Unlock Long-Term, Ongoing Happiness
Reading – 5 Minutes
We are an instant gratification society. Everyone wants something right now. It’s one of the reasons fast food drive-throughs are always so crowded. It seems like nobody wants to go home and take the time and effort to prepare a healthy meal.
Video streaming services are everywhere. People want to watch any television show, movie, news report, or other video-based content immediately.
This mindset doesn’t belong to the people who are usually happy. In a previous blog, I talked about 6 things you can do to start building a happiness routine. Let’s look at how to set yourself up for long-term happiness rather than only trying to smile and laugh right now.
Create a Happiness-Friendly Environment
What do you do when you get off work? Many people go straight home. Their routines are mapped out, and their evening ritual begins with a trip to their cozy, comfortable home environment. Some people who do this might grab a bite to eat and perhaps shower before meeting friends.
They enjoy spending time with certain people. They have friends who make them laugh and smile, and who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Whether getting together at another person’s house or enjoying dinner with friends, this can be the highlight of their day.
There are a lot of positive emotions that make them smile when they remember these occasions. That’s great, but what happens when they return home?
If they haven’t created an environment that promotes positivity and happiness at home, they will always want to flee to an environment that does provide those things. I have helped a client organize their home. After we were done, she was so happy because now she could have people over. She hadn’t had company in 7 years.
People who make a habit of happiness ensure their homes are places where they enjoy being. They can still meet friends and loved ones away from home, but they don’t have to. They plan the possibility of future happiness instead of just worrying about smiling and laughing right now.
Prioritize Long-Term Smiles
Suppose for a moment that two people are very happy. They are identical in almost every way. Call them the twins of happiness. They are indistinguishable from one another, like two identical twins, except in one important way.
Happiness twin #1 always plans for future happiness while seizing opportunities for fun and smiles today. Happiness twin #2 never takes the time to worry about the future.
The first twin doesn’t want to worry about finances when he’s older. He organizes his finances for a safe and reliable financial future. He knows he’ll be more inclined to have a happy and carefree retirement if he doesn’t have to pinch pennies and wonder if he has enough money to survive.
The second twin lives in the moment. He produces a lot of current happiness, and that’s a good thing. However, his desire to always be happy means he’s putting no money away for his retirement. He may be the happiest person you’ll ever encounter now, but that smile will probably disappear if he has to work into his sixties, seventies, and maybe even eighties to get by.
Have fun now. Also, take some time to plan for the future. Being content now and in the future is possible if you plan for that. You’re more likely to enjoy a happy future if you prioritize creating that reality rather than using all your resources only to be full of joy right now.
Hack Your Hormones for Heaping Helpings of Happiness
Some people never seem to be able to frown. Some people choose to be happy despite anything negative that might be going on in their lives. What a truly wonderful ability that is. You could argue that choosing to embrace happiness and joy even when times are bad might be the greatest superpower of all.
You still recognize that something bad has happened to you or someone else, but it doesn’t change your outlook. You may respond to address the negativity. If something bad happens to a friend, you are concerned and rush to help.
Even while you are addressing the problem at hand, you still have an upbeat outlook Share on X.
The people who constantly do this are either consciously or unconsciously are hacking their happiness hormones. Your brain commands the production of certain chemicals and hormones. What’s going on around you can affect what chemicals are produced. If you are in a very stressful situation, then levels of cortisol are going to skyrocket.
This is called the stress hormone. It’s linked to several physiological processes, including your survival instinct. If any of your five senses perceive a threat, your fight-or-flight instinct is triggered. Your heart starts racing. Your circulation improves, as does your respiratory rate. All of your senses are on high alert. You might find yourself adopting a combative physical posture if the threat is seen to be severe. Your entire body tries to reach its physical best because you have initiated a process that will either let you fight a threat or run away from it.
When you perceive positive things, your brain starts pumping out dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. These are your happy hormones. They instantly make you feel happier, more joyful, and more content. You trade in stress for feelings of peace and calm. What can you do to hijack these hormones for more happiness? Here are a few suggestions.
- Spend time with people who make you laugh and smile.
- Clean up a mess that’s been bothering you.
- Play with your children or grandchildren.
- Take a trip down memory lane to remind yourself of the happiest times you’ve experienced.
- Express gratitude for the wonderful things in your life.
- Stop spending time with people who bring you down.
- Perform a random act of kindness.
You probably notice a theme here. When you do things that make you feel good, your brain automatically rewards you with hormones that promote happiness and pleasure. At the same time, levels of cortisol drop. This means that if you want more contentment and delight in your life, do things that make you smile.
You Smile More When You Choose to See Problems As Opportunities
Happiness can mean different things to different people. Some might view spending quality time with their family as something that brings much joy. Other people may prefer alone time with their significant other. We all have different ideas about what happiness means, but there’s probably something we can all agree upon.
The fewer problems in life, the better.
Like happiness, you might define the word “problem” differently from others. The exact details might differ from one person to the next, but a common theme consistently appears. A problem is something that threatens to disrupt your potential happiness.
Perhaps you have planned a vacation for a long time now. You’re proud of yourself for saving up the money and the personal time your employer offers. In the past, you would take a day or two off as soon as you accrued that paid personal time. You’ve been putting away all of those hours and days so you can take a much-needed vacation.
The plans are made, everything is taken care of, and you get a smile just thinking about jumping on that plane tomorrow and heading to your dream destination. Your Uber ride to the airport was surprisingly quick and enjoyable. You moved swiftly through security, the booking process, and your terminal nearby.
… and then, life showed up
You check your watch. You have arrived in plenty of time. When it looks like your situation couldn’t get any better, it gets worse instead. A combination of unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances means you won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
The weather went south. The pilots used by the airline you chose decided to go on strike, and you had no warning that this would happen. You don’t know whether to spend a couple of days sleeping and waiting at the airport like many others or go home and play a frustrating waiting game.
It’s your choice to view this as a huge problem or a huge opportunity
You were so looking forward to getting away from it all. Then you encounter all of these problems. Take a deep breath. Calm down. This is out of your control, so why worry about it? Instead of drowning in negativity and finding somewhere in the crowded terminal to sleep and wait for an extended delay, why not go home instead?
Think about what you can do instead of what you can’t.
You’ve been waiting for an opportunity to take your boat out. Now’s the perfect time. You know that your best friend has a couple of days off, so why not give her a call? The two of you enjoy battling each other on the tennis court, and now is as good a time as any.
You see this big problem as a series of opportunities instead of just bad news. You can’t control much of what happens in your life. What you can control is how you respond to what happens.
Happiness is a choice. It’s not something that exists outside of you that you have to obtain. It’s your choice to feel happy, sad, or any other emotion. Start reviewing problems as opportunities, and you’ll have a much happier and more content life.
Don’t allow negativity to invade your space. I have talked a lot about smiling. It is an outward objective sign that you are choosing happiness. If you’re not smiling what can you do to get back into your happiness zone and have that smile reappear?
Let’s work together and organize your space and mind to make room for more happiness.
Julie Stobbe is the 2024-2025 winner of the Harold Taylor Award for outstanding contributions to the organizing industry and Professional Organizers in Canada. As a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach, she brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides, mentors and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
