50 Habits for a Happier Life

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Congratulations! You have decided that you want to live a happier life! And guess what? It’s not as hard as you would think it is. A happier life is the sum of small daily habits. Whether you want to be more optimistic, more confident, more positive, or more spiritual, this post is for you! Here are 50 habits for a happier life.

1. Reflect daily, weekly, and/or monthly. Reflection is the key to learning in life. Not only does it promote self-awareness, but it helps us learn from mistakes, spawn new ideas, and be happier. You can reflect in your head, out loud, or on paper. Either way, making reflection a habit is guaranteed to change your life!
2. Act like you have confidence. This sounds kind of silly, but acting like you have confidence can trick your brain into thinking that you actually do. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself! Trust me, you’ll be happier.
3. Create a pamper routine. In the words of Missy Elliott, “If you’re a fly gal, get your nails done. Get a pedicure. Get your hair did.” But seriously, pamper yourself like you’re a queen because…YOU ARE! Get out those hot towels and put cucumbers on your eyes! Guaranteed you’ll be happier!
4. Stand up for yourself. Don’t let people walk all over you! When you stand up for yourself in a way that is healthy and direct, not only will you have better relationships, but you’ll also be happier. Know your worth, then add tax, honey!
5. Date yourself. Don’t wait for a “special someone” to take you places and do things for you! Visit that winery you always thought was romantic. Pick up a dozen roses for yourself. Buy yourself that $6 coffee from the new, cute little coffeeshop. This way, when someone does come along, you know how you want to be treated. And a bonus to dating yourself, you know exactly what you like!
6. Set healthy boundaries. I get it. Sometimes, setting boundaries is really hard. But, I heard this quote, and I always remember it: “don’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm”. Setting boundaries with others is the key to a happier you.
7. Track your habits. I actually have an app on my phone for this because tracking habits is so beneficial! I love to watch my little colorful calendar fill up as I track habits, and when I fall short, it’s motivation to do better. Actually seeing the habits helps me be accountable, too, so my habits don’t just fall by the wayside. Try it out, and see if you like it!
8. Stop procrastinating. No explanation needed.
9. Be present. Being present is part of mindfulness, a habit that you’ll find further down in the list. When you focus on the present, you can’t regret the past or worry about the future. All that matters in that moment is the here and now. And if you’re following the habits in this post, the here and now will be a great place to be!
10. Set an intention every morning. I made this a habit this year, and I love it. Setting an intention at the beginning of the day sets the tone for a positive, productive, energetic, and motivated day! And for me, the way I start the day is of utmost importance! It is the key to a happier day!
    
11. Meditate. I firmly believe that meditation is one of the major keys to a happier life! There are so many benefits, that I can’t even name them all! But, some include stress relief, self-awareness, focus, patience, and increased creativity. And if you don’t know how to meditate, I wrote a blog post called How to Meditate at Home, and it’s especially helpful for beginners.
12. Wake up early. I’m a natural early bird, so waking up at 5 am is easy to me, but if you’re a night owl, try adopting this habit! When you wake up early, you have more time before work or errands, and this extra time is perfect for exercising, setting intentions, planning meals, journaling, meditating, or any other healthy habits. Once waking up early becomes a habit, you’ll never turn back!
13. Define what a “happy life” looks like to you. How can you create a happier life if you don’t know what that looks like for you? I encourage you to brainstorm, imagine, and visualize your dream life, and start living it! I like to do this by journaling and creating vision boards. If you want to try that, I have an entire post dedicating to creating a vision board that really helps manifest your dream life.
14. Embrace your creativity. I didn’t know that I was creative until I started writing this blog! All my life, I thought that I wasn’t creative because I can’t draw, paint, sculpt, or do anything artsy. But, once I starting embracing my own creativity, I became so much happier! It feels good to embrace such a positive part of myself and to explore it deeper. All this to say, embrace the hidden parts of your creativity, and see what comes of it!
15. Have meaningful conversations. I LOVE having deep conversations with my sister! She is the one person I can talk to about God, manifesting, faith, crystals, the moon, and all of the other random things that make me who I am. Meaningful conversations make me so happy! Find your person (or people) that you can have these conversations with–the people that you can go on and one with and the conversation never gets dull. Those are the conversations that make life meaningful.
16. Drink more water. (If you follow this blog, you knew I’d throw this one in somewhere!)
17. Spend some time alone. In order to have a happy life, you have to be happy with yourself. And to do this, you have to know yourself and embrace all parts of yourself. The only way to do this is to spend time alone. If you can’t enjoy your own company…babyyy, you’re in for a rough life! You are the only constant in your life. So, spend time alone, and get to know and love yourself. And if that’s not enough of a reason, your relationship with yourself sets the tone for all the other relationships in your life, so make sure it’s a healthy one!
18. Spend time with people you love. Funny that this comes right after spend time alone, but it is also important to spend time with people you love. They (should) bring the best out of you and make you feel happier. Even though you need alone time, you also need people–we all do.
19. Eat fresh fruits and veggies. There are so many physical benefits of eating fruits and veggies, but for me, they make me feel good. I feel happy, healthy, and like I’m taking care of myself when I make healthy choices, and you probably do, too! So make a salad, fruit salad, or smoothie every now and then.
20. Be mindful about the way you speak to yourself. The way you speak to yourself matters. If you constantly tell yourself “My life sucks”, guess what? Your life will suck! Internal dialogue is the voice we hear most often, so it has to be a positive one. For some ideas of positive affirmations you can say to yourself, check out this post.
    
