How to learn to enjoy life every day: 9 best ways

Greetings to all who now lack bright colors and pleasant moments!

Many of us believe that joy comes from somewhere else. And if there are clouds in the sky, traffic jams on the roads, and instability in the world, there can be no reason to rejoice. But is it so? Today we will figure out what joy is, why we rarely experience it, and how to learn to enjoy life in any weather and circumstances.

What is joy

Joy is one of the basic emotions of a person, which is expressed in an inner feeling of satisfaction, and pleasure manifests itself in a cheerful mood and is the basis for creative inspiration.

The emotion of joy arises against the background of high levels of serotonin. That is, during the production of this hormone, a person begins to experience joy. At the same time, the opposite effect is observed: the emotion itself can also trigger the production of serotonin. In addition to this hormone, others are involved in the “production” of joy: oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins.

Psychologists say that the emotion of joy accompanies a person almost from birth. Moreover, parents participate in this only indirectly. They can share their joy or amuse the baby with games, thereby awakening positive emotions. But all this has a short-term effect.

A person must learn to discover joy in himself. Only in this way can she become part of his lifestyle.

You have probably met people looking at whom they are always positive, constantly rejoicing at something. And some often grumble, complain, and are out of sorts. According to researchers, the ability to experience joy is genetic. Someone is born with a high threshold of joy, and someone comes into life with a lower level of arousal of this emotion.

Thus, the former is likelier to feel happy, confident, prosperous, and energetic. They often become altruists; it is easier for them to find creative areas of activity and have more harmonious relations with others.

It is worth distinguishing the emotion of joy from similar feelings, for example, pleasure or fun. So, pleasure is more related to bodily sensations and reactions, while joy is an emotion of the soul.

Fun is distinguished by its degree and intensity. For example, people may need help understanding how they can be happy when others feel bad, or something bad happens. It is here that it is important to distinguish joy from fun. When there is no reason to have fun, this does not mean that you cannot experience the quiet joy of life, enjoy nature, enjoy a new day, a child’s smile, etc.

Fun fact: Researchers at the University of British Columbia found that people who don’t get enough sleep experience fewer positive emotions and are less likely to be happy, even if positive events occur in their everyday lives. Conversely, prolonged sleep enhances the emotion of joy, and good events seem even more positive.

What stops us from enjoying life?

It seemed like a strange question. Of course, problems. How can one rejoice here when personal life is not arranged, there are all hands at work, prices in stores are rising, neighbors have been repairing for half a year, children do not obey, and so on? This list of examples is endless.

But here lies one of the main reasons why we stop enjoying life. It’s all about us and our attitude towards it. We don’t know where joy comes from. It is possible to experience positive emotions only when everything is perfect, all the puzzles have come together, no one spoils the nerves, grace, fireworks, and pink ponies are on all fronts.

The secret is that the “generator of joy” is inside each of us. Awareness to the full is already capable of turning the whole familiar world of a person. The bottom line is that you first find reasons to rejoice, and only then are there more reasons. This is how training happens. But we will talk about this a little later.

So, what prevents us from getting joy from life is precisely the lack of understanding of how the mechanics of the emergence of this emotion are arranged. Another reason that follows from this – is an unwillingness to take responsibility. Every reasonable adult person can make their own choice:

• What to keep in the focus of his attention.
• What to concentrate on.
• What thoughts to think.
• How to react to what is happening.

I like this expression: “Life does not consist of events, but of how we relate to them.” I am sure you will agree that the same event can be reacted to in completely different ways: with irritation or with humor, sharply or condescendingly, etc. And it is we who decide which reaction to choose.

You can think of a thousand reasons not to be happy. Someone cannot let go of the heavy burden of memories; someone is afraid for their future and dissatisfied with the present. But this is, by and large, not the reason. The main reason lies in personal choice.

How to learn to be happy and see the positive

You often hear the phrase: “If you want to be happy, be.” Or, as in our case: “If you want to learn to rejoice, rejoice.” Of course, only some things are so simple. Now I will talk about the main points that should be adopted by those who want to bring more joy and positivity into their lives.

Work on thinking

This is the first thing to start with if you want to learn how to enjoy life. Just as you find dozens, if not hundreds, of reasons to be sad every day, try to look backward and refocus on the positive.

Ask yourself more often:

• What good thing happened to me today?
• What could I smile at?
• What can I be thankful for today or my life in general?
• Do this whenever you notice that you are thinking about problems again; you start to get upset, regret something, criticize someone, or scold yourself.

Working with thinking takes time and effort, so not everyone will dare to “reshape” themselves anew. But trust me, it’s worth it.

Break the habit of waiting

We are all looking for happiness. And sometimes, we get so carried away by this expectation that we forget to enjoy at least something. For example, I will buy a car – I will be happy; I will make repairs – I will start to rejoice; I will have a loved one – it will be possible to breathe calmly; I will find a good job, lose weight, save up a million, go to the sea, etc.

I will be happy when… These four harmless words completely kill our ability to rejoice. We are constantly waiting for something: spring, birthday, salary, summer, weekends, and someone’s respect. And when this something long-awaited still comes, the joy from this does not last long.

Remember the parent and child example I gave? A parent can stimulate joy in his child through games, caresses, and words. But he cannot teach him to be happy. External attributes bring only a short-term effect.

Tip: stop waiting and find something that can cheer you up now. Do this as often as possible. This is a kind of training – to look for reasons for joy. The more you train this ability in yourself, the better you will get.

