This statement may seem flippant and downright irritating for people suffering with major depression or anxiety, and rightly so. It almost implies that if you simply “change” your state of mind, you’ll suddenly be “happy”. It takes work and practise.
What is happiness? Happiness is a state of mind, usually a combination of contentment, fulfilment, joy and satisfaction. Great news, so it’s a state and can be changed but how?
Change is difficult at the best of times and trying to cajole your brain into “believing” you are happy when you can barely get out of bed is a tall order.
However, here are a few tips to help you begin the process to feeling “happier”.
1. Exercise gratitude. Start small. Every morning think of 3-5 things you are grateful for, they can be small things, like a hot cup of tea on a cold day. The gift of sight, being able to hear the birds chirping. Every day try to change them up. This sets you into a positive frame from the get-go. Do the same at night just before bed. Soon you’ll start running off your gratitude items with little difficulty or prompting.
2. Watch comedies you enjoy or have a stash of “go to” movies, books, family photographs that make you feel uplifted and put a smile on your face. Keep those handy for those down moments.
3. Make sure you are eating healthily and sleeping well. If not consider making some healthy changes.
4. Remove yourself from toxic environments as quickly as possible. If you feel your energy draining in certain situations or around certain people, limit your exposure.
In therapy, learning how to set healthy boundaries, updating coping skills, practising self-care and how to be kind to yourself, set strong foundations towards positive change and “happiness”, whatever that means to you.
Always be kind to yourself.
