9 Habits For a Happier Life

As someone who has spent many years seeking happiness and fulfillment, I am a firm believer that happiness is a choice. 

If you find yourself in a cycle where you are lost and unsure about yourself, there is a chance you are investing your energy in the wrong places.

Before my self discovery journey, I made everyday choices that were easy and comfortable, but were not exactly in my best interest. 

I couldn’t figure out why I was so irritated most of my days and why I felt like my energy did not match my motivation towards my goals. It took a lot of trial and error, but eventually I decided that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and choose happiness.

Cultivating small, positive habits in my everyday routine has changed my life tremendously. I find myself happy and more accepting of myself. If I can do it, so can you.

1. MEDITATE

I put this on top of the list because if you are unhappy, anxious, or feel like you’re missing something then meditation is a good starting point. Over the past few months meditation has single handedly transformed my world.

I couldn’t understand why I was so unhappy when my life was so good. I had every single thing I ever wanted, but I realized I had really been neglecting my mind. I discovered that happiness does not come from what you have, but realizing and accepting what you are.

Meditation might as well be called medication because of how much it heals you. 

I meditate every morning for 10 minutes based on how I am feeling that morning or what I am trying to achieve for that day. If I am feeling anxious, I go on YouTube and type in “meditation for anxiety.”

My favorite meditation videos are from Great Meditation.

2. JOURNAL DAILY

Sometimes we get so caught up in the external stimuli of the world that we neglect the state of our internal world. Keeping a journal is an excellent way to dissect the inner-workings of our minds.

There is no cookie-cutter way of journaling. It’s your choice and you can write about anything. 

In my journal, I document my stream of consciousness, write down what I’m grateful for and go in depth about my ultimate life goals. I write about my hopes, fears, insecurities, and manifestations. This has taught me so much about myself that I couldn’t possibly have learned otherwise.

My journal of choice is the Day One app. It is password protected so your entries are kept secret.

3. MAKE YOUR BED

You may have heard this a million times, but here’s why it’s important. The brain enjoys organization and receives a nice burst of dopamine (the happy hormone) for accomplishing a task first thing in the morning. 

This is something that I was not used to doing at all, but I have found that I am way more productive on the days I make the bed vs days my husband makes the bed. 

Even if you accomplish nothing else for the rest of your day, that small task is something to be proud of and it’s rewarding at the end of a stressful day to get into a bed that’s made.

4. PLAN YOUR DAY

Sometimes the thought of doing many tasks can seem overwhelming, but when written down into a plan it’s not so intimidating. 

Whether it’s in the morning or evening, set aside a few moments to plan your day. You’ll be amazed at how much you accomplish.

My ADHD brain finds a lot of joy in digital planning. I find most common tasks to be impossible, but when broken down into smaller steps I find them much more achievable. 

I personally enjoy planning my day in the morning and I am an avid believer in digital planning. If you’re curious, I use Goodnotes on my iPad and my 2022 Planner can be found here.

5. MOVE YOUR BODY

Your body is quite literally your temple. It is the vessel for your soul and if you are not putting in the time, effort and love that it needs to be healthy and strong, then your soul can not and will not be happy.

I say move your body because I know the gym isn’t for everyone. Go for a walk, dance around your room, or even clean your house. 

The gym is something that makes me feel so good. I’ve worked out for many years, but have always always hit a wall and lacked consistency. I realized it was because I was working out for all the wrong reasons. I was working out to LOOK good to others and thought that when I achieved my dream body that I would find happiness. 

Once I started working out because I honored and loved myself, then I started to work out because of how good it made me feel. I started to chase that feeling instead of how I looked and found it to be way more sustainable. 

The key is to find a physical activity that you enjoy doing and aim to do it every day. 

6. NOURISH YOUR BODY

If you fuel your body with good food, you end up feeling good, your overall mood is better and your body performs the way it should. 

I was amazed to learn recently how food impacts our mind and our way of thinking. You can not and will not make the best decisions for yourself on a daily basis if you aren’t properly fueling your body. 

While this can be a pain in the butt (but good for the booty gains), calculating and tracking your macros for 30 days will allow you to visualize how much you should be eating. And while macros are important, don’t forget about your fruits and veggies.

I use the Katy Hearn Fit macro calculator and the Myfitnesspal app to track my macros. You don’t have to do this every single day for the rest of your life because ain’t nobody got time for that. I use it to get started and to get back on track.

7. DRINK MORE WATER

I feel like I was dehydrated (maybe a bit dramatic) for most of my life. I had super dry skin and instead of finding the root of the problem, I would just treat it with “hydrating” creams and skincare products. 

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I made a conscious effort to drink more water. The thing that effectively helped me do that was keeping a water bottle at my side at all times.

If you always have water next to you, you will drink it. It’s really that simple. I use this water bottle because it is about the size of 2 large glasses of water in one and I refill it 2-3 times a day. 

While I started drinking water for very vain reasons, there are plenty of other benefits to drinking water and it is essential for every aspect of your life.

8. GET ENOUGH SLEEP

Sleep is fundamental to healing your body and mind. Without sleep, you are unable to adequately perform your day to day tasks. Lack of sleep can also contribute to moodiness, headaches and trouble concentrating. I encourage you to get 7-8 hours of sleep consistently. 

I can go 2 days max with less than 8 hours of sleep before I turn into a goblin from hell (my hubby can attest). I find that my mood and productivity levels are drastically reduced when I don’t sleep enough.

9. LOVE YOURSELF

Although this is the most important, I put this last because it can sometimes be a journey. I know that I personally am on this journey. And the steps above can bring you closer and closer to loving yourself.

I can tell you that journaling and meditation has helped me on this journey, but it also took a lot of patience, forgiveness, acceptance and letting go in order to progress. I am still learning every day about myself and the world around me.

You owe it to yourself to spend time with yourself every day taking care of your mind, body and spirit. If you are neglecting one of the three you will feel lost and incomplete. 

I want you to know that you don’t have to become or do anything that society deems important in order to love yourself. You can love yourself right now, starting with accepting who you are in this moment. 

Everything you are meant to be and want to be exists already inside of you and the more you practice self love, the more you will reveal about yourself. 

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If you have tips for myself or other readers on your habits to be happier, please share them in the comments below. Thank you so much for reading. Share this with a loved one who might need it <3

Light & Love,

Cindy Natalia

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