4 Tiny Habits That Will Make You More Joyful Than 98% Of People
Happiness is not a competition when everyone struggles to not be sad.
Jaroslav Zakravsky, Andre Moura | Canva Humanity is unhappy. Overall contentment with life and a general sense of well-being has significantly declined.
Experts agree we all can use more happiness in our lives.
Yet, global leaders lack any measures to track happiness due to a narrow focus primarily on economic indicators such as GDP and unemployment. As though no citizen of their countries ever had a job they didn't like and made them miserable.
Here are 4 tiny habits that will make you more joyful than most people:
1. Seek and savor the simple.
Finding happiness isn't very complicated. Unlike most people, you don't find it in the busyness of life or in accomplishing lofty feats — you find it in quiet moments with yourself and connected moments with your world.
Little things such as watching the sunrise in the morning, feeling sunlight on your face, sipping an aromatic cup of coffee, or stopping to smell a blooming flower can bring great joy into your every day. Intentionally seek these experiences and savor them for greater happiness.
— Lisa Petsinis, Career and Life Coach, ACC
2. Say it when you feel it.
Saying something you are grateful for every day will make you happier than most people.
— Phyllis Koch-Sheras, PhD Clinical Psychologist
3. Create perpetual gratitude cycles.
Research shows that individuals who consciously focus on being thankful are happier. Indeed, focusing on what one is grateful for (be it in the past, the present, or even hopes for the future) helps people feel more satisfied and happy. It also helps them revel in positive experiences, enhance health, and be more resilient in the face of stressors.
Additionally, research finds that gratitude enhances relationships. Research also shows if partners develop a culture of appreciation for large and small things, they will be more satisfied and able to discuss difficulties when they arise.
There are many ways to cultivate a gratitude attitude, ranging from verbal expression, a gratitude journal, thinking each morning and evening of one thing to be grateful for, and many others.
— Laurie Mintz, Licensed Psychologist and Author
Photo via Getty
4. Regularly reflect on goal setting.
These are not just steps toward professional growth. They are the keys to unlocking personal happiness.
Taking time to reflect allows us to celebrate our successes and learn from our challenges, fostering a sense of accomplishment and clarity.
Setting goals transforms our aspirations into tangible paths, giving us direction and purpose.
This powerful combination elevates our career journey and enriches our lives with fulfillment and joy to make us happier than most.
— Lena Hardy, MSEd, BCC, Career Coach
We look around at family, friends, community, and strangers and see so many unhappy. Being happier than most is not a competition in contentment.
If you are struggling to feel happier than other people, it is a common challenge we are all facing. When almost everyone is struggling, being happier than most means finding a way to not be sad.
Keep a clear focus on yourself and your response to moments of joy. So when you reflect on the lessons learned, you aren't afraid to speak your gratitude and feed your core with happiness.
Happy is your choice manifested from moments of joy that exist when you look for them.
Will Curtis is a writer and editor for YourTango. He's been featured on the Good Men Project and taught English abroad for ten years.