4 Simple Ways To Make Yourself Happier

Obviously I am not the first to propose a list such as this, but my good mood today has me inspired. Plus, we can never have enough happiness, so there must not be a limit to an acceptable number of lists about happiness:

1. Have a reminder that someone loves you.

This one is kind of vague, but keep something with you that will remind you, every time you look at it, that a friend, sibling, parent, cat, etcetera, appreciates you. Mine comes in the form of a note that my best friend left for me one morning when I was still asleep in her bed and she was leaving for the beach. It says, “Didn’t want to wake you, but I wanted to say goodbye in case I get eaten by a shark while I’m gone…I love you! Have a grrreat weekend.” It never fails to make me smile and laugh a little inside. I keep it behind my student ID; every time I take out my ID, which is often, I get a glimpse of it and I don’t even need to read it to smile. So as for that reminder: notes work, as would charms, drawings, key chains, or bracelets with sentimental value.

2. Clean something.

Usually when asked, I say that I deplore cleaning.  My bedroom growing up was embarrassingly messy 95 % of the time, and was tidy only when my mother got fed up and cleaned it herself. But, ever since I started living in my own apartment (with roommates), I’ve found that cleaning is surprisingly freeing. It both de-stresses me because it crosses one more thing off of my to-do list, and provides me with the type of goal my meticulous mind loves: perfection. If I’m busy, then 5 minutes of dish washing or desk organizing will do the trick, but an hour of disinfecting, organizing, hanging up, and rearranging my shit can turn my whole day around. The trick is getting started, because I only enjoy it during and after. Usually, I still deplore such things.

3. Drink Tea.

I’m pretty frugal. I think too hard about all fashion related purchases, and I never order the most expensive thing on the menu. However, I feel no shame splurging on tea in both quantity and quality. Have access to multiple brands and flavors of your favorite type of tea (mine is green), and a variety of others. Tea can do many wonderful things such as: 1. Calm you. 2. Allow you to pretend that you’re a hipster. 3. Make you use cute mugs. 4. Give you reason to close your eyes and inhale like that cliché bitch you are. It also has many different uses. Greens and whites aid weight loss. Ginger and peppermint can cure nausea. Vanilla chai gives you the ability to fly.

 4. Listen to the music you actually like.

If I had to pick one thing with which to never follow the crowd, it would be music. This means both that you shouldn’t listen to top 40 songs just because they’re popular, and that you shouldn’t not listen to top 40 just because they’re popular. If listening to Bruno Mars by yourself boosts your happiness meter, then fucking listen to him. If The Smiths and Bombay Bicycle Club bore you, don’t listen to them just so that people will think you’re cool. Now that is not to say don’t look for new music. Look for new music always; never stop, but look for new music that truly speaks to you, because music is magic and it really can do wonders to a soul. Okay, I’m done being cheesy now. Happy happiness.