March 4
5 Tips for Experiencing Happiness
By Denise Humphrey, Ph.D., www.DeniseHumphrey.com
Sadness, grief, loss, and even the occasional blues are normal emotions and reactions to challenging life circumstances. Happiness is also a normal emotional state. Yet, so many people struggle to feel happy even when they cannot identify a source of their discontent.
5 Tips for Feeling Happy
- Make a Happy Agenda. Sometimes we have to make deliberate plans for feeling happy. Think about what makes you happy: spending time with friends; spending time with your loved ones; taking “me time” at the spa; spending quiet time outdoors in the sunshine. Set a happiness agenda for yourself that outlines the specific activities you will engage in each week to experience happiness.
- Gratitude Journal. Life is crazy, chaotic and often full of stress. It is very easy to focus on what is causing us stress: work, kids, relationships, finances, etc. Buy or make yourself a beautiful journal and commit ten minutes each morning to writing or listing the things in your life that you are grateful for. You may even find that your stressors are actually your greatest blessings — work, kids, relationships and the money you do have. Focusing on our blessings is tremendously helpful in gaining perspective on our stressors.
- Play. Play is Happy’s best friend. All too often we leave playtime off the agenda; so much so, that many people cannot easily come up with one single idea for playtime. If you are one of those people, here are some suggestions: go to the park and swing; ride your bike; host a themed party for no reason other than to have fun; color in a coloring book; paint a picture; go to a museum; take the whole family for a walk to get ice cream; bake cookies and decorate them. Play activities are endless. Use your imagine. Once you get good at playing, start a Play Scrapbook and record all your good memories.
- Get Curious. Somewhere along the journey to adulthood, many of us lose our sense of curiosity. We get good at knowing what we know, and we lose interest in the unknown. Engage your sense of curiosity and get excited about learning. Take up a new hobby; learn a new language; take a course in painting, mechanics, cooking, etc. Find new and exciting ways to remain in a state of learning.
- Care for your body. Our moods are greatly effected by our hormonal and mental functioning. Proper nutrition, regular exercise, ample hydration and daily exposure to fresh air and sunshine are all essential to healthy hormonal and brain functioning. Exercise releases healthy, “feel good” endorphins and increases our self-confidence. Taking care of your body will go a long way towards your sense of happiness.
No one should expect to be happy all the time, but you should not feel sad all the time either. Experiencing a healthy range of emotions appropriate to life’s circumstances is the goal.
Denise Humphrey, Ph.D
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Humphrey today! 972-239-2490
CREDENTIALS
• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology: Fielding Graduate University
• Master of Music in Piano Performance: University of Notre Dame
• Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance: Southern Methodist University
• License No. and State: 32345 Texas
• Board of Trustees, Dallas Foundation for Psychoanalysis
• Chair, Arts Committee for the Dallas Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology
• Member, National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology
