9 Tips for Living a Happier Life

Posted on 20. Jul, 2009 by Jon Winthorp in happiness

Riang Ria
Creative Commons License photo credit: nunui ™ [off ]

We’re always searching for ways to be happier. Whether it’s by trying to get a promotion at work (so we can make more money) or by searching for your soul-mate (so we can feel loved), virtually every decision we make boils down to trying to achieve greater happiness.

Unfortunately, for many of us, the pursuit of happiness never ends. It’s always so close, but it lies just out of our reach.

Here are 9 tips that will help you catch that happiness, so you can live a better life.

  1. Be kind to others—You might be saying to yourself, “I’m trying to make myself happy. Why should I be worried about making others happy first?” Well, believe it or not, one of the quickest ways to improve your happiness is to make those around you happier. Simple, kind acts to your friends or even strangers can help put a smile on your face.

  2. Be kind to yourself—Of course, you can’t spend all of your time caring for others and ignoring yourself. Treat yourself occasionally to whatever it is that makes you happy. Whether it’s going on a mini-shopping spree or just taking a day off from all of life’s pressures, treating yourself well goes a long way to making you happier.

  3. Stay healthy physically—Routine exercise coupled with a healthy diet will help you stay energetic. High energy levels play an integral role in avoiding depression. The better you feel physically, the happier you’ll be.

  4. Don’t equate money with happiness—If you base your happiness solely off your income, you’ll always be miserable because there will always be someone else who makes more money than you do. Money does not always equal happiness. Just take a look at the people who win the lottery. Many of them end up committing suicide because they can’t handle it.

  5. Be yourself—Okay, this sounds like something out of a cheesy PSA aimed at kids, but it really is true: Being yourself is the easiest way to be happier. Stop living your life for those around you, and start living it to achieve the goals you want to achieve. You can’t be all things to all people, so just be yourself.

  6. Stop worrying about mistakes—Everyone makes mistakes. How you react to these mistakes determines your happiness. If you constantly beat yourself up over your mistakes, you’ll never move forward with your life. Realize that everyone around you regularly makes mistakes. What’s done is done. Learn from your mistakes, and don’t let them steal your happiness.

  7. Don’t burn yourself out—Too many times, we overextend ourselves by working long hours and engaging in multiple extracurricular activities. Sooner or later, it always catches up, and it can leave you burned out and depressed. Take a break from your hectic schedule on occasion so that you can give yourself a chance to rest and to breathe.

  8. Get out of the rut—Shake things up in your life. Ditch your mundane routine, and get out of town or do something completely new. It’s when you get in a rut that you start to get bored and become dissatisfied with life. By mixing things up, you keep life fresh, fun, and exciting.

  9. Stop complaining, start doing—You can sit around and nag all day, but until you get off your butt and do something about it, your life will continue to suck. Whatever it is that’s making you unhappy, figure out a way to change it. The sooner you take action, the sooner you can start being happier.

What are your tips for living a happier life?

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25 Responses to “9 Tips for Living a Happier Life”

  1. Tracy

    21. Jul, 2009

    Number 8 – get out of the rut is so important to me! So often we find ourselves stuck doing the same thing for reasons we don’t even remember.

    Breaking out of that routine is invigorating and stimulates your brain. A brain that isn’t stimulated grows sluggish and your creativity diminishes.
    Tracy´s last blog ..A bunch of random items My ComLuv Profile

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  2. Gerald Weber

    21. Jul, 2009

    All good tips but I particularly like #1. I believe random acts of kindness really to add to ones quality of life.
    Gerald Weber´s last blog ..Who Are You Gonna Call When You Need A Guru? My ComLuv Profile

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  3. Ed

    21. Jul, 2009

    Being kind to others brings long lasting rewards that can’t be measured in earthly terms. :) <<< (like more of those, for instance)
    Ed´s last blog ..Is The Recent Digg Controversy A PR Stunt? My ComLuv Profile

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  4. @ScottBradley

    21. Jul, 2009

    Don’t equate money with happiness

    Hits the point ON THE HEAD! AMEN!
    @ScottBradley´s last blog ..ScottBradley: RT @the_gman: SU: 9 Tips for Living a Happier Life | EasySelfHelpTips.com http://su.pr/2q2Ab6 My ComLuv Profile

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  5. Robin Bal

    21. Jul, 2009

    You got it right there, follow them and you will achieve unconditional happiness :)
    Robin Bal´s last blog ..10 Powerful Techniques To Use When Creating Your Affirmations My ComLuv Profile

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  6. Alisa Bowman

    21. Jul, 2009

    I would add to pursue something that you are passionate about. That’s what makes life worth living. Also, to understand that life is one complication after another. The challenges never end. Happiness comes in learning how to accept our hardships and solve problems to continually move our lives in a better direction.
    Alisa Bowman´s last blog ..What do you do on date night? My ComLuv Profile

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    • Jon Winthorp

      21. Jul, 2009

      Thanks for adding that one. Agreed! Passion is what makes life worth living.

      Reply to this comment

  7. gary

    21. Jul, 2009

    You missed a major one. Make learning a life long process. It adds to your life in hundreds of ways. Actually, learning to love learning goes a long way towards this. And, as resent studies indicate, it helps keep dementia related diseases at bay.

    Reply to this comment

    • Jon Winthorp

      22. Jul, 2009

      Good one. I agree that continuing to learn is very important.

      Reply to this comment

  8. JONxBLAZE

    21. Jul, 2009

    Be thankful for what you have, stop worrying about what you can’t have.
    JONxBLAZE´s last blog ..The Law Of Attraction My ComLuv Profile

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  9. sandeepsinghal

    21. Jul, 2009

    very useful. thanks.
    in my views-
    in a day spend 23 hours 50 minutes for yourself, only 10 minutes for society or mother nature .see change in your
    life in a year.

    Reply to this comment

  10. Jacqueline Johns -Your Happy Life Mentor

    22. Jul, 2009

    Find your spirituality and live it. This adds an amazing extra dimension to your life, and the possibility of total life change. Discovering who you are at a spiritual level can have far-reaching consequences.
    If you haven’t discovered your own spirituality you’re only half living.

    Live Life Happy!
    Jacqueline Johns -Your Happy Life Mentor´s last blog ..Happiness Study My ComLuv Profile

    Reply to this comment

  11. newsice

    22. Jul, 2009

    be relaxed ,dont take more tension
    go outing with friends
    these r additional lines iam adding
    newsice´s last blog ..Car made of wood My ComLuv Profile

    Reply to this comment

  12. Barbara Aquino

    22. Jul, 2009

    Great article! We all know this stuff, but it really helps to read/hear it from another source. Clean looking site BTW!

    Reply to this comment

  13. construction Magazine

    22. Jul, 2009

    NO 9 Stop complaining, start doing…
    best way to get success in life.
    Great article

    Reply to this comment

  14. LiewZY

    22. Jul, 2009

    Thanks for your tips, very useful especially
    #6 “What’s done is done. Learn from your mistakes, and don’t let them steal your happiness.”

    Reply to this comment

  15. Yvonne @vene2ia

    22. Jul, 2009

    Great blog!

    If I may add a 10th: Form relationships with other people.

    Studies have shown that, ultimately, it is the relationships you form with others that will matter throughout your life and will contribute to your happiness.

    You may find The Happiness Formula complementary to your article.

    Reply to this comment

  16. Jon Winthorp

    22. Jul, 2009

    @Everyone

    All a bunch of great tips and suggestions. Thanks everyone for the great tips.

    Reply to this comment

  17. MGL

    23. Jul, 2009

    Stop complaining is where it’s at. if you get out and do something you’ll forget all about your complaints .

    Reply to this comment

  18. Sheree Motiska

    23. Jul, 2009

    This came just in time today, thanks g_man. I’m struggling with health issues but determined to remain in the game and not give up. I’d like to add that if you are going to bother to do something at all, then you might as well do it the best that you possibly can and give it all you’ve got. Otherwise, just don’t bother.

    Another favorite is #6. I have made a reputation based on showcasing all of my struggles, ignorance, and dumb mistakes for others to learn from and avoid. So many people out there shut themselves off from growth because they feel they have to appear to know everything already in order to be taken seriously.

    We all had to learn things and screw up, ALL of us. No one will fault you for sharing the mistakes that will help them avoid wasting their own time, trust me.

    @web20empire

    Reply to this comment

  19. udaipur

    29. Jul, 2009

    Indeed a very well written article, thanks for posting it on the net..I could use this as reference and many others can also use it.
    Thanks again..
    Jain Neha

    Reply to this comment

  20. Marvin Wilson

    31. Jul, 2009

    And if life’s difficulties are getting you down? Think about this: “Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.” – Abdul Kalam

    Reply to this comment

  21. jahir

    01. Aug, 2009

    i like this tips particularly i like the sixth tips

    Reply to this comment

  22. Tim | Inspiration Central

    02. Aug, 2009

    This is a wonderful post and all of the tips are essential for happiness. Thanks for sharing.
    Tim | Inspiration Central´s last blog ..When Someone Has Lost All Hope—Lift Them Up My ComLuv Profile

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  23. Twitter Trackbacks for 9 Tips for Living a Happier Life | EasySelfHelpTips.com [easyselfhelptips.com] on Topsy.com

    28. Aug, 2009

    [...] link is being shared on Twitter right now. @mymeesh, an influential author, said 9 Tips for Living a [...]

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