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Sheryl Kraft

freelance health writer

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July 28, 2015

5 Easy (and free!) Ways to Be Happier

Published in: Empty Nest, Happiness, how to be happier, how to eliminate stress, smiling, stress, ways to be happy
Happy (and sad) faces courtesy of Shutterstock.com
Happy (and sad) faces courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what makes us feel happy. Maybe it’s because it’s summer – something that always made me unequivocally happy – and right now, I’m not feeling that familiar adrenaline-fueled kind of euphoria happiness. Really, when you think about it, that’s perfectly normal, isn’t it? I mean, how can one thing – summer- erase all the other so-called stresses that enter our lives?

And who is happy all the time, anyway?

For one thing, there’s work. I’ve been slaving over an assignment that is keeping me up nights and taking up immeasurable hours every day. Don’t get me wrong – I’m thrilled to be writing a feature health article for a major U.S. newspaper (which I’ll keep under wraps until it’s published!) but due to my obsessive nature and tendency toward perfection with that normal amount of writer-self-doubt sprinkled in (I’m currently on my 8th draft – or is it my 9th?), I’ll find it hard to relax until I click that magical ‘send’ button.

And then there’s the confusing housing question that continues to puzzle me and make my mind ping-pong all over the place. It’s time for us to buy a home after selling our family home a few years back and moving to an apartment. But what to buy? Do we really need a house, now that we’re empty-nesters? But then again, can we realistically give up space and live in a much-smaller condo? And then there are the finances to consider. Can we really afford a new house now? We could easily use a home affordability calculator like the one provided by SoFi and see what’s our best bet for buying a new home. But with these questions still looming in my mind, I’m not sure yet.

I just don’t know. It’s a really difficult situation, and unfortunately, it is a decision that we must make sooner rather than later. I’ve never enjoyed the idea of moving house; it just stresses me out too much. Of course, if you had the helping hand of somewhere like https://www.atlantahomemovers.com/ to assist you when it comes to transporting all your possessions from one property to another, the move would be much easier to make. But if we outgrow this space, moving will be our only option, so I better start looking for potential properties.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to live in our own home somewhere in a beach town, or even coastal inland with mountains around? I have heard of some beautiful Californian towns and smaller cities (read more here, if you like) where we could potentially own a home, and of course the plenty of other places (the whole world, in fact) waiting for us to choose. But do we want the resume the responsibilities of home ownership? Or do we want to live a carefree life without worrying about ice dams on our roof, rodents ripping out our garden, flooded basements et al? If we see any of these issues, we just tell our landlord and he can check the roof for damage or get someone like terminix florida in to get rid of the rodents – we don’t need to worry about any of it!

Like so many things in this so-called midlife, change sometimes makes it tough to settle on one decision.

I’m certain everyone has their own set of challenges to deal with, so I’ll end my complaining bitching here and now. Instead, I’ll challenge myself to figure out ways to have my best day ever, no matter what the day may bring. After all, it’s not good to pin your happiness on one single thing – that’s a huge responsibility to give to anyone/anything. So, summer…you’re off the hook.

I know how to do this – I really do – but unfortunately sometimes the stress crowds out the more sensible side of myself. But here’s what I know for sure:

You can’t be happy all the time…

But you can be happy MORE of the time

Take your time. When you’re frantic, nothing feels right. You miss what’s right in front of you (perhaps a beautiful flower or a bright blue sky); you get into a petty argument; forget your wallet; start misplacing things. Instead, try to imagine the way you want to feel – and act that way. “I want to be calm, collected and in control,” should be your mantra. If you focus long enough on those feelings – rather than on the negative ones – they’ll soon become a part of you.

Smile. Even if you don’t feel like it. You may think it’s weird or looks a little creepy but knowing it really works will help you get over that. Smiling is not only contagious, but the actual act of turning up the corners of your mouth can fool you into feeling happy. Yup, that’s confirmed by science.

Jump up and down. I once interviewed happiness expert Gretchen Rubin and she said that there’s something about getting your feet off the ground and doing something childlike that helps give you a jolt of energy and happiness. Okay, I get it; you don’t want to jump. You have alternatives: instead, run up and down the stairs or go for a quick walk around the block. Even short bursts of exercise can boost your serotonin levels (the feel-good brain chemical). I don’t know about you, but dancing to upbeat music (bring back disco!) gives me those same happy feelings.

Seek out scenery. Views of mountains, forests and other landscapes, according to research, can produce heightened activity in the part of the brain associated with positive outlook, emotional stability and happy memories. For me, it’s looking or being at the beach. What if you can’t get out? Try looking at nature in photos or through a window.