21. Decorate your space in a way you like. This may not sound important, but the way our environment looks influences us heavily. Creating a peaceful, stress-free, serene environment just puts me in a better mood…a happier one! So, if there’s nothing in your room or office that makes you happy when you look at it, it’s time to switch it up!
22. Unfollow anyone that evokes negative emotions. Whew, chile…where do I start with this one? If you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time on social media. So, every few months, I unfollow any accounts that make me feel negatively when they post. If you find yourself still following a petty co-worker or an ex-boyfriend, just unfollow. Out of sight, out of mind. Trust me, you’ll be happier.
23. Celebrate your achievements, even the small ones. Finally made it to work on time? Celebrate! Went a whole week without missing a workout? Celebrate! Got a full night’s sleep? Celebrate! I mean, we’re adults–we can celebrate whatever we want! So why not celebrate yourself? You’ll definitely have a happier life if you celebrate the little victories. Who doesn’t want to have a little party on a Monday? I do!
24. Create a morning routine. In my opinion, mornings are the most important time of the day. Why? Because they set the tone for the entire day! And I kid you not, my morning routine is like a sacred ritual to me! It includes things like praying, journaling, listening to motivating podcasts, my skin care routine, a quite cup of coffee, and more. I’m telling you, a good morning routine is life-changing, and it will definitely make you happier!
25. Use positive affirmations. This habit is similar to “Be mindful about the way you speak to yourself”, but it goes a little bit deeper. Speaking, writing, and listening to positive affirmations is life-changing because your subconscious takes these statements and makes them your reality. I have an entire post dedicated to this subject, titled “100 “I AM” Affirmations”. It’s definitely worth reading if you want a happier life.
26. Find your purpose. This is definitely easier said than done, and honestly, I still haven’t mastered this one either! Finding your purpose takes a lot of self-discovery, prayer, and reflection, but walking in your purpose is sure to create a happier life. Imagine: you’re spending all day, every day doing what you were put on this earth to do–a calling that sets your soul on fire! How could you not be happy? To help in your soul-searching check out “60 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery”. These are sure to get you started!
27. Stop comparing yourself to others. You’ve probably heard the saying “comparison is the thief of joy”. It’s a popular saying for a reason…it’s so true! When we look at someone who is living the life we want, oftentimes we don’t know their struggles, trials, or truths! Everyone’s journey is different, so if you’re not where someone else is, congratulations! You’re not supposed to be! Trust in Divine Timing, and know that you are exactly where you’re meant to be. Don’t waste your life worrying about somebody else’s!
28. Make your bed every day. Turns out, our parents were on to something! Like the morning routine, making your bed sets the tone for the day. It tells your brain that you are awake, done resting, and ready to be productive. Besides, walking back into your bedroom after a long day of working and seeing a made bed just screams adult.
29. Pray more. FACT: Prayer changes things. I am a firm believer in this! And the Bible even tells us that we can pray for whatever we want, and if we have faith, we will receive it! (Read 10 Scriptures for Manifestation) I can personally attest to the fact that when I pray and communicate more frequently with God, things in my life get better. I am happier. I feel as if I am on the right path. Doors open easily for me. Trust me, prayer is the gateway to happiness. If you are struggling with developing a relationship with the Father, check out this post. It’ll lead you in the right direction.
30. Get enough sleep at night. We all know that more sleep = better mood, so try to make sure you get 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
    
