Tips to living a happy life (a special post!)

Heyyyyy everybody! I hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday so far – hopefully, it includes relaxing and doing something peaceful? I, for one, am definitely trying to get some relaxing in … even though with my family and me always having things I need to get done I’m not quite sure how successful I’m going to be …

Anyway enough with all of that and let’s move onto today’s SUPER FANTASTIC BLOG POST!! So today I’m doing a collaboration with Victoria from The Cozy Potato blog (she has been super awesome to work with, and this is my first collab, so this is really exciting for me)!! Today we’re talking all about positivity, joy and happiness, so we’re going to be sharing a few tips and ways to living a happy life.

Be sure to keep reading after my close off though because Victoria’s post is right underneath mine!! We thought it would be fun to each do a selection of tips as our own post and then squish it all together into one ginormous happiness post. If you like what you see, be sure to hit that little like button or leave a comment, and you should definitely go follow Victoria’s blog!

Get enough sleep
You might be asking how on earth sleep could have anything to do with happiness, but you’d be surprised. I know some people think that sleep is a waste of time, and some people sleep like it’s a profession but getting enough sleep (not too much though!) is a great start to putting us in a better mood. Sleep allows the body to repair and rest. If you’ve had enough z’s, then you are less likely to wake up moody and irritable and instead be in a cheery mood with plenty of energy for the day. So sleep doesn’t directly put a smile on your face, but it’s a great start to feeling happy.

Fall in love with a healthy diet
There’s a lot of truth in the saying ‘you are what you eat’. Sadly, eating things that might make you happy in the moment (like pizza or ice cream) won’t help much with happiness in general. An unhealthy diet increases the risk for depression, as it deprives the brain of important nutrients, but is also really bad for our physical health, which can then impact our mental health. Eating healthy foods, apart from just being good for you, is full of awesome nutrients and vitamins that help our brain produce chemicals that improve our mood. Now I’m not saying you can’t enjoy an ice cream now and then, but sticking to healthy food will definitely do wonders in keeping your mood elevated far longer than that burger and fries.

Learn to say no
This is crucial, and I honestly wished I’d learnt this sooner. There’s nothing wrong with helping people out, but if you never say no to people, you usually end up sacrificing your own well-being and happiness for others, and that’s never good. Learning to say no, when relevant, is so vital for your own happiness because you put yourself first. Just know that you don’t have to be mean when saying no to someone, you can still be nice but stand your ground and be clear about what you’re willing to do.

Make a list of things that make you happy
They say happiness is contagious, and while you may not be able to catch some good vibes from friends at the moment (due to the whole lockdown/COVID situation), you can infect yourself with the positive bug. I have a big list (with a few pictures and doodles) of all the things that make me happy and no matter how sad I am, just glancing over it somehow helps me smile and start to feel happy again. Reminding yourself of things that make you happy or smile can almost instantly make you happier so I’d suggest writing a list for yourself of all the things that make you happy. You can even add pictures because they also tend to cause smiles. That way, whenever you feel like you need a boost, you can look over your list, and I can almost guarantee it will lift your mood and make you feel happier.

Practice self-care
Self-care seems to be a huge buzzword right now, but before you sneeze at it, just hear me out. I was never big on self-care because I just didn’t have time for it, but after a lightbulb moment, I started practising a little self-care once in a while, and I can’t tell you enough how much happier I felt afterwards. Taking time out of your day/week (even if it’s just a few minutes), to look after yourself and do something soothing has such a healing effect. It relaxes you, helps soothe your mind (and body) and will lift up your mood – now tell me that isn’t a formula for happiness.

Accept your emotions/feelings
Suppressing your emotions can be so dangerous – it builds negativity, you aren’t able to deal with how you feel properly, and it just puts a damper on everything. WE ARE NOT ROBOTS, OKAY?! We have emotions, and we are allowed to feel them so enough with all this nonsense of ‘get over yourself’ and ‘stop being so emotional’. Accepting your emotions will help you lead a much happier life because you aren’t suppressing them and rejecting them. You’ll feel such relief when you tackle your emotions head-on and embrace the fact that you’re allowed to experience them, and this, in turn, will help you feel far happier through life (trust me on this).

Find coping mechanisms for stress/negativity
Unfortunately, I am not a fairy godmother, and I don’t think we’ve invented a tool or magic spell that can wipe all causes of stress and negativity out of the world. But just because there are stresses and negativity, doesn’t mean we have to let it pop our happy bubble. Figure out the best coping mechanisms for you when you’re dealing with these problems. This could be going for a run, screaming into a pillow, venting to someone you trust or just getting some space from it and having a nice hot bath. Whatever it is, only you will know, and once you’ve figured it out, you’ll be able to float above all those challenges not because you’re immune, but because you know how to deal with them.

