7 Secrets of Happy People

7 Secrets of Happy People.  

Do you wonder what makes people happy?

I do, and I’ve been studying it to look for clues about what it is that happy people do that makes them happy. I’ve come up with these seven concepts for you to apply to help you just be happy.

7 Secrets of Happy People Introduction

If you’re struggling with trying to be happy, maybe it’s time to get some tips and secrets about how happy people do it. By learning what they do and what they say to themselves, you can copy them and start to be happy yourself.

Here are my 7 secrets of happy people. They are not in any particular order, but some may be more important than others.

#1 Be grateful for the people, opportunities, and things you already have and make the most of them. 

Social media can affect your sense of happines because it has taught us to look at other people’s lives with envy. We see beautiful people living perfect lives, which makes us unhappy because we have less.

But we need to realise that we must stop comparing our lives to others’ if we want to be happy.  

In the first place, you don’t know if these lives are real. Some people on social media exaggerate their situation, either to make themselves feel better or to deliberately make others feel worse.

Secondly, you are living YOUR life with YOUR people and YOUR things! Look for opportunities to be grateful for everything you do have while ignoring the lives of others.

Gratitude for the things you have brings perspective to your thinking and level of happiness.

#2 Being happy is not just about money.

 Although it is obviously easier and less stressful when you have enough money to support your family, people who are happy in life are not so obsessed with money. 

When people are obsessed with money, they can usually obtain it. But this does not reduce their stress. I’m sure there are plenty of rich people who are miserable as they reflect on what it cost them emotionally in terms of a lost loved one or family. 

Obsession with amassing money often increases stress and makes you unhappy because it can become the primary focus in your life and cause you to lose sight of what is really important.

People who are happy do not chase money for the sake of it. They are satisfied with what they have and don’t worry about how to squeeze out more money because they have a healthy balance in their life. 

There’s nothing wrong with earning more money so you and your family can have better things, so long as your life stays in balance as a result of your efforts.

After all, what’s the point of being rich if you are emotionally poor and on your own?

#3 People who are happy nurture friendships.

Social contacts are an essential factor in being happy, but we are all different in how much of a factor it is to us.

You don’t need dozens of friends unless you have the time and personality to manage lots of relationships and keep that many plates spinning at once. In fact, relationship plate spinning can be a source of stress and unhappiness.

Have as many friends as you need; it’s as simple as that. If you have a few that you can trust and don’t feel the need for more, that’s okay. It’s your life.

It’s okay to use social media occasionally to organise your social life, but don’t use it exclusively for social contact. If you can meet your friends in person, it’s better than meeting them virtually.

#4 Never forget that home and family are important

Spending time with family is often a big part of what makes people happy.  

Happy people understand that family is important and a component part of a happy, balanced life.

They know that their home environment should be a safe haven for all family members and work hard to ensure all family members feel safe, important, and part of the whole.

When it’s not, they take steps to improve the situation. 

#5 You should value experiences above things

You need to recognise that it will be experiences that will have made you happy in the final analysis, not things.

The car, the golf club membership, or some other thing can bring you some fleeting happiness but don’t make them your primary happiness factor.

On your deathbed, when nothing else matters, you will value the beach holidays with your spouse and children far more than the flashy car you had in your forties.

Remember the warning that nobody wishes they had spent more time at the office on their deathbed. Make sure you will be glad you spent more time at home with your family than you did at the office.

Please don’t leave it to the end to recognise this obvious fact.

#6 Don’t neglect your health

Are you in good health? Poor health will make anybody unhappy.

If you are not healthy and can do something about it, this is an important area to focus on. Learn how to eat right, even if you have to hire a nutritionist to do it. 

Build exercise into your routine. You don’t have to turn into an exercise fanatic and go to the gym six times a week to improve your health. You can become healthier by taking frequent walks and moving whenever possible rather than constantly sitting.

#7 Recognise that nobody is happy 100% of the time 

It’s important to note that people shift between different emotional states all the time. You can be happy one minute, and then you think about something that stresses you out, or something happens that causes you to become stressed.

Even people who seem happy all the time go through fluctuations of emotion. No one is really happy all the time.  

But when you become stressed or unhappy, think about one of the six concepts above and return to a content state as soon as you can.

It’s important to remember this point whenever something brings you down. Remember the common phrase: this too will pass.

If you see others happy and you, temporarily, are not, don’t beat yourself up. This, too, will pass.

7 Secrets of Happy People Summary

Building any number of these 7 Secrets of Happy People into your daily life and thoughts will improve it.  Install all seven concepts and you will find you your happiness levels soar!

Read my Don’t Sweat the small stuff tips here to find out how not to let the little things bother you and my 5 steps to happiness here.

3 Action Steps to Happiness

I’ve thought up three small things you can do to help you become happy. Make a note of them and add some things of your own that you can do.

#1 Write down a list of all the things you currently own.

List both tangible and intangible things. Sometimes just looking at your list is enough to overcome a bad mood. You will see and appreciate that your life is not bad and that you have many, if not all, of the things you need.

#2 Make a meal plan for the next thirty days.

If you need to, work with a nutritionist and create a solid plan. Eating the right foods can help you improve your outlook. If you eat well, you will find you have more energy and feel better. This can only make you happier.

#3 Make a date with close friends once a month.

If you have lost contact with some people, try to find them again. You can also try to make new friends. Make it a point to attend in-person meetings. You can look in the local newspaper or search the Internet for meetings in your area. 

I hope you liked my thoughts on 7 Secrets of Happy People.  Please consider leaving a comment.  I’d love to hear from you.