Feeling blue? 15 proven ways to be incredibly happy again!

We all have our bad days, that start with a bad coffee and bad hair, and end with an empty bottle of wine in front of Netflix after an intense fight with your significant other.

Don’t worry. We’ve put together a handy list of 15 ways to shift your mood within seconds, or minutes. These methods are all tried and true, so go ahead and give them a shot, and be happy for no reason!

1. Meditate

Do you ever have conversations and arguments with yourself? 

Come on, be honest! We all do. Whether we keep our internal dialogues on mute or talk out loud, most of us have a 24/7 chatterbox in our brain. If we leave it on autopilot we can easily drive ourselves bonkers. We have thousands of thoughts per day, most of them are negative.

Luckily, by meditating you can put this non-stop train of thoughts on mute, thus become present, focus on what actually matters to you, boost your productivity and free yourself from thoughts that make you miserable and humper your success.   

Meditating is not at all rocket science, and there are many ways to do it. Here are some simple, yet powerful meditations:

•  5-minute breathing meditation
• Release meditation by Brendon Burchard
•  Guided meditation by Dr. Joe Dispenza

2. “Progress equals happiness“

Don’t you LOVE that feeling of ticking a box on your todo list, knowing that you’ve actually accomplished something today?

We all do, and even Tony Robbins identified progress as the one thing that keeps us happy in life.

And if you think making progress equals achieving a MASSIVE goal, then think again.

It doesn’t because what really matters, says Robbins, is to keep growing. It’s all about the journey, not the destination. Every progress counts, even a small one, such as finishing another blog post, eating a healthy meal, or joining a yoga class.  

Want to know how to put this concept into play? Read Michael Hyatt’s lovely post on Habit Goals.

Always allow yourself to dream BIG. if you have a massive goal, break it into small steps to make it attainable. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how rapidly these baby steps add up and get you closer to your destination. 

Feeling better?

3. Protect and nurture your mind

How do you kickstart your day? 

With passion, purpose and a badass todo list, or with random rant posts by your Facebook and Twitter ‘friends’?  

If you’ve chosen the latter, then chances are you set yourself for failure and misery even before your first cuppa.

Think about the amount of uncontrolled noise and negativity that you voluntarily bring into your life. In fact, if you carry on you will soon start living other people’s lives instead of your own.

And what about bad news, dystopia TV shows and violent movies?

Well, they all have an impact on your brain and can, in turn, steal your dreams. 

So treat your mind like a zen garden and keep all the weeds and thorns away. Happiness and success will follow!

4. Go for a run

I’ve been running for over a decade now.

I’ll be honest. I don’t always feel like wearing the running gear and trainers and going for a run. Sometimes I’m tired, or it’s too cold, or I’m almost tempted to binge-watch a show on Netflix, beer in hand and Doritos Salsa Verde on my plate…

But one thing gets me on my feet, and out of the door, in a heartbeat: That feeling I have after a good, long run. It’s hard to describe it but if you’re a runner, you’ll know what I’m talking about. You feel overjoyed, on top of the world, and it’s totally addictive!

Well, there’s science to it.

Any type of intense workout should give you a rush of happiness and energy. I personally recommend running, and it’s a great place to start if you don’t work out regularly.

When running long distances, you’ll get a continuous rush of dopamine and feel your heart beating, and your entire body in intense motion… That awesome feeling can last for a few days. Now listen to some high beat rate vocal house and you’ll be in cloud 9…  

So there you have it — an antidote to a hopeless feeling of sadness, right there!   

5. Sleep well, and enough

So much has been written about the importance of sleep.

Lack of sleep can impact your mood, your performance, and even decrease your lifespan!

So the next time you pull an all-nighter, stop and think. Is it really worth it?

Instead, get up super-early and get cracking on your project, even if the deadline is tight. Plan your schedule, allowing yourself to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Design your bedroom so that it only serves its intended purpose… 

Sweet dreams!

6. Keep calm and declutter

Look around your desk.

Do you really need all of these items in front of you?

If your desk, your home or any other part of your life is cluttered, you’re compromising your peace of mind and happiness. So much energy and time are wasted because of overwhelming. You can’t find anything, you get upset. Heck, you can hardly think clearly! 

Now start tidying up and you’ll feel an instant boost in your mood.

7. Keep your dreams alive

If you feel unhappy, maybe it’s because you’re not giving an outlet to your passions and dreams. Suppressing your desires can be a major cause of frustration. 

The solution: Whatever your dream may be, take baby steps towards achieving it. And trust me, it is possible, even if you’re married with two toddlers and a low-paying job.

It’s just a matter of being committed to the goal (for example – running once a week, writing 5 pages of your book per week, cooking a gourmet meal once a fortnight, etc.).

What really matters here is not to accomplish the goal in record time, but to take action, do something for your soul, move toward that goal, and love the process. These small steps will have a massive impact on your life and happiness before you know it.

