Have you ever wondered how to be happy again after a rocky patch? You’re not alone.
Mental health is often a taboo subject and comes with stigma and ostracization. But your mental health matters! And you should never be ashamed of how you feel.
Chances are that there are tons of people you interact with every day who share those exact feelings!
When you’re unhappy, it’s hard to pull yourself up and find a better mental space. Luckily, we’re here to help!
With our tips on how to be happy again, you can overcome your struggle with negative emotions.
Why Is Being Happy Important?
Besides feeling fantastic, being happy is essential for our overall well-being.
Happier people tend to be less stressed, more resilient, healthier, and more creative than those who typically experience more negative emotions.
Happy people may also have better relationships, experience more success, and have higher life satisfaction.
If you need to ask yourself how to be happy again, chances are you’re feeling unhappy in the present moment. Although we all have moments of self-doubt and sadness, you can – and will – find happiness again!
Happy people are more resilient to the curveballs life throws them, so they experience less stress as a result. Stress is one of the biggest contributing factors to illness and poor mental health.
Happier people find it easier to stave off negative health complications simply by having a more positive emotional experience in everyday life.
Happiness And Healthier Relationships
Similarly, happy people attract other happy people to them. Their positivity and overall happiness act like a magnet, meaning they have more, healthier relationships.
Happy people generally show more kindness. This can help to strengthen and build better relationships. (If you need some ideas, read this article on ways to be kind!)
With regards to romantic relationships, you might want to read this article on how to know if you are happy in a relationship.
With better relationships comes a stronger support system. This helps them cope better when life throws something tricky their way and helps them get back on track quicker. So, even when happy people experience a bump in the road, they find happiness again, easier.
Happiness is also linked to better life satisfaction and success. Happier people are viewed in a more positive light by employers and are more likely to land their dream job and receive promotions.
Additionally, happy people are more productive in the workplace, making it easier for them to excel at their jobs.
In summary, being happy can help you enjoy a healthier, more successful life.
Can You ‘Hack’ Your Way To A Better Mental Space?
There are no quick fixes or guidebooks on how to feel happy again. No one but you can be in charge of your happiness, so you can’t rely on others to change how you feel.
Happiness starts with you, which means you need to spend time working on your well-being to improve your mental health.
Although you can’t ‘hack’ your way to a better mental space, there are ways to live a happier life. It takes some work, but the results are worth the small sacrifices!
A happy person isn’t necessarily geared to being happier. As human beings, we all tend to let our emotions get the better of us. That includes negative emotions!
The secret to a happy, healthy life is finding and forming better habits that improve your mental space. For example, you can practice gratitude (hello, Thankful Thursday!) and self-compassion. This will help you be kinder to yourself.
Being happy and finding happiness starts with loving yourself, first!
It’s important to remember that to pursue happiness, you need to know why you are unhappy. For some, feeling sad has nothing to do with external circumstances or influence. Instead, they may struggle with mental illness or trauma. These can stand in the way of living a happy life.
If this rings true for you, know that you can still find happiness! But, your journey to a more fulfilling life should ideally be accompanied by therapy and necessary medications.
Will I Be Happy Again?
There’s no right or wrong way to be happy again.
For some, the journey to a happier and more fulfilled life is a winding road. It’s full of ups and downs, highs and lows, and can sometimes feel hopeless.
But no matter how tough life gets, there’s always a way to improve your own happiness!
By asking yourself how to be happy again, you’ve already taken the first step to finding happiness. While you can’t buy happiness, you can use our tips on how to be happy again to give yourself the happiness boost you need!
How To Be Happy Again: Top 9 Tips
Let’s talk about our top tips on how to be happy again.
You might be interested in this list of 10 scientific ways to be happy.
1. Focus On What Matters
When we feel unhappy, it can be easy to lose ourselves and forget what our purpose is. When we’re in this mindset, it can be hard to find meaning and purpose in our lives. However, it’s important to look inwards and practice self-reflection to figure out what really matters.
Whether you have an idea of what your purpose is, or you’re creating a new path with a new purpose, you’ll need to take it one step at a time. Your purpose doesn’t have to be as broad as what your purpose in life is.
Rather, you can start small by thinking about what matters to you and what gives you purpose right now, in the present moment.
You may want to help others, work on your hobbies and skills, or focus on your family. No matter what motivates you, it’s vital to keep your sights set on this purpose and work towards fulfilling it every day.
