Writer: Johnny Abi Younis
Life, at many points, feels empty. And sometimes, you feel as if you’re getting sad for no reason, or just because you’re having a bad day. Therefore, here’s a list of really minor things you could do to make yourself, and your surroundings, happy.
1. Use compliments
Sometimes, making others happy makes you happy, too. But obviously, do not go around throwing compliments at strangers in a pervy way, but for example, when you see an aquaintance, you could go greet them and compliment the way they styled their hair, their clothing, or an accessory. You might as well just compliment their look in general.
2. Greet people
This one is pretty silly, but if you’re walking back home and you encounter anyone, just say hi kindly from far away as you pass them. You do not have to greet everyone in a crowded street though.
3. Smile
Happiness does not only come from the inside; it also does from the outside. Smiling could trick your brain into believing you are happy. And it does not only give you the benefit. It might also lift people up a little when you smile at them; you could make a person’s day a little better by just smiling!
4. Find gratitude
This is one of the most important things to make yourself happier: Be grateful for what went well and not what went wrong, or just be grateful for things that didn’t happen. Finding worse cases makes your case easier.
5. Stop and take a break
We all need to stop for a moment and think, “okay, what the hell is happening today?” to ourselves. And while you’re at it, help yourself calm down, and take a few deep breaths.
6. Help people
As said earlier, making people happy could make you happy. And perhaps, if you help people, karma would reward you for it. And by helping people, you don’t have to drive across the country for it. You could help someone cross the road, or help the neighbor carry the groceries in. It can also be as simple as just asking people if they need help.
7. Leave motivational notes
This one is pretty simple. Just leave a note for someone telling him/her how great they are, or how much you love them, anonymously or not. It really might lift someone up. You could either leave a sticky note on their computer screen, or a note in the book they’re reading. And if you know a friend that struggles with a certain subject, just leave a simple “you’re doing great” in their notebook for them to see it while studying.