31. Light candles and incense that evoke positive emotions. Scents can sometimes trigger memories, so make your environment smell like places/times that were happy for you. For example, I love the holidays, so I buy a lot of sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and pumpkin pie candles. They just make me feel happy. Or, you can Google aromatherapy to find oils and incense for happiness. I’m telling you, it works!
32. Remove clutter from your space. A cluttered space is a cluttered mind, and a cluttered mind is a stressed, unhappy one. Remove the clutter, organize your environment, and make your space one that evokes happiness when you look at it.
33. Let go of old grudges. When you hold on to anger and bitterness towards a person or situation, it festers inside of you, not them. So do as Elsa said, “Let it Go”! You will feel happier when you don’t carry those negative emotions around with you.
34. Move intentionally every day. The keyword here is “intentionally”. Move with a purpose. Go on a walk because you want fresh air. Do a guided dance video because it’ll make you smile. Lift weights because you want to be stronger. It will make you happy to move and be healthy, but it will make you happier to move with a purpose.
35. Make time for self-care. Self-care is great for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a necessity. Taking the time to care for yourself improves your quality of life, reduces stress, improves self-love, and makes you happier. For self-care ideas, check out my post “60 Ways to Practice Self-Care”.
36. Practice gratitude. Not a moment goes by where I don’t have something to be grateful for. According to Harvard, “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships”. (source) And to me, gratefulness is one of the most positive emotions we can feel, and it brings more positive manifestations into our lives. So whether it’s a prayer, a journal entry, or an affirmation, express gratitude daily.
37. Journal. I LOVE journaling, and I strongly believe that journaling is one of the practices that has made my life what it is today. I used to think I could never journal, but here I am, journaling almost daily. And now, I journal as a form of self-care, prayer, meditation, gratitude, reflection, self-discovery, life planning, and intention setting. It literally enhances every aspect of my life. For ideas on what to journal about, I have a post on journaling with the moon phases and one on journaling for self-discovery. Check ’em out!
38. Help others. Helping others always makes me happier, and I believe that what you do for others comes back to you, and it pleases the Lord. Helping others also improves relationships, so take the time to pour into others and your community.
39. Listen to when your body needs rest. If you don’t choose a day to rest, your body will choose one for you. Resting is just as important (if not more) than being active. Our bodies need time to recover and renew. Making rest part of your routine will make you happier in the long run, so have a seat, kick up your feet, stretch, or take a nap. Your body and brain will thank you.
40. Practice mindfulness. Oxford describes mindfulness as: a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. Simply put, mindfulness is focusing on and living in the moment. By focusing on what we’re experiencing in the here and now, we can be grateful for our lives and live intentionally.
    
41. Get some sunlight. Scientifically, getting sunlight causes our brains to release serotonin, a mood-boosting hormone. So when you can, spend time outside or in front of a window on a sunny day. Biologically, you may feel happier!
42. Keep track of your spending. Keeping track of your spending or budgeting will help you be happier in the long run. Plus, when you’re intentional with your spending, you’re more likely to spend your money on things you really want and experiences you’ll have memories from.
43. Do something every day that makes you happy. What makes you happy? Even if it’s something small, try do do something every day that makes you happy. It could be as simple as frothing milk for your coffee, reading your favorite book, or catching up on YouTube subscriptions. Either way, regularly doing something you enjoy is bound to create more happiness in your life.
44. Smile at yourself in the mirror. This may sound dumb, but trust me, it works! When your brain sees you smiling often, you can convince yourself that you are happier than you actually are! And smiling at yourself is another way to show yourself a little love and kindness.
45. Create a bedtime routine. Just like it is important to start your day the right way, it’s also important to end your day the right way. Some things to add include praying, journaling to reflect on the day, dark showers, exfoliating, skin care, reading, and yoga. With a good bedtime routine, you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and happy!
46. Read more. This year, I’ve committed to reading 4 days a week, and y’all…I love to read again! I’ve learned so much about what I like and don’t like, and I’ve even learned more about different subjects that I’ve never read about before. If you’re looking for an easy habit to start, try this one!
47. Plan your meals/snacks in advance. Worrying about food stresses me out! I love being healthy and tracking what I eat, so for me, planning my meals and snacks in advance is essential for my happiness. Additionally, it reduces the chances of overeating/binge eating (and the feelings associated with it) when I plan ahead. So, it definitely makes me feel happier and more accomplished when I plan my food in advance.
48. Spend time in nature. I am a person that finds peace and moments with God in nature. So, my life is happier when I am able to go outside. Journal outside, take a walk, ride a bike, go bird watching–the opportunities for having fun in nature are endless!
49. Wear scents that you like. This is a habit that I’ve really focused on in the last year, but it really does help! I love wearing perfumes with rose, vanilla, and white musk in them because when I get a whiff of them during the day, the smells make me happy. Also, I just feel more put together when I wear a nice fragrance. And guess what? You don’t even have to spend a lot of money! There is a website called oilperfumery.com that has a lot of vegan impressions of luxury fragrances. They smell good, the service is great, and the price is right! I love them, so definitely check them out if you’re looking for a new fragrance.
50. Write to-do lists. My last habit is to write to-do lists. For me, they help me prioritize tasks and lay out my day. If I don’t get what I have to do in order, I tend to worry, stress, get overwhelmed, and procrastinate. Therefore, life is easier and happier when I write to-do lists!

You’ve read all 50 habits for a happier life! Which ones are you going to incorporate into your life? Remember, if you liked this post, share it to your social media and leave a comment down below!