What Will Make You Happy?

Recharge in nature! Do the doldrums of day to day life in work and home environments have you down? Escape flourescent lights and beige carpet and get out in nature. A walk around the block will do the trick if you can't get to a lake, forest, beach, or even a park. Just take time every week, or every day if you can, to go outside and notice the little things. Butterflies, the sun filtering through trees, or even store-bought flowers on your dresser can be a big pick me up.

You may have overextended yourself or maybe you're in a codependent relationship or two. Sometimes we need to take time out for ourselves to do things WE want to do, not what everyone else wants. Even if all you can manage right now is 10 extra minutes in the bathroom - take it! But try to do better than that. Carve out a little time for yourself. You don't have to jump whole hog into new activities to start - at the beginning it may just be enough to find time to breathe alone, gather your thoughts, and figure out what it is YOU like in life!

Have you been too busy, too shy, or too depressed to form bonds with those that you know or to go out and make new friends? Well, now is the time to start working on that. Even loners need someone to talk to now and then. Reconnect with old friends and family or make new friends. If you don't know how, join a class or a church or a club in your area. If you follow your interests, you'll find someone interested in you.

Sometimes a hobby that reflects our talents or values or a career or occupation change that does the same is the key to happiness. Figure out what makes you tick and then apply your time to it! Are you passionate about hiking? Then join a conservation group. Are you proud of your cooking skills? Then invite more people to dinner or volunteer to work in church kitchen. You could even start working your way through culinary school. If you don't have a passion, start exploring new experiences and find one. You'll be glad you did!

Rest and recuperation are vital to happiness, so get some! Whether it's a nap, or an extra hour of sleep, or actually taking a day off once a week, or going whole hog and taking a vacation, it's what you need to do to be happier. When you don't get enough rest your mind can't process and solve anything, so you need to let it have a little break now and then so that all areas of your life get a boost of happiness!

You're in a rut, that's all. So try something new! Expand your horizons. Try things you've never tried before even if it's that whole in the wall burger joint you've been curious about for years. Can't think of anything new to do? It's simple. There are websites out there that will show you random pages or random interests. Take advantage of that and explore until you find something that interests you. If you get bored with that, find something new again. Sometimes all you need to find happiness is a little spark of inspiration. Go find that spark!