Call a friend. Somehow the days fly by and before you know it weeks – and months – have flown by, too. And friends sometimes get forgotten in the rubble. I called a friend yesterday (rather than our usual emails) and it felt so good to hear her voice and actually have a real, live conversation.

What are you going to do today to make yourself happy?

More reading:

How moving keeps you young

Do you embrace change?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Irene S. Levine, PhD says

    July 29, 2015 at 1:02 pm

    All great ideas! A little gift from a friend made my day today. It’s nice to reach out and think of ways to make other people happy!

  2. thiet bi dien cong nghiep says

    June 4, 2016 at 11:16 pm

    Great blog you have here.. It’s difficult to find
    high quality writing like yours nowadays. I truly appreciate people like you!
    Take care!!

  3. thiet bi dien panasonic says

    March 16, 2017 at 2:56 am

    All great ideas! A little gift from a friend made my day today. It’s nice to reach out and think of ways to make other people happy!

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About Me

What’s this so-called midlife, anyway?

It’s a time of tremendous change, growth and opportunity. A time to re-evaluate our choices, our experiences and ourselves. A time to take what we’ve accumulated up until now and put it to work.

When I turned 50, many things changed... read more about me.

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speaks realistically about what happens when we approach our 50’s and beyond

I think your website is GREAT!  It's hard to find an online space that speaks realistically about what happens when we approach our 50's and beyond.  Keep writing, and thanks for your support."
Sheryl Kraft
2016-11-29T02:25:43+00:00
I think your website is GREAT!  It's hard to find an online space that speaks realistically about what happens when we approach our 50's and beyond.  Keep writing, and thanks for your support."
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A High School Student and Aspiring Writer from Australia Reaches Out…

I would love to hear a few things on the prospect from a first hand-perspective, and would be thrilled to learn more about it from you. Your advice is well valued and I’m very grateful to have such wise words from someone with such first hand experience.

I will be looking forward to reading more of your wonderful articles in the future!

Best wishes,

Mikayla

 
Sheryl Kraft
2017-01-17T13:37:55+00:00
I would love to hear a few things on the prospect from a first hand-perspective, and would be thrilled to learn more about it from you. Your advice is well valued and I’m very grateful to have such wise words from someone with such first hand experience. I will be looking forward to reading more of your wonderful articles in the future! Best wishes, Mikayla  
https://sherylkraft.com/testimonials/high-school-student-aspiring-writer-australia-reaches/

Due to your article, traffic and sales have been great this past week!

On behalf of our entire organization, we'd like to thank you so much for featuring our product in last week’s Parade Magazine. Due to your article, traffic and sales have been great this past week.! We are a small business that prides ourselves on excellent product quality and customer service. We work hard to make quality products and market them effectively but then sometimes you get a gift like your article which really takes us to the next level. We will be eternally grateful to you for choosing us as one of your eye product recommendations.

 
Sheryl Kraft
2018-12-07T02:46:56+00:00
On behalf of our entire organization, we'd like to thank you so much for featuring our product in last week’s Parade Magazine. Due to your article, traffic and sales have been great this past week.! We are a small business that prides ourselves on excellent product quality and customer service. We work hard to make quality products and market them effectively but then sometimes you get a gift like your article which really takes us to the next level. We will be eternally grateful to you for choosing us as one of your eye product recommendations.  
https://sherylkraft.com/testimonials/due-to-your-article-traffic-and-sales-have-been-great-this-past-week/

I’m writing to express my admiration for the work you are doing!

I'm a young medical writer trying to get a foothold in the industry, so the portfolio you have on your website showcasing your accomplishments is something that I'm aiming to achieve.

I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I am hoping you can share some advice, tips, or guidance as I work on this, my lateral career change!

Thanks for taking the time to read this - I know you probably have much more exciting things to be doing, but just know that your work is inspiring me to continue down this writing path.

 
Sheryl Kraft
2020-02-14T14:57:09+00:00
I'm a young medical writer trying to get a foothold in the industry, so the portfolio you have on your website showcasing your accomplishments is something that I'm aiming to achieve. I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I am hoping you can share some advice, tips, or guidance as I work on this, my lateral career change! Thanks for taking the time to read this - I know you probably have much more exciting things to be doing, but just know that your work is inspiring me to continue down this writing path.  
https://sherylkraft.com/testimonials/im-writing-to-express-my-admiration-for-the-work-you-are-doing/
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