8 Things You Can Do Right Now To Become Happier (2 of 3)

4. Take up a hobby

Think about the last time you did something you enjoyed that didn’t involve bingeing on Netflix, exercising, or sleeping. These are all good things (in fact, the last two are impossible to do without), but it’s important to diversify your activities and have fun. Take up cooking, listen to your favorite music and dance, challenge friends to a board game, learn creative writing or buy some paint and a canvas and unleash your inner Monet! Remember that enjoying life isn’t a “reward” you give yourself after you’ve crossed off everything else on your to-do list, it’s something you make a full part of your daily routine.

5. Sometimes you have to say “no”

A lot of folks have a tendency to say “yes” to everything their boss, children, parents, or friends ask of them because they are afraid to be perceived as selfish. But if you’re devoting all your time to meeting their requests without investing time in yourself, you will feel mentally drained all the time and, as a result, unhappy. It is important to set boundaries with others and expect them to respect these boundaries. When you’re swamped with work-related tasks, your colleagues need to understand that you can’t simply drop what you’re doing to help them with their job. Don’t let your family guilt you into attending a distant cousin’s birthday party if you don’t feel like going. As a rule, only say “yes” if you’ve determined it serves everybody’s interests mutually.

6. Avoid focusing on the negative

Think about all the things you complain about in a day: the gloomy clouds in the sky, the long line at the drive-thru, a latte that doesn’t meet your high standards. It might seem like no big deal that you’re complaining about little things, but when you do it regularly and with great frequency, you develop a helpless mindset in which all these things happen, and you convince yourself that you have no control over the situation. Learn to brush these things off and simultaneously focus on all the times things go right.