When was the last time you felt happy? What makes you happy? What are three more words for feeling happy?
Chances are you were able to answer two out of three questions with clarity.
What am I trying to say?
As humans, we are in the constant pursuit of happiness. But, hardly stop and enjoy it when we actually feel happy. Let’s observe how we actually treat Joy.
How do we treat Joy?
Imagine if a friend came home. We do not welcome them or make an effort to speak with them.
Would they like to keep being friends? The chances are low.
Similarly, Joy deserves to be acknowledged and spoken to.
How do we acknowledge happiness?
Observe- Observe what are the things that make you happy. This could help you figure out your love language too. Communicate this to your loved ones to let them know what makes you feel loved. This is a healthy way of building a happy relationship.
Verbalise- Share your joyful moments with your loved ones. The best way to feel happiness is to express and share it. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your effort and tell others about it. You deserve to feel proud of your growth and celebrate it!
Practice gratitude- When we want to acknowledge someone we thank them. Similarly, we can acknowledge a feeling by thanking it. What are the things that happiness enables you to do? Does it give you energy, motivation, or build your self-esteem? Say this out loud or write it down to internalize gratitude.
Communicate- Write about the moment that made you feel happy. It could be something as simple as “Dear Me, Today I made breakfast for myself. I am going to do this every Sunday or whenever I feel low.” Go back to this letter every time you feel low and want someone to speak to.
Memory Jar- Store happiness in a jar by writing about your memories. Every time something makes you feel loved and joyful, write about that incident and put it in a jar. Do this for a year and open the jar at the end. This will help you look back and see how far you’ve come.
Emotional vocabulary- Expressing happiness also means having an emotional vocabulary. Happiness can depend on pleasantness and energy level too. Observe if you are feeling blissful, pleasant, ecstatic, or upbeat.
Treat yourself- Finally, remember to treat and pamper yourself. Just like we cry when we feel sad, treat yourself when you feel happy. It could be as simple as buying a book or getting flowers for yourself. Feel your happy moment and give yourself the love you deserve.
Remember, all feelings deserve to be heard and felt. Just like that, we deserve to feel happy and celebrate happiness!
Caveat: Being happy does not equate to toxic positivity. If a loved one is going through something, validate their emotions. Don’t say, “ Everything will be fine, just be happy”