People say they want to be happy. But then, what do they do? They allow negativity, worry, and unpleasantness to enter into their day-to-day experiences.
Since August is Happiness Happens Month, here are 3 happiness strategies that can help you avoid the negativity and make you feel happy all day. The results will be better relationships in your personal life and higher employee morale at work.
What is Happiness Happens Month?
Pamela Gail Johnson, founder of the Secret Society of Happy People declared August 8th, 1999 as Admit You’re Happy Day and then in 2000 declared August to be Happiness Happens Month. The purpose is to encourage people to be happy both at work and at home, and to spread their happiness to others.
The truth is that people do want to be happy at home, and they want to be happy at work, but most of the time we are involved with day-to-day tasks, and it takes courage and effort to feel happy.
It takes courage because many people feel guilty being happy when others are unhappy or when bad things are happening in the world. But happiness energizes people and creates a joyful home life, and energized, motivated employees. Someone has to start the spiral of happiness. It might as well be you.
The US constitution says we are entitled to the “…pursuit of happiness.” Yet, most people don’t pursue happiness. They just yearn for it, and complain when they don’t have it.
- Happiness happens, and people neglect to notice.
- Happiness happens, and people are tuned into the bad news channel.
- Happiness happens, but because things aren’t perfect, people focus on that and don’t feel happy
When you practice happiness actions for a whole month, happiness can become a habit that is contagious as it spreads happiness to others.
Happiness is a feeling that is fed by our actions.
Happiness actions may be physical actions or mental. Yes, thought is an action. When you change your actions, you change your feelings. Sound simple? Try these 3 types of actions and see how your happy actions boost employee morale at work and improve your relationships at home.
1. Smile
Smiling is a physical action that improves your mood. It improves relationships and attracts others to you. Look at a mirror first without smiling and then while smiling. Notice the difference. It’s a great way to look years younger and improve your appearance in an instant without spending money on expensive cosmetics or a facelift.
Think about it. When someone takes your photo, the first thing they say before snapping the shutter is, “Smile” or “Say cheese” because they want you to smile so you will look good on the photo.
Action Steps
- Start off the day smiling at yourself in the mirror
- Greet everyone with a big smile and a cheery “Hello”
- Several times throughout the day, think of things that will make you smile.
- Pay attention. If you catch yourself smiling, remember what brought the smile to your face.
2. Don’t invite negative news into your brain.
You may think you aren’t inviting bad news, but by doing nothing to counteract the negativity that surrounds us, you are saying, “Come on in” to negative thoughts and feelings. That’s because people will naturally be attracted to negativity when they don’t make an effort to be positive.
Search for the good things that are happening in your workplace, with your family, and in your community. You may have to dig a little to find them because the bad news gets most of the attention. It takes effort and practice, but by focusing on positive events you can take control of your thoughts. .
Action Steps
- Instead of reading the newspaper in the morning, read an inspirational story or poem.
- Instead of listening to the news on the way to work, listen to your favorite music.
- When negative thoughts enter your mind, write down a list of things you appreciate, or go through the alphabet in your mind thinking of one thing you appreciate for each letter.
3. Be Happy With People
It’s not a typo. I didn’t mean to say “be with happy people,” although that is a wonderful way to feel happy. But many times we are surrounded by unhappy people at work or in our personal lives. The good news is that you can still be happy, even though the people you are with are not. Being happy with people means to keep your focus on the positive.
Action Steps
- Be happy with yourself, first. Make a list of all your positive qualities and read them every morning.
- Instead of gossiping with your co-workers about what others may be doing wrong, say something nice about someone.
- When you are with someone who is difficult, think of several things that you admire or appreciate about that person.
That may not be easy. It may seem like looking for the roses in the thornbush or diamonds in a coalmine. It’s so easy to see another person’s faults. It takes effort to practice seeing a person’s good qualities.
Although there are many other ways to be happy, these are 3 strategies that, when practiced every day, will give you many flashes of happiness throughout your day, like shooting stars, that light up your spirits and brighten your days.
