Everyone wants to be happy, but not everyone knows how. Because sadly, many of us have been trained to seek happiness and fulfillment outside of ourselves. What’s also sad is that living a happy life can sometimes seem impossible, causing many of us to give up on striving for a life filled with purpose and meaning.
Like many others, I once associated happiness with the wrong things, and I seldom took time to determine my personal values. Thankfully, I’m finally at a place where I’m living a life that feels true to me.
Your happiness may not look the same as mine, but I’ve been practicing a few habits that you can probably relate to and benefit from on your personal journey. Here’s a list of my top five tips for living a happy life.
I have chosen to be happy because it is good for my health.
Voltaire
1. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Comparing yourself to others is a distraction that can hinder you from living a happy life. The truth is that everyone has their own unique journey. And instead of focusing on someone else’s path, we should be getting in tune with the things that inspire and excite us in our own lives.
Personally, I’ve found that the less I focus on other people, the happier I become. Focusing on my own strengths and unique traits has tremendously increased my happiness.
It’s completely normal to compare ourselves to others from time to time. However, research suggests that constantly comparing ourselves to others can be damaging to our self-esteem and overall well-being. If you often find yourself comparing your life to others, practice becoming more mindful of your daily habits. In addition to becoming more self-aware, commit to only making social comparisons that will help—not hurt you.
2. Get Out of Debt
Happiness is not about accumulating money or material things. However, getting out of debt can help you live a more free and happy life.
By reducing your debt, you can create a meaningful life around the things you love. Gaining control of your finances can give you a greater sense of peace, alleviate stress, and improve your overall lifestyle in a number of ways. Whether you’d like to travel more, improve your living conditions, or gain more flexibility in your day-to-day… getting out of debt can be the key to a happier life.
3. Silence the External Noise
The world can be a noisy place. Living a happy life often starts with silencing the external noise and tuning inward to discover our true desires.
For me, solitude is a vital part of my self-care routine. Taking time to be alone brings me clarity and peace. It also provides space for me to be myself without outside influences or expectations.
In today’s fast-paced world, shutting out the outside noise can be settling to a busy mind. Slowing down, and paying attention to your inner life, is a huge part of improving the quality of your outer life.
4. Reflect On Your Blessings
If there’s one thing that increases my happiness, it’s reflecting on my current blessings. No matter what’s going on around me, I often take time to appreciate the good things in my life. Practicing this habit daily has made me a healthier, happier, and more peaceful person.
Counting your blessings—even the small ones—can reduce negative feelings and strengthen your outlook on life. Giving thanks, and noticing the blessings in your life, will also help you build hope and strength during difficult times.
5. Embrace Simplicity
The older I get, the more I realize that the simple things often bring the most joy. Little by little, I’m mastering the art of decluttering my life, and I absolutely love it here! Living a simpler lifestyle has brought more calmness, clarity, and overall satisfaction to my life.
Look for ways to alleviate the stresses of everyday life by living more simply. Here are a few things you can do:
- Reevaluate your priorities
- Live within your means
- Focus less on material things and more on your inner being
- Savor the things that bring you joy, such as hobbies or simple pleasures
- Simplify your daily schedule
- Remove distractions from your life
- Limit technology use
- Spend more time in nature
- Create internal validation instead of chasing external validation
As we all know, happiness isn’t always easy. But it doesn’t have to be as complicated as we sometimes make it out to be. Simply being conscious of our choices throughout each day can put us on the path to living a happy life.
I hope this article inspires you on your journey towards happiness. And if there are any tips you’d like to add to this list, share them in the comments!
44 responses to “Living a Happy Life: My Top 5 Tips for Happiness”
This was perfect timing for me to be reminded of ALL of these! Thank you for sharing your words my friend!
Nothing like perfect timing, glad you found it helpful! ❤️
Yes!!!
Count your blessings!
Yes, the real flex is counting your blessings… Lol. Thanks for reading! 😉
Thank you for the reminders. I found myself being down on myself, so thank you again
My pleasure, love… We all get down on ourselves from time to time, hope this article reminded you to CHOOSE JOY. 💕
This was beautifully written and beautiful to read. ❤️
Thanks, that means a lot to hear. Glad you enjoyed it, Lana. ❤️
Beautifully said and such wonderful suggestions that everyone can put into play.
