“Has Done Wonders For My Mental Health”: 29 Small Life Changes That Made People Happier
Article created by: Mindaugas Balčiauskas
According to the 2023 Global Happiness Survey by Ipsos, on average, two in three people are happy. That’s quite good, wouldn’t you say? Ongoing wars, the current political climate, doom scrolling, and dystopian-esque economic situation might get anyone down. It can be hard to find things to be happy about. Especially everyday.
That’s why we’ve got some inspiration for you. One Redditor under the username 05tn3021 asked other netizens what small things they gather inspiration and energy from to get through the day. The people did not disappoint – there’s almost five thousand comments under that post as of today! So scroll down to see some little steps we could all take in order to feel a little bit better every day.
Bored Panda contacted the person who asked this question, and she was kind enough to have a quick chat with us. She told us more about her inspiration behind the query and had some really inspiring insights about putting our mental health first. Read our conversation with her below!
I found a friend who is interested in the same things I am who is intelligent and open-minded at my age this is quite an accomplishment. We go to lunch once a week usually spend about two to two and a half hours just talking about the things we love sharing ideas no politics no gossip. I am immensely better a different person you could say.
I’m trying to stop judging folks, and instead, I say to myself, ‘I don’t know their story.’ Trying to be more understanding and empathetic has taken a huge burden off my heart.
I brought my son a dog when he was struggling post lockdown. It helped him almost instantly but I didn’t realise how much having him helped me too.. Being around animals and nature are so underestimated as a cure for the modern world’s detachment or rather it’s attachment to meaninglessness.
I stopped reading the comments on social media. I thought it didn’t effect me and was just entertaining, but man did it make me depressed with the state of humanity.
Started incorporating daily walks into my routine. It might sound small, but the fresh air and movement have done wonders for my mood. Highly recommend listening to your favorite podcast or playlist too.
Whenever there’s a BOGO for any cat or dog food in my local grocery store I buy some. When I have a few collected, I deliver to a local shelter. They are always so grateful and I feel wonderful.
Realizing the difference between when I actually screwed up and when someone is taking their frustrations out on me, and then asking what’s actually wrong bc this isn’t a proportional response to the issue.
Solo travel. I never used to travel because it was hard to coordinate with others, and when I did, I had to plan something everyone going would enjoy, often sacrificing what I wanted to do. Now, I try once a year to go on a trip that I want just for myself, with no one else to please. Last year, I went to a farm and hung out with some awesome animals and painted. This year, I’m going to a concert and staying in a nice hotel downtown.
I’m only allowed to insult myself with G-rated ‘curse words.’ If I realize I forgot an errand or missed an email, I’ll think, ‘Good job, you goose,’ or, ‘Aw, you’