Feelings of depression and anxiety may be overwhelming. And some days, getting out of bed is a chore. But when you have a purpose to fulfill, chances are you’ll be more motivated to get up and work toward that goal.
Focusing on the things that matter can help you to find out how to be happy again. But it also requires some sacrifices. For example, you might need to sever ties with people and activities that no longer align with your purpose or that no longer matter to you.
While it may be challenging to say goodbye to your old ways, it’s one of the best ways to shift your perspective onto things that spark joy and happiness.
2. Practice Gratitude
Have you recently thought, “Why can’t I be happy?”
Although feelings of sadness and unfulfillment can fog up your vision, it’s important not to lose sight of the positives in your life. No matter how bad things may seem, there’s always something to be grateful for!
When you cultivate gratitude, it opens your mind up to better understand how to be happy again. This is because gratitude shifts your focus from what you’re lacking to what you have. Knowing what you have will show you existing avenues to explore to find happiness.
Everything you have or receive should be met with thanks. By thanking others, the universe, or even yourself for the things you have, you’ll begin to see your life from a different perspective.
Rather than feeling like you have nothing, you’ll start to notice everything you already have and gain a newfound appreciation for the little things.
You can also trick your brain into making gratitude a habit! For example, note down everything you’re thankful for in a gratitude journal.
This simple act of writing down what you have, and why you’re thankful for it will rewire and train your brain to notice the positives in life.
3. Practice Self-Compassion
While you’re practicing your new habits and figuring out how to be happy again, it’s easy to get wrapped up in trying to access happy emotions.
In doing so, you may be putting unnecessary pressure on yourself. And when you don’t immediately feel happier, you may start to doubt yourself.
But, happiness is a process. It’s a personal journey of self-discovery and it may take time to start seeing your efforts manifest.
Although it can feel overwhelming, it’s important to ignore self-doubt. When you’re unhappy, chances are you’ve been through trauma, change, or are struggling with external stressors. These are factors that you can’t change, so it’s best not to let them disrupt your journey.
Remember, you’re a human being! You aren’t a robot that can be programmed to feel a certain way overnight.
Negative thoughts and feelings of hopelessness aren’t uncommon, even for people who seem to have it all figured out! You need to be gentle with yourself, and treat yourself with unconditional love and kindness.
Finding how to be happy again isn’t a race – it’s a marathon! The best way to find true, lasting happiness is to pace yourself and work on making changes in your life, little by little.
Allow yourself time to heal from the things that make you unhappy and to figure out what happiness means to you.
4. Do What Makes You Happy
Doing what you love is one of the biggest steps to learning how to be happy again. Sometimes, depression and sadness can make it difficult to put time aside for ourselves and what we love.
When learning how to be happy again, you need to create space to do what puts you in a good mood. Carving some much-needed time out for yourself can help to bring you joy and comfort, even when things get tough.
Feeling unhappy can cause you to withdraw from experiences and certain situations. By withdrawing, you’re shutting yourself off from new experiences.
Without exploring different hobbies and activities, finding something you enjoy is tough. So, it’s important to keep a sense of adventure and try new things.
As long as you keep doing what makes you happy, you can start shifting your mental space. Doing what you love is also important.
When you rely on others, you can often do things to make them happy. While keeping your friends and family happy is important, you may become enveloped in their wants and needs instead of your own. If you were wondering how to make everyone happy, here’s a tip: you can’t! So, stop relying on others for happiness!
Learning how to be happy again starts with living your own life and learning what makes you feel joyful. Starting a new hobby or getting back into an activity that you used to love can help you feel happier, especially when you find a renewed sense of self.
5. Take Care Of Yourself
Self-care is an important part of self-love. Unhappy people can feel a deep sense of hopelessness, but by practicing self-care, you can learn to find happiness within yourself.
One of the easiest ways to practice self-care is to get a good night’s sleep.
Your sleep can have a significant impact on how you feel. When you feel depressed, it’s easy to sleep too much. On the other hand, stress and anxiety that are born from negative emotions can cause you to become restless.
Sleeping is important to keep your brain alert and active. It’s also a great way to regulate your mood. You may have noticed that when people don’t get enough sleep, they become irritable and can have intense emotional reactions to largely unemotional situations.
If this happens to you, it’s important to reassess your sleeping schedule.
If you’re struggling to fall asleep, no matter how hard you try, it may be time to practice consistency. Going to bed at the same time can help to communicate to your body that it’s time to get some well-deserved rest.
However, sometimes sleep doesn’t come that easily, especially when you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed. In this case, it might be time to get your anxiety under control.