Thanks dear 💖
I’m similar to the points you mentioned here. Thanks for this interesting writing.
You’re more than welcome, Dipak. Glad you can relate. ❤️
Fantastic read! I agree with all of your suggestions! Embracing simplicity is definitely at the top of my list.
Awesome! I’m glad this post resonates with you. And oh yes, embracing simplicity is so important, especially in today’s fast-paced world.
I have increasingly found that finding happiness (for me) is found in much simpler things than I had assumed (or been socially conditioned to believe). It is refreshing to find what brings contentment and joy, and these tips are a great reminder to look at what we can do/change to help ourselves. Thanks for this!
Well-stated, Molly. I think many of us have been preconditioned to seek happiness in places outside of ourselves. You’re right, it’s very refreshing to start defining our own happiness in life. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! ❤️
I love the number five! Embracing Simplicity is a definitely a challenge nowadays. Thank you for the tips ❤️
Always a pleasure, Sonja. And yes ma’am, number 5 is a must for me!! ❤️
I’m loving your tips! I recently put a few of these ideas into play and I must say they’ve helped already. Thank you for sharing the rest.
Awesome, Elyse. Keep up the good work! And I’m glad you enjoyed these tips. 😉
Beautiful blog with beautiful tips! I’m definitely beginning to implement a more ‘simple’ lifestyle and the improvement in my mental health has been incredible. Thank you❤️
Love to hear it, Jodie! And thanks for the compliment. ❤️
Awesome list! Agree with all of them. Very simple guide to follow. Thanks for sharing.
Love these! Comparison is the thief of joy!
These are great tips! Definitely could use some more simplicity in my life; working on paying off debt. Super hard as a single mom but doing the best I can! Definitely embracing gratitude – my daily gratitude practice has brought me so much happiness.
Good for you! And I completely understand, becoming debt free doesn’t happen overnight. It’s definitely a process, but sounds like you’re on the right track. KUTGW! ❤️
It is a very nice post! I’m 43yo, but I just realized I don’t need to compare myself with other people. What a relief!
Ikr! It’s sad that we often realize this one too late in life. But when we finally do… Oh, what a great feeling!! It took a while for me to break free from the comparison trap as well. But better late than never, right?! 🙌🏽
These are great tips! The world of social media can make people compare themselves to others that seem to have it all. When they don’t in reality.
Exactly… We’re all here trying, doing the best we can. Nobody has it all figured out. So, just keep showing up as your best self, and only compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. That’s my motto. ❤️
Beautiful points are made here. I just heard the quote, ” You will rent everything, own nothing.” I’m getting out of debt to own more, even if that’s more time, instead of “rented” experiences. Thanks for sharing.
Good for you. I love the idea of owning more time. Great point!
What an awesome article! I agree with you that not comparing yourself to others and focusing on our uniqueness is essential in improving our health and happiness. I love that you wrote that getting out of debt helps since I totally agree with you on that one too. I even wrote an article about how budgeting helps our mental health https://pantearahimian.com/budgeting-when-you-suck-at-it-complete-guide-for-beginners/
I’m glad you can relate! And I checked out your article on budgeting… great post.
Thank you for sharing your top tips for happiness! Your insights are both practical and inspiring. I especially appreciate your emphasis on gratitude and mindfulness—they truly make a difference in daily life. Your advice about fostering meaningful connections and pursuing passions resonates deeply with me. It’s refreshing to read such genuine and actionable tips for living a happier life. Looking forward to more wisdom from your blog!
Shelby, I appreciate your kind words and I’m happy this post resonates with you. Thanks for reading as always! ❤️
Not comparing our lives to others is a great point. I struggled with that a lot, in the past. But I’ve been happier since I learned to accept myself. Great blog post, Sheena.
So glad you’re breaking free from the comparison trap, Bridget! And thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed this post. ❤️
Such a good write! Great thoughts.
Very helpful and heartfelt! Thanks for amazing tips for self happiness!
Fantastic tips!
All these five points relate to me and you write this very well.
I appreciate you for this article.🥰
Great reminder today!! Thank you for this post!!
These are such incredible tips!