Happiness Hacks and How to Apply Them To Your Life
You will be happy heck happy!
This morning a phrase popped in my head from nowhere, or is it from everywhere? Happy Hacks. I’ve not heard the term or even know if it is a thing.
Therefore, in my pursuit of happiness, I searched what it could be. Lo and behold! I found it: happy hacks; hacks for your happiness; and even science-based happy hacks.
Whew! There is a lot of happy hackin’ goin’ on. I’m lovin’ it! What about you?
I figured — what the happy heck? I’m fixin’ to walk down the happy road and uncover a few happy hacks for you.
Let’s start with games on Zoom then move on to apps while embracing a few science-based hacks.
Happy Hack Games
Happy Hour Trivia
This is a game played on Zoom with your friends, team members, or participants getting to know one another. It’s fun and is an icebreaker. You’ll be giggling and learn something in the process.
The host chooses the questions and makes the rules. The easiest way to make the happy hour trivia questions is to Google a subject that is relevant to your audience.
Search “weird facts about” and then turn that list into multiple-choice questions. For example, “weird facts about virtual happy hours” is a very meta approach.
20 Questions
This is a game my grandchildren taught me! A host chooses a participant who thinks of an object, animal, human. Then the other players ask yes or no questions about what the participant is thinking.
For instance, I choose to think of an owl. Then someone can ask me if it is a human. I answer no. The question-and-answer game goes up to 20 questions for each player. You’ll get a belly full of laughter.
Happy Hack Apps
- My Life Meditation is a meditation app that can be downloaded on Android and iOS for free. It is easy and accessible for beginners or meditation pros. It’s just what I need to enter a state of calm and peace. I’m floating on a happy cloud…
- Live Happy is an app featuring podcasts by researchers, experts, and happy people offering tips and hacks to help you achieve a happy mindset.
- ThinkUp is a positive daily affirmation and daily motivation app that allows you to record your affirmations in your own voice set to beautiful music. You can play it back to help you feel happy about yourself!
Science-Based Happy Hacks
- Negative vs positive feelings. I read a rather complex study that basically proved the old maxim to take the bad with the good. It suggested that if we embrace mixed emotions; we are happier and healthier.
- Learn something new. Master a new skill; something you want to do. You may be a bit more stressed in the beginning but research says you’ll be happier on an hourly, daily, and long-term basis.
- Pause on the happiness pursuit. I found a cool cat story that I’ve got to share! It explains everything.
One day this old alley cat crossed paths with a younger cat who was frantically running around, trying to catch its own tail. The older cat watched carefully for a while. When the young cat stopped for a breather, the older cat asked, “Would you mind telling me what you are doing?”
The young cat said, “Sure thing! I went to Cat Philosophy School and learned that happiness is in our tails. So I am going to keep chasing my tail and someday I will catch it and get a big bite of happiness.”
The older cat responded, “Well, I have never been to Cat Philosophy School, but I agree: Happiness is in our tails. However, I have found that when I just wander around enjoying life, it follows me everywhere I go.” — paraphrase of Wayne Dyer
So, what do you think? Are you happy hack happy? If we slow down and leisurely apply our happy hacks, I believe we can carve a happy place in our lives.
Give it a try. You may happily surprise yourself.
Here’s my Not-So-Usual-Guide to live happy!
Debbie Walker is the creator of Middle-Pause, the podcast, STOMP!, and writing two books. Stay in touch at [email protected]; follow her on Twitter; & Pinterest; listen to STOMP!