How To Be Happy

Right now, feeling happy might be the last thing on your mind especially as we are all dealing with the fall out of what is happening in our country.  The concern for gas prices, overall inflation, fears of retaliation from this war… there’s not a lot around us to be happy about.  

The stress is taking its toll on nearly everyone. 

With that said, the results for the “Happiest Country in the World” ( The World Happiness Report) are in and Finland once again takes the #1 spot whereas we in the US, ranked 23rd and have seen a long term downward trend over the past decade. 

For comparison, the US used to rank much higher, 11th in 2012.

When we take a peek into Finland’s success we can see many factors that favorably collide that help Finland’s citizens to have reason to celebrate.  Their social systems are more supportive, there’s greater trust in Government along with workplace policies like shorter work weeks, more extended time off for parental leave etc. 

Additionally, Finland is a society that trusts one another- lose your wallet in Finland, someone will likely return it to you.

 It is beautiful there ( I am told) and nature abounds.  People there spend time in the beauty of nature which is good for mental health no matter where you live.

Since it is not feasible for most of us to just pack up and move to Finland, what can we do to experience greater joy, happiness and inner contentment in the midst of some really difficult circumstances, especially now?

• LEARN TO LOOK INWARD MORE OFTEN, NOT OUTWARD- Circumstances are constantly changing. The stock market is up, now it’s down. We’re happy in our relationship and then our partner says they are dissatisfied.  Our children are well behaved one minute and throwing a tantrum the next.  Looking inward means learning to be resilient and find joy even when outwardly, things may be looking bleak.

• FIND JOY IN THE SMALLEST OF THINGS-   I really love cleaning and folding laundry.  I love what it feels like to have all the clothes folded and put away, or the kitchen and bathroom freshly scrubbed.  I find joy in those things.  Finding an interesting rock or seashell on the beach, makes my heart feel joyful. Having coffee with a friend, learning another Italian lesson, or walking my dog and seeing new flowers spring up all bring me joy. Look for and make it a point to notice the little things that bring you joy. They exist if you slow down and take the time to notice.

• TAKE  BREAKS FROM NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA- While we need to know what is going on, we don’t need to know everything that is going on and we certainly don’t need to spend hours on social media, robbing us of time that we could be actually interacting WITH people instead of looking at them on our screen. Monitor your time and be intentional about how much time you spend on screens.

• GET OUT IN NATURE, DAILY IF POSSIBLE.  Whether it is to walk the cat or dog or take a break at lunch time and walk outside, get outside as much as possible. If you hike, make a plan to do it as often as you are able.  You might drive to the ocean and walk the beach, or enjoy it more locally since we are blessed to have so many parks on the water here in Kitsap!

• SET ASIDE TIME DAILY TO CONNECT WITH ANOTHER HUMAN.  You might be surprised to learn how many people – especially elderly, single folks and people who live and /or work at home, can go days without seeing another human!  Feeling alone or isolated is a cause of misery, loneliness, and can be detrimental to our mental health. We need to be connecting with safe other humans!

• FOCUS ON CONTROLLING THAT WHICH YOU CAN AND SURRENDERING THE REST.  We all have things beyond our control that are wildly frustrating. When we dwell on those things we can quickly find our mental health and our happiness dwindling.  When we focus on that which we can control, and pour our energies there, we will likely feel more in control, content, and more at ease.

• BRING IN MORE JOYFUL THINGS, PEOPLE, PLACES AND ACTIVITIES INTO YOUR LIFE.

Essentially, be intentional and plan for those date nights if you are coupled, outings with friends, time rolling around on the floor with your young kiddos or furry buddies.

Take an afternoon or even an hour or two off here and there to just walk around and explore. Schedule a new activity like making art, playing tennis or pickleball, or learning a new language.  Take a yoga class, meditate, pray, or read a book.  These things are all great for our brain, and for our overall health. Find what brings you joy!

While there is SO much wrong and awful going on in our country right now, in the midst of the challenges, we can choose to be even more intentional about our wellbeing and especially our mental health.  When we are taking care of ourselves,  loving the people around us, intentionally finding the people, places and things that matter to us greatly, happiness will be a welcomed biproduct.