20 Easy Ways to Be Happier

By Excelle, DivineCaroline

Had enough of the winter blues? We have too. So we looked for ways to lift our spirits, at least until “spring forward.” What we found is that sometimes, the tiniest changes can have a huge impact on overall happiness. These twenty ideas will help you go from grumpy to giddy.

1. Make Your Bed Every Morning
I’ve heard this one before, and not just from my mother. For most people, outer order leads to inner calm. And making your bed is one quick, easy way to get some semblance of a tidy room (even when your closet is anything but.)

2. Shorten Your Commute
Okay, this one may not be a cinch. But if there’s any way you can shorten your commute, it’s certainly worth the effort. Spending two hours a day in gridlock traffic is enough to drive even the most Zen commuter up the wall. Not only is the drive itself infuriating, a long commute eats up time that could be spent on proven happiness boosters, like sleeping or interacting with other people.

3. Find a Rocking Chair
You know it works for babies. Now it seems that rockers bring similar comfort to elderly sufferers of dementia. Researchers at the University of Rochester encouraged twenty-five residents to rock as much as they like and they became less upset and anxious and required less pain medication. Who’s to say it couldn’t work for you?

4. Make Lists
Writing it down (whatever “it” may be. is a successful tool for managing stress. Just make sure your list doesn’t get out of control. After all, your list is supposed to help with your stress, not add to it. Remember that you can always adjust your priorities.

5. Paint Your Toenails … Even in the Winter
In the winter months, it’s easy to ignore your feet until they morph into a Shrek-like monstrosity. Who’s going to see them anyway, right? Wrong. You are! So give them a soak, a scrub, a bit of moisture, and a dash of color. You’ll feel better instantly.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Nazira O.

10:49AM PDT on Apr 13, 2012

thanks for the advices!they really seem helpful :)

send a green star

Whitney L.

3:24PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Really enjoyed this article! Good tips, thanks! :)

Manoj B.

12:13PM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Good advice...
Will try to do that...
Thanks!!

Roxana C.

8:27AM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Great article, thanks.

Bettina R.

6:14AM PST on Jan 23, 2012

Very good advice. Thank you! I especially like the one about visiting a quiet place.

Vanessa S.

8:03PM PDT on Oct 6, 2011

Great article. Added it to my favorites!

Jennifer C.

12:16AM PDT on Sep 12, 2011

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing.

Judith E.

6:00AM PDT on Aug 6, 2011

Politics during the "W" yrs -- i was still able to make myself smile thru the day. With Obama's election, i was so sure that things would get so much better. However, his 1st appointments were/are so totally far from what (i thought) he promised, w/in 6 months i found it impossible to get that positive attitude anymore. Now it's just "deal w/it" as best i/we can, & there simply is no way to feel hopeful about the USA anymore & the future my children & grandchildren are facing looks so disastrous .... All the e-mails, phone calls, petitions -- there is so little effect. Obama/Dems manage to muster minimal positive energy for the environment & education, reminiscent of the few progressive Republicans of the '60s. As long as $ dominates the political process, .... :/

Jannette A.

5:04PM PDT on Aug 5, 2011

Thank you.

Fran C.

10:55PM PDT on Aug 4, 2011

Thanks. Wish I could find all those other optimists out there, though.