Do something you love every day
This links up with practising self-care, but I think it deserves its own spot because it’s a little bit different. We all feel happy when we do something we love, whether it’s cuddling a pet, watching a favourite movie, doodling or sitting in the garden. It can be absolutely anything, but you should try to do at least one thing that you love every day. Not only will it help you get through all the annoying, mundane things you need to do but it’s something to look forward to and keep a spring in your step and a smile on your face.

Don’t punish yourself for mistakes
To err is human. As humbling as it is to admit, we all make mistakes and are always capable of making mistakes. That being said, you shouldn’t punish yourself for making those mistakes because all it’s going to do is cinch your motivation and make you feel horrible. Say you don’t do so well on a test, or you mess up and have a cheat day on your diet – that’s okay!! Yes, it feels awful in the moment, but by forgiving yourself rather than punishing yourself, you’ll be far more likely to bounce back stronger than ever, and you won’t be devastated by guilt. Learn from the mistake rather, and try to improve for next time – it’s a far healthier, and happier, way to approach life and fixing mistakes.

And there you go, everyone! 9 tips (I know – not like my usual ten or more) to increase positivity and have a happier life. I’ve had so much fun doing this collab with Victoria, especially since she is such a fantastic, positive blogger and it was my first chance to work with someone else on a post. I’ve always loved writing ‘Tips’ Blog posts, and today I got to do that with someone else who I really admire, so I hope you guys enjoyed this first part. Don’t go away though – please remember to keep reading on to Victoria’s tips (they are fantastic!) right underneath my name. You should also go and follow her blog and like her post on our tips too!! It’s been such fun, and I can’t wait for the next collab!

Victoria’s blog: http://thecozypotato.home.blog
Victoria’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecozypotato/

Thanks so much for reading everyone and I hope you have a fantastic rest of your weekend.

Lots of Love
Blondey on a Mission xxx

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Victoria’s Tips!!!

Tip #1: Exercise! When it comes down to it, you know that if you exercise at least twice a week your body feels good. If your brain understands that your body is happy then that will help not only raise your level of happiness but it will also help your mental health.

Tip #2: meditation/journaling. When I journal down my thoughts it helps clear my head from all unneeded thoughts that fill up my head. I’d say that in the morning if you take 30 minutes to write out just random thoughts or things that are buzzing around in your head it will allow your mind to be at peace because you basically putting your thought somewhere else that is not your brain. You can do this in the morning to have a more productive/stress free day or right before bed so that you go to bed without your thoughts buzzing all over the place! And for meditation, take some time in your day to calm your breathing and do something that helps you meditate that could be reflecting on your day, praying to God, journaling, or reading the bible/a book. Whatever it is these are all things that I strongly suggest to add to your routine if you aren’t already because it will help you have a happy life!

Tip #3: food & water. Healthy food and hydrating your body will help you have a healthy life and a healthy life means a happy life. When you eat healthy foods like fruits, veggies, etc. it gives your body the nutrients and needs that it requires. Same goes for water if you don’t hydrate your body you are more likely to be grumpy, dehydrated, and you can experience headaches, pains in your body, and so many more things. Drinking water is so crucial! Please do your body a favour and go drink a glass of water rn!!
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Did you get that water??? I hope you did now that you’re hydrated let’s get on to tips #4!

Tip #4: Have a clean space!! Where do you spend time the most in your day? Is it your bedroom? Your office? The kitchen? The living room? Wherever it is try and keep your space clean, if you have a clean space it helps your brain to be at peace with your surroundings and it will make it more enjoyable for you to be in that space!!

Tip #5: Determination. Wake up every morning with a goal or a desire to be happy. If you start your day off right that can impact your day in an amazing way!

Tip #6: Spend quality time with quality people. The people you surround yourself with everyday are the ones who will impact your mental health, and happiness the most. Find people that you are comfortable with and that will bring joy and happiness to each of your lives.

Tip #7: Self-care!!! This is so important whatever your kind of self care is take time for yourself! You deserve it!! Do something you love and will make you happy.

Tip #8: Workout. When you workout it helps your body release toxins that does not make you feel good. By working out you’re allowing your body to naturally refresh itself and rejuvenate. In the end this allows your body to be refreshed and you mental health to feel good about yourself!!

Tip #9: Be present in the moment! This is my last tips and it is probably one of my favourites. Take time to really be PRESENT in the moment. Look around and see 5 things. Close your eyes and listen for 4 different noises. Touch or feel 3 things. Smell 2 fragrance in the air or around you. And taste 1 thing. These are 5 things you can do to really be present in the moment. This will allow you to enjoy your present moment and will lead you to have a much happier life.

If you loved reading her tips as much as I did, don’t forget to go like her post and follow her blog!! (the links are above) xxx