowing what makes you happy can turn heartbreak on its head, a frown upside down or generally help put a hard week behind you.

100 Happy Days – a challenge encouraging participants to post a photo every day of something that made them happy, reports that ‘seventy-one percent of people who tried to complete the challenge failed, quoting lack of time as the main reason.’ It poses the uncomfortable question: ‘These people simply did not have time to be happy. Do you?’

I’m not about to embark on this 100-day challenge. I’m actually not sure I do have the time. Plus the threat of failure would probably eliminate any happiness from the entire process!

What I am going to do however, is share with you one of my tricks for staying happy. I have at my disposal a cumulative list of things that make me happy that I can dip into whenever I’m in need of a lift. Sometimes it may be cake – interestingly the word tiramisu literally means pick me up!

Other times a listen to a bit of Pharrell Williams Happy while doing a spot of shoulder shrugging may be all that’s needed.

Whatever it is that’s getting me down, doing something on my list can almost always shake off a slump, so I thought I’d share part of it with you. Some of the things that make me happy are:

Dancing round my room
Organising clutter, or if I don’t have the energy then googling storage options
Candlelit bubble baths accompanied by classical music
Watching old movies, especially with Fred Astaire
Listening to jazz – Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald
Drinking hot chocolate with extra marshmallows
Spending time with family especially my nieces and nephew
Eating macaroons or Turkish Delight
Watching YouTube videos of bad lip reading
Dunking biscuits in tea
Chatting to a best friend
Playing the piano
Learning to do something new
Watching a Disney movie
Ticking something off a to-do list
Getting into freshly cleaned sheets
Challenging friends to their loudest laugh in a public place
Going on a shopping spree
Chatting to someone about something they’re passionate about
Having a whole afternoon to read a magazine
Planning what nails to paint
Painting my nails
Having painted nails! Especially when I complete a set that was particularly intricate like my Mickey and Minnie Mouse nails.

Those are just a few things that make me happy. I have a Pinterest board called My Favourite Things so I can always find inspiration. When I need cheering up, I’ll work out which options I have the time, the energy or the money for and decide from there.

Do you have a list? What lifts you up when you’re feeling down?

My latest nails are the biggest pick me up so here they are in case they can brighten your day too!