“Why am I not having fun?” “My life is so boring.” “Everybody seems so much happier than me.” Many of us are guilty of this kind of thinking. In fact, it’s been found that up to 1 in 5 of us feel depressed as a result of using social media. [1] The reason we feel bad when we see other people having fun on social media is simple: We value big milestones more than small moments of happiness. Luckily, we can fix this by altering the way we think about happiness. Read on to find out how.

Are you only happy when something ‘big’ happens?

What’s the most recent happy memory you can recall? If you’re like most people, it’s probably a big event. Maybe it’s a birthday, a graduation ceremony, or a party. While it’s great to enjoy this kind of special occasion, it shouldn’t be your only source of happiness. After all, why would you only allow yourself to have fun a few times a year, when you could be finding joy in small moments every single day? We’re here to tell you how you can start feeling happy every single day – not just on special occasions!

Happiness begins with a generous spread of gratitude

Happiness doesn’t have to be about the intensity of a positive experience – it can about the frequency of positive experiences instead. In order to feel like we’re having lots of happy moments, we need to be constantly on the look out for them. Keeping a gratitude journal can really help with this. Buy a new notebook, and keep it beside your bed. Before you go to sleep, take the time to list five things you’re grateful for. Here’s an example:

  1. I’m grateful for eating a delicious breakfast.
  2. I’m grateful for spending time in nature.
  3. I’m grateful for seeing a friend.
  4. I’m grateful for drinking a warm cup of tea.
  5. I’m grateful for buying a new T-shirt. As you can see, you don’t need to have reached any huge milestones to write in your gratitude journal. Instead, you’ll learn to focus on the many good things that happen every day – the things we often ignore or take for granted. Keeping a gratitude journal has been shown to: [2]

Boost happiness Make you healthier Help you sleep better Increase empathy Boost self-esteem Make you mentally stronger

Don’t look far for happiness. It’s right next to us.

As well as keeping a gratitude journal, there are a few tricks that will help you to focus more on the positive things in your life. Here are ten suggestions to get you started. Happiness isn’t just about big events and milestones. Take the time to feel happy about small things every single day, and you’ll be healthier, happier, and mentally stronger.