Five Surefire Ways You Can Be Happy Right Now

Chasing happiness directly doesn’t work.

All of us want to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is even listed as an “inalienable right” in the United States Declaration of Independence. But too many of us struggle daily with what it means to be happy. A huge population would say that they are unhappy with their current circumstances in life.

But happiness is not something that comes by chasing it. Happiness is a by-product of life. It is the result of focusing your energy and attention on other things rather than something you pursue directly.

Pursuing happiness through pleasures or by avoiding unpleasant or stressful situations often leaves us feeling empty and unfulfilled. These kinds of behaviors can even lead to addictions or severe depression when pursued in excess, which is the very opposite of what we want.

But there are several surefire ways to bring more happiness into your life. I’ll list five of them here, but know that that are many, many more ways to escape the heaviness and lethargy that many of us struggle with in our daily lives and to start enjoying true happiness.

But happiness is not something that comes by chasing it.

The surefire way to happiness number one: Gratitude

You’ve probably heard this many times in the past. The reason is because it is true. Learning how to be grateful for the blessings you already have opens something in our hearts that allows us to experience true happiness.

This does not mean that you resign yourself to your current situation and give up your dreams of things changing in the future. It just means that you recognize and appreciate the good things in your life that are already present.

It’s good to start small with the obvious things. Can you breathe without too much effort? Wonderful. Do you have a place to sleep and a roof over your head? That’s very good. Do you have enough to eat and drink? Do you have friends or people who care about you?

While this may seem trivial, it’s not. A helpful exercise is to write down all of the things you can be thankful for and spend a few minutes feeling gratitude for them. When people do this exercise, most find that their emotions start to shift. They begin to recognize the many blessings they already have and experience a subtle, but transformative change in their perspective. In other words, they start feeling happier.

Much more could be said about the power of gratitude, but let’s move on to the next surefire way to be happy right now.

While this may seem trivial, it’s not.

A surefire way to happiness number two: Generosity

Being generous is a proven way to feel happier. Giving to others is a way to step outside of yourself and focus on other people who need your help. Being generous isn’t limited to giving money. Giving money is only one of many ways to be generous.

You can be generous with your time. You can be generous with your smiles. You can be generous with your kindness to strangers.

One of the amazing things about our universe is that you often get back whatever you give. If you’re kind to other people, most of the time they will be kind to you. If you smile at them, they will smile back. If you help someone, often others will be willing to help you when you need it.

Giving to others releases something in our emotions that allows happiness to come in. When we help others, we take the focus off ourselves and this opens us up to receive happiness in a way that we’re not able to when we’re only focusing on ourselves.

Be generous to others and watch your happiness increase exponentially.

One of the amazing things about our universe is that you often get back whatever you give.

A surefire way to happiness number three: Movement

Human bodies were created to move. When we don’t, our levels of energy and vitality can plummet quickly. Most of us in modern society spend a lot of time sitting and don’t move much throughout the day.

The result of this inactivity has a direct impact on our emotions in ways that many people don’t even realize. At the end of the day, many of us feel tired and lethargic, which often contributes to feeling unhappy.

An easy and effective way to instantly feel happier is simply to move your body more. You don’t necessarily have to go to the gym or do rigorous exercise to start feeling better. Just standing up, stretching your body, and walking around can increase your energy and help raise your mood.

Consciously taking time to move and stretch throughout the day will have a direct impact on how you feel, not only physically in terms of increasing your levels of energy and vitality but also in making you feel happier and more positive.

If possible, spend some time outside in the sunlight and fresh air. Even taking several deep breaths can help improve how you feel and increase your levels of happiness.

Getting regular exercise is a proven way to feel better, increase your happiness, and have a more positive outlook on life. Yoga, Tai Chi, and aerobic classes are wonderful ways to enjoy the benefits of exercise while also spending time with other people.

An easy and effective way to instantly feel happier is simply to move your body more.

A surefire way to happiness number four: Accomplishment

Getting things done can help increase feelings of happiness. Even simple accomplishments can help improve our mood and contribute toward helping us feel happier. Doing the dishes. Cleaning the countertop. Or just organizing the clutter on our desks can help us to feel better.

Many of us struggle with unhappiness because we feel “stuck.” We feel like we’re not making progress and that things aren’t going to get any better. Finishing even small tasks can help to change this. It can help break the sense of inertia and stagnation that can creep into our consciousness and cause us to feel unhappy.

Setting meaningful goals and pursuing them is a surefire way to increase your happiness. The key, however, is to break down larger goals into smaller, achievable steps that you can accomplish and check off your list as you move toward whatever it is you want to achieve.

Having a sense of purpose in your life is a surefire way to increase your happiness and improve your overall quality of life.

Setting meaningful goals and pursuing them is a surefire way to increase your happiness.

A surefire way to happiness number five: Relationships

We need other people in our lives to be truly happy. While many of us are introverts (myself included) and often enjoy solitude and the pleasures of our own company, nurturing positive relationships in our lives can significantly increase our levels of happiness.

As the poet John Donne reminded us, none of us is an island. It is important to have other people in our lives. Sharing our lives with other people can both help increase our enjoyment of positive experiences and decrease the burden of our challenges.

Research has shown that one of the main contributing factors to longevity is the presence of positive relationships in a person’s life. Sharing our lives with others is a surefire way to increase our happiness.

As the poet John Donne reminded us, none of us is an island.

There are many surefire ways to happiness.

As mentioned previously, there are a lot of different ways to increase our levels of happiness. The key is to take action and pursue other things instead of happiness itself.

Happiness often comes when our focus is on something other than ourselves. While self-love and self-care are essential for a happy and healthy life, we can’t stop there. We also need to reach beyond ourselves and engage with those around us.

We’re all on this journey together. My wish for you is abundant joy and happiness. For you and for your loved ones. Be well. Be happy.