Come on, get happy!
Whether it makes you smile, giggle, laugh out loud, or simply makes you feel safe and secure, escape to your “happy place” from time to time. Visiting your happy place is more than just a pleasant diversion. It can help you relieve stress and assist you in maintaining a positive attitude.
Where’s your happy place?
Sometimes a happy place is an actual physical location, like a room in your house or a beach with spectacular sunsets. Sometimes it’s a made-up place, like an imaginary cottage or an enchanted garden. It can even be a thing or an event — anything that takes you to a pleasant mental space far away from anger, tension or cynicism.
Here are some examples of things that make people happy:
- Smiling babies.
- Children laughing and playing.
- Scrapbooks and photo albums.
- Wriggling puppies.
- Nature scenes.
- Tranquil spaces.
- Pleasant memories.
- A special piece of music or the work of a particular artist.
- Old musicals and comedies.
- A favourite comedian.
Visit often
Whatever or wherever your happy place is, you can use it to counter stresses that can leave you angry, tense and drained of energy.
There are many techniques you can use to conjure up your happy place. Here are some ideas of how you can keep it close for those times when you need an instant mood lift:
- Keep a picture of something that brings you joy on your computer desktop.
- Clip funny cartoons or pictures and pin them to your bulletin board or fridge.
- Place some seashells or small souvenirs from a wonderful vacation on your desk or bookshelf.
- Keep something softly textured like a stuffed toy, a bean bag or a Zen sand garden in your workspace.
- Download audio clips of your favourite comedian onto your MP3 player.
- Write out a meaningful quote and slip it inside your wallet.
- Purchase a selection of feel-good videos.
- Recall a special memory.