7 Guaranteed Ways to Be Happier Right Now
- By Gretchen Rubin
It's striking how important energy is to happiness. Unfortunately, when you're feeling blue, it can be hard to muster up the physical and mental energy needed to do the things that will make you happier. Planning a brunch party, weeding the garden, or pulling out a craft project seems like a lot of trouble, while plunking down in front of the TV or digging into a tub of ice cream entices you as an easy fix. But research shows (and you know it's true) that these aren't the routes to lifting your spirits.
Instead, I've found it helpful to look for patterns in the times of day when I begin to drag: Am I having trouble getting out of bed in the morning? Passing out at my desk in the mid-afternoon? Dragging around the apartment after dinner instead of having fun with my family? Sometimes, oddly, I'm too tired to go to bed: I can't face the effort of brushing my teeth, washing my face, and all the rest. Once I identified the energy dips in my daily routine, I was able to identify strategies to keep my energy higher - and I've been astonished by how quickly and easily I'm able to give myself a boost.
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