Be Happy

Being happy is something we all strive for. It is conducive to good mental and physical health and causes us to be productive and strong contributors to society. These elements are important for me as a dancer so I can keep my body strong.

Other benefits of happiness: Shared camaraderie. We as human beings gravitate towards people with infectious smiles and laughter, much work can be accomplished when joy is involved. Let’s state the obvious: It’s refreshing to be around those who make us feel good about ourselves and each other.

While this is a great emotion and state of being, not all of us can actually experience these things for ourselves. We may pine to just be able to have a smile crack the corners of our mouths and chase the blues away. This can cause frustration. In part maybe it’s because we would love to have happiness for ourselves but don’t know how to get it.

What if you are one of these people in which happiness eludes you? Here’s some very basic things you can try to see if it helps you.

Please understand, I am not a counselor, I am not a medical doctor. This article is written with the intention of giving a few basic helpful hints to feeling a bit “blue”. If you are experiencing severe depression, suicidal tendencies, thoughts of horror or anything extreme, please, please, get help from a licensed professional. I want the best for you, now please go get it.

1.                  Be around happy people. As stated above, their positive attitudes may become infectious and rub off on you. You may learn a few things from them and how they stay in a happy state of mind.

2.                  Don’t be so hard on yourself with “anything”. Do what you can do, do what you need to do, and don’t let anyone pressure you to do more than that.

3.                  Give yourself “Self Care Days” and cater to your needs.

4.                  Invest in yourself. Go back to school, start an “at home business”, journal, learn a new language or how to play an instrument.

5.                  Separate the wheat from the chaff. Not all undertakings are worthy of our time. If there’s anything in your life that is stressful, please don’t give it one more moment’s attention. Do away with it; this is the chaff that you should discard from your life.

6.                  Light exorcising. Take a walk in comfortable shoes and clothes during weather that is not too hot or cold.

7.                  Visit museums. Museums are a great way to divert any worrisome tendencies you may have that could possibly be keeping you from experiencing happiness. (Window shopping in a mall has this effect on me personally, it’s the noise level that rattles me.)

8.                  Fun hobbies. Coloring, puzzles, gabbing with friends on the phone, watch comedies on TV, any art or spectator sport.

9.                  Amusement parks. Get on a roller coaster and scream, laugh and feel free. No one will judge you because they’re all doing the same thing.

10.              Pray. Meditate. I’ll let you decide what this means to you. All I know is that sometimes I have to reach beyond and above myself to achieve that which I cannot do for myself. Although, the action of reaching out, is in fact, in our own hands, but first we must attempt and reach.

My biggest recommendation: Get Up And Dance! But of course you knew I would say that ;)  Put on your favorite tunes and dance like a maniac.

These are just a few things to try to kick start your happiness. If your sorrow continues, I repeat: get professional assistance. Depression at that severe a level can be serious and nothing to mess around with. I suffered with some depression, and understand. Please do not take this light hearted article to judge me or my understanding.

Be well beloveds, now go take care of yourself.

Joy is peace and happiness is the expression of it.