12 Things Happy People Do...

P!nky sent me this article last week about the 12 things that happy people do, and I really enjoyed reading it. I think it has a lot of lessons for everyone to look at, and grow from, so that we can be happier people overall.

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In the stresspot that is living in DC, I've fallen prey to a lot of things mentioned in the article. The ones that stood out the most to me:

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-avoiding over thinking and social comparison: I've written about this, recently actually, about social comparison and how it robs you of experiencing the joys in your own life when you're so focused on what others have, are doing, etc. The part in here that I need to learn is to stop over-thinking (read: worrying). BAD habit. 
(right, P!nky?? haha)

-expressing gratitude: this is something that I feel like I do more, now, but could always improve on. There are definitely times I take things for granted, and focus on the negative crap, because it's EASY to get bogged down in it. But a quick fix is focusing on the positive stuff, and APPRECIATING it. I know when MG does something and I let him know that I really appreciate it, it makes him feel good, too (and vice versa). We could all do a little more gratitude-ing (yes, I just made that up).

-develop strategies for coping: definitely something I need to work on, that will probably help with stopping the over-thinking. I know for me that one of them is definitely writing....either with the intention of sending it to someone or keeping it for myself and just venting. Not sure what the other ones are, but I definitely need to/will spend some time figuring that out.

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-learning to forgive: this one is hard. Sometimes for me I feel like I forgive too easily....I let someone who has hurt me back in with little to no effort, usually because of how much I hate the stress associated when relationships go bad. But I also am a grudge-holder, too. It all depends. I just know that it takes more energy to hate someone than it does to have no feelings about them. Recognize when someone does not have value in your life, let it go and move on for YOURSELF. Forgive for YOU.

All of the others on the list are great ones, too. Those above are just the ones that rang super true to me.

On another note, if you feel like you're down in the dumps and can't seem to get on the happy side of the street, what has helped me in the past is writing down 3 good/positive things that had happened every day at the end of the day. They can be small like "someone held the door open for me" or big, it doesn't matter. What happens is, you'll find yourself LOOKING for the positive things throughout the day because you know you're gonna have to write them down later. And all of a sudden, you're thinking about the positive things, and the icky stuff takes a back seat!

How's that for a HAPPY post? :)