Here area a Few Shortcuts to Happiness

Real happiness can be anything. It differs from person to person. One might say that real happiness for her is seeing her daughters smile (guilty) or the way her husband still looks at her like he thinks she’s amazing after more than a decade (guilty, again). Another might say that her own real happiness is the feeling she gets when she’s laughing with her girlfriends (guilty) or drinking a glass of really good wine (oh, yes). She might even consider real happiness a pale lavender box with a new pair of Jimmy Choos inside (guilty again). Real happiness is different for everyone and real happiness can be anything; it can even be a hundred things to one person. Big moments (think wedding days, babies being born and, graduating with your Masters) and small moments (finding a nest of brand new baby birds outside your bedroom window and listening to them sing every morning) alike can make you very, very happy. Now stop getting in the way of your happiness and start enjoying things a little more.

Stop Believing Everything You Think

That annoying inner voice that tells you your thighs are fat and your mother was right about every loser you ever dated – you know her? Well, she’s nasty. Ignore her like a mean girl. When you start believing your own negativity, you’ll stop finding joy in your life.

Smile – Even When You’d Rather Not

Ladies, this is the one time it’s okay to fake it (all right, there’s another time it’s okay to fake it and we all know what I’m talking about…). Researchers have found that when you are forced to smile it actually triggers feel good emotions in you. Even when you are in a horrible mood you can make yourself enjoy life just a little more by smiling through your bitterness.

RSVP No

You love your friends and would never miss their weddings or baby showers. However, you definitely don’t have the same relationship with the lady with the office down the hall and to the right, so feel free to RSVP with a no when she invites you to her son’s third birthday party. Don’t go to things that feel like obligations. Instead, make a date with a new book and a bottle of wine and it won’t even feel like a lie when you tell her you’d love to come but you’re having drinks with a new hot new guy (Team Edward or Team Jacob?).

Have Something to Look Forward To

When the holidays are near you have those to look forward to. Weekends are jam packed with parties, events and other fun activities. However, once the New Year rolls around there are fewer fun weekends and more cold nights in, and nothing to look forward to until football season starts back up in September (overindulging in Valentine and Easter candy is not a time to look forward to). Make plans, even if they seem far away. Schedule girl’s nights, date nights, movie nights, shopping trips, weekend getaways and massages at the spa. When you have something to look forward to you will live a happier life.