Chelsea’s 23-Step Guide To Being More Happy Every Day
1. Keep an interesting variety of teas in your house — some caffeinated, some not.
2. Make yourself tea throughout the day, starting with a nice black tea with milk and honey at breakfast.
3. Make your bed every day, even if you hate doing it at first. Don’t be in your room when the bed is all messed up, it will make you feel like your whole life is messed up.
4. Keep fresh-cut flowers in your house at all times, even the cheapest little filler flowers that the florist sells. Take care of them and learn how to make them last as long as possible.
5. Keep candles in the house of all varieties, and light them often.
6. Take a shower or bath by candlelight, performing all of your normal bathing tasks slowly and luxuriously, at least once every two weeks.
7. Change your linens often.
8. Call people back when you say you’re going to, and make a note of reaching out to the important people when you haven’t heard from them in a while.
9. Get a dry-erase or chalk board, put a nice frame on it (they even sell dry erase board sheets that will stick to anything), and put it somewhere prominent for your to-do list.
10. Make a list before you do your grocery shopping, every time.
11. Apologize for things as soon as you realize you were wrong, even if you have to swallow your pride to do so.
12. Make microwave kettle popcorn and sprinkle a little salt on it — the sweet/salty/crunchy/light combo is enough to satisfy any tooth and make you feel all warm and delightful during a movie.
13. Wash the dishes right as they go into the sink.
14. Clean your floors and surfaces at least once a week.
15. Go through all of your clothes and accessories once per season and see what you don’t wear anymore. Take those clothes and either donate them or sell them to a thrift store.
16. Keep a few bottles of wine stored somewhere dark and cool, and think of good meals to make that will go well with them.
17. Cook at least half of your dinners yourself.
18. Force yourself to think of one thing you like about yourself every day, and say it to yourself out loud so you have to hear and acknowledge it.
19. For every negative thing you allow yourself to write, try to write at least two positive things.
20. Look at old pictures.
21. Keep a good bar of chocolate in the refrigerator at all times, you never know when you’ll need one.
22. Always eat breakfast, even if it’s just a cup of tea and a piece of toast.
23. Say “hello” to people, ask them how their day was, smile, and hold doors open. Treat everyone like you are trying to make the best possible first impression, even if you’ll never see them again.