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“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” – Albus Dumbledore

Saturday March 20th is International Day of Happiness.

For me, there are lots of things that make me happy; travelling, spending time with my friends and family, hearing my niece laugh, seeing others genuinely enjoying themselves, a generous serving of lemon meringue pie, nature walks, animals, adventure… the list goes on.

This past year has made it difficult for many of us to engage in many of the things which spark joy and bring happiness, and sometimes it can be difficult to feel happy or excited about things when nothing seems to be changing. This is a real feeling I have had, even pre covid!

One thing I started doing (and still do) is to make a list of the things that make me happy, make a list of the things I do every day or on a regular almost daily basis, and then compare! If I am not making time for the things that make me happy in my day, then I need to readjust and bring more of the good happy tasks into my day! While not all of it may be possible, there is always something I can do.

Here are 5 things that make me happy lately and that I can do despite restrictions – why not make a list of your own and share them with us!

  1. Music has amazing powers and this song (Whitney Houston – Wanna Dance with Somebody) always makes me want to dance and makes me feel GOOD!
  2. Sunrises, sunsets and stargazing. The weather may not always be on our side, but chances are at least once a week you can experience at least one of these! (If stargazing is something which interests you, there are many different apps which may help you identify different constellations!)
  3. Animals bring me joy – whether it is taking a walk to see the local donkeys on a nearby road, or looking at videos of puppers on social media, taking time to see animals makes me happy!
  4. Connection is super important to me, so once a week I make sure to reach out to a friend, whether for a phone call, video call, writing a letter! If you have someone in your social support bubble, you could link up with them for a socially distant walk. Most of the time, I come out of the interaction with my heart a little fuller and my soul a little more lifted.
  5. Movement! At first it was easy to lounge and watch whatever was on the TV, or different streaming services. For me, there is only so much absent minded watching of things I can do (and my recommended list is running low!). Whether it is getting out for a walk, sticking my headphones in and having a solo dance party, cutting the lawn, or organising all of the boxes, cupboards and shelves of stuff in my home – getting up and moving makes me happy and breaks up the monotony of my day!

 

As I said, these are some things that make me happy, maybe they don’t work for you. Whatever you do this International Day of Happiness, try to make sure to do at least one thing which makes you smile.

Feel free to share the things that make you happy with us!

 

Until next time,

Rachel

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