Another facet of self-care that can help you get some shut-eye is exercise. Exercise is great for tiring you out enough to enjoy a good night’s sleep. It can also do wonders on its own!
When you exercise, your body releases feel-good hormones known as endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for making you feel happier. By exercising consistently, you may find that your mood is improving too!
6. Embrace Your Emotions
Feeling happy isn’t about ignoring the negative emotions you’re currently feeling. In fact, by acknowledging how you feel – and why you feel unhappy – you may get a better understanding of how to feel happy again. When it comes to finding true happiness in life, check in with yourself!
A big part of acknowledging your emotions is examining what happened for you to feel this way. For example, you may be feeling sad because of an unexpected change.
No matter what has caused you to feel unhappy, your feelings are valid! Even if you don’t think there’s a ‘good enough’ reason for you to feel depressed, you should never trivialize your emotions.
Assessing your feelings can help you work through unresolved trauma and emotions you may not even realize you’re holding onto! And when you own these feelings, you have more control over your emotions.
Sometimes, when we’re looking for ways to improve our mood, we forget to work through the emotions that we are currently feeling. So, if you want to know how to be happy again, you may have to start by confronting your demons.
Working through your emotions can also bring you closure on difficult events or situations that you previously may have had no control over.
When you take the power of your emotions back, you will find it easier to move on and feel happier.
7. Practice Meditation
When we feel unhappy, we can easily become overwhelmed by our thoughts. Thoughts of negativity, anxiety, and stress can deflate our mood and drain our emotional energy.
A great way to take a step back from the relentless noise of your thoughts is to practice meditation.
Meditation promotes mindfulness, which can help you feel calmer, more focused, and more relaxed.
If you don’t like the idea of meditation, don’t worry! Meditation can look different for everyone.
For some, meditation involves deep breathing and clearing the mind. For others, meditation may involve listening to music and focusing on positive thoughts.
There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Rather, you should see meditation as an activity that relaxes you and helps you to escape for a little while.
Whether it’s meditation through art, going outside for a walk, or even just spending some time sitting quietly by yourself, it’s important to find what works for you.
While meditation may not make you feel immediately happy, it’s a good way to rid your mind of negative thoughts and emotions for a little while.
When you’re wondering how to be happy again, you can start by giving yourself an emotional break!
8. Change Your Routine
In this modern, fast-paced society, everyday life can start to feel like a chore. Wake up, work, eat, sleep, and repeat. The boredom of routine can easily cause feelings of unhappiness and depression.
Breaking your routine – or introducing something exciting to it – can help you figure out how to be happy again.
Your career is a large component of your routine. But when you’re not doing something you love, it can make you unhappy.
Unhappy people are more unproductive and less likely to feel fulfilled at work. By changing your career path or finding a new challenge to tackle, you can boost your mood and free yourself from the burden of negative emotions.
However, it’s not always possible to completely change your routine. Whether you have familial or work commitments, some things are beyond your control. But you don’t have to feel stuck in an endless loop or cycle of repetitive behaviors.
If you can’t change your routine, you can consider injecting some excitement into your life!
When you have free time, you may want to curl up and enjoy the silence. This rest period is when you may feel most unhappy. By doing nothing, you can start to lose hope and feel unfulfilled.
Instead, you should use your free time to try new things and experiment with new experiences. Whether it’s exploring local art galleries or doing something daring like skydiving, you can switch up your routine by doing something unexpected.
9. Consider Therapy
Sometimes our unhappiness can feel smothering, which makes it difficult to see a way out. In that case, there’s no shame in seeking the help of a mental health professional. It’s very much encouraged!
Whether it’s a life coach, counselor, or psychologist, mental health professionals are trained to help with the negative feelings you’re experiencing.
They can help you resolve these feelings and work through any trauma you’re experiencing to improve your mental well-being.
Additionally, these professionals are skilled at teaching people coping mechanisms to use in high-stress situations where their emotions may best them.
Therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. But it is a useful tool, and your choice of a mental health professional may have some great personalized tips on how to be happy again.
Conclusion
When you’re feeling unhappy or depressed, it’s not uncommon to wonder if you’re ever going to be happy again.
It’s also normal to wonder how to be happy again.
Luckily, there are ways to get your life back on track to being happier and more fulfilled. While the road may not be easy, happiness can be achieved by anyone!
If you want some help and consistency on your journey to becoming happy again, consider the Do Happy App.
For more articles on happiness, kindness, and mindfulness, visit the a little dose of happy blog.