Get rid of envy and perfectionism.

So many of us want to be perfect: look perfect, live in a big and clean house, earn a lot indecently, be in perfectly harmonious relationships with loved ones, etc. Social networks with beautiful and photoshopped pictures of bloggers and stars fuel the fire. We begin to compare and realize that we are not up to everything others have.

This is the beginning of self-criticism and discontent, we scold and criticize ourselves, and our mood deteriorates.

Give up the habit of comparing yourself to others or just to some unattainable ideal. There are no perfect people with perfect lives. The rich and famous also cry, have problems, and often suffer from low self-esteem and compare their success with someone else not in their favor. Learn to be happy for others, not envy, and be motivated by other people’s achievements.

Stop trying to be the best at everything. It is impossible to simultaneously be the best mother in the world, the most successful businessman, and a super housewife. Figure out your priorities. If a career is very important to you, concentrate on it, and household chores can be delegated to loved ones or completely reconsider your attitude to some things. After all, you do not live for polished pans and boiling white socks!

Initiate movement

It so happens that the lack of joy is due to ordinary boredom and a sedentary lifestyle. You go to work, sit in the office all day, then return home to your favorite sofa to watch TV shows. This is about some people, but many people are familiar with a similar scenario.

Over time, you begin to wonder why there is no strength and energy, where this apathy came from, and where the desires disappeared. Why can’t you bring yourself to meet up with friends or go to an event, even on your day off? It’s all about no movement! In the literal and figurative sense.

First, you need to start moving physically. For example, do at least a 5-minute exercise in the morning, take a walk around the house before going to bed, and replace the elevator rides with stairs. Very soon, you will notice more energy in your body and a good mood visits more often.

Secondly, start expanding the scope of your interests and bring something new to life. The “work-home-work” scenario is very boring. Add something interesting to this chain. For example, reading books or pursuing a hobby, attending weekly quizzes, or the tradition of meeting up with friends at the pool club, etc.

Stop devaluing

Do you know who the most important and fierce critic in your life is? It’s you. Oddly enough, a person waits all his life for someone’s praise and approval, but at the same time, he does not know how to give it to himself. But we masterfully manage to scold and devalue ourselves even for the slightest faults.

If you have children, you probably understand how important it is to praise them for their success. I drew a picture – well done, spoke from the stage – just a smart girl, ears stick out – it’s okay because I love you like that. Why don’t you imagine that the same child lives inside you too? Supporting yourself and being more condescending to shortcomings and mistakes may become easier.

Remember to consider your strengths and accomplishments. Celebrate every, even the smallest, success. It is very important! Treat yourself with love and understanding. And do not forget to thank life for what you have.

Learn to turn off your head

It could sound more reasonable and practical in our reality. But this, of course, is not about being guided only by emotions all the time and not thinking about the consequences. Here about something else.

Often we cannot rejoice just because we analyze too much. Often, even from sex, we fail to enjoy it because, during this process, we continue to think about something.

Learn in certain situations to give up mental “gum” and trust the body, sensations, and sense organs. Just watch and listen without judging and not picking apart; feel tactile, feel the aroma, and enjoy the taste.

Listen to yourself more.

Look for your reasons for joy, do not focus on others. We are all different people: someone likes to mess around with children, someone likes the office routine more, someone needs a stage-like air, someone loves horseback riding, someone can cross-stitch for hours, etc.

If a friend dreams of publishing her book, it does not mean you need it too. If a friend dreams of a Cartier watch, it is far from certain that you will also experience the joy of such a purchase. It is better to ask yourself about what you want, which can cause bright, positive emotions.

Here is a small correction: what you want for yourself, not because others envy you, but because you sincerely desire it.

Take care of the environment.

I will not open America to you if I say some people can cheer, encourage, motivate and give strength at one click. And there are those after communication with which you feel like a squeezed lemon. As a rule, the latter are mostly whiners, complainers, critics, and other pessimists.

If you want to learn to rejoice, ensure that there are as many optimists as possible in your environment and those with whom you can talk about everything in the world without fear of ridicule, humiliation, intimidation, etc.

And the environment is not only about people but also about information. If you are used to reading daily news about cataclysms and crimes and watching talk shows where various kinds of problems and gossip are discussed, then it is not surprising that you lose the ability to rejoice.

Choose carefully what your brain absorbs. Nothing terrible will happen if you, from time to time, go days without news feeds and TV shows and instead start watching good movies or doing something useful.

Train healthy bullshit

And the last recommendation: take it easy! People are very fond of complicating everything and making an elephant out of a fly. Most of what we worry about is not worth our nerves at all. Analyzing our past, we understand this well, but for some reason, we cannot learn valuable lessons in the present, continuing to worry about trifles.

There is a great method for developing healthy indifference in yourself. Try to adopt one magic phrase: “So what?” Late for work, got a scolding from the boss – so what? The son received a triple in algebra – so what? The conductor was rude on the bus – the same question. Take life easier – life will become easier.

Conclusion

Joy is not something that needs to be waited long, earned, or suffered. This emotion is available to absolutely everyone and in any volume. All you have to do is make an informed choice. Do not get hung up on problems; look for solutions and pluses in any situation. Do not complicate what; without any damage, you can give up. To broadcast a smile, gratitude, and altruism to the world.

Friends, thank you for reading this article to the end. These simple methods will help you look at life from a slightly different angle and make it a little happier.

All the best!