8. Go on, treat yourself! 

It’s important to stick to your own rules, as long as you can break them once in a blue moon. 

For example, if you’ve made it a point to eat healthy food, allow yourself to indulge in a slice of pizza, or your favourite strawberry mango ice cream.

If “no TV” is what you go by, allow yourself to binge-watch Unsolved Mysteries, The Office or whatever your favourite Netflix show is.  

You get the idea.

The trick is to follow your own rules religiously but to allow some freedom still. Otherwise, you’ll be in for misery and pain, and eventually, you might lose steam and give up.

Now that’s not a recipe for happiness, is it?

9. Identify your mood boosters

Ever had a bad day, when all of a sudden you felt that rush of energy as if you were struck by a rainbow… And, unbeknownst to you, you felt happy again?

Well, I challenge you to find at least 2-3 Mood-Boosters, or anchors. Try to pinpoint the things that make you feel great. Maybe it happens when you meet someone you like on your way to work, look at a photo of your daughter or listen to a certain song that brings back fun memories… 

Whatever it is, write it down and turn it into your Secret Weapon to UNLEASH whenever you feel down… 

10. Give for the sake of giving

We’ve already mentioned Tony Robbins. According to the self-help guru, giving and improving others’ lives is another Mood Booster.

Giving can come in many ways. You can teach your son to read and write, volunteer for a cause you believe in, donate blood or write a review for a restaurant you’ve enjoyed visiting…

Not long ago I had a gloomy day. I had to take my car for an annual checkup in the garage. While waiting for my car I sat down and wrote an in-depth review on Google Maps. I’ve been very happy with the service for nearly a decade and thought they could use more business. 

Guess what?

I felt much better thereafter knowing that my review could potentially drive more customers to the garage.  

11. Learn something new

It’s never too late to master a new skill or learn something new.

Always wanted to take that photography class or join that vegan cooking workshop? Give it a shot and you’ll see how happy you’ll instantly become. 

When we learn something we love, we give free rein to our childish curiosity, while realizing our infinite potential. Remember, that excited child whose eyes light up when mentioning their favourite chocolate cake lives within us.

Plus, learning equals making progress. Win-win 🙂 

12. Become a child again

Have you got children?

Then you probably know that the time spent with them is never wasted. You will never love anyone as much as you love your child, and the love you get from them is equally unconditional.

Next time you feel blue, try this: Instead of sticking your kids in front of a screen to binge-watch Fireman Sam, just and play with them. Build a castle made of wooden bricks, or bake a plastic cake in their toy kitchenette. Whatever floats their boat.

Kids have an imagination that knows no boundaries. So dive into their world and be a part of it. Don’t doubt anything they say but play their game. In other words — Become a child again. And don’t be too quick to get back to adulthood.

13. Try something new

We are creatures of habit.

We drink the same coffee in the morning, sleep on the same side, eat roughly the same breakfast and listen to the same music on our way to work.

Actor Ethan Hawke suggests that you change your routine from time to time (Video #16 here). Do something different. Talk to an old friend. Allow yourself to be foolish.

So try to break your habits and it will feel like a breath of fresh air!

14. Silence the naysayers

Now that’s a favourite…

If you have a Debbie downer around you, show them the door. Now, if it’s your own parent, try not to share your plans to start an online business. Understand that they love you and care about you, but maybe they know nothing about your passion or about the way online marketing works. Which is why they’re sceptical and doubtful. So be compassionate, tolerant, understanding. 

Here’s the thing about people — they will always have something to say, whether you fail or succeed, and it will usually be negative. If you share your idea they might put you down and you may lose steam before you even start. They may say fun things like: “Do this thing when you retire. Meanwhile, get a  job.”

If you’re in the course of writing a blog, get ready for questions such as: “Why do you even need a blog?” or “Can you make money with this?”   

The trick is to know who to trust, and what to share with whom. 

So get rid of toxic friends and avoid naysayers. Don’t share anything before you can call it a business (that makes you money). Whenever you come across negativity, avoid it like the plague. And, most importantly, stick to your guns and believe in yourself! 

15. You need hope

We all need hope, especially in hard times.

Why do people go out and demonstrate, pray, listen to their leaders speak?

One of the key reasons must be hope. When people hear their leader talk, they visualize an ideal life or a better world. Hope is what keeps many people going.

These times are hard, but we all need to hold the faith that one-day things will get better, COVID-19 will be as good as gone and we’ll be sitting on the beach in Hawaii with a glass of mojito and laugh about it!

The good news is that you can create that rush of hope at will!

You can visualize your ideal future, or take the first step towards a big goal. For example, if your goal is to have a successful blog, buy a domain first. If you want to lose weight, research and find a nice gym or fitness class nearby.

You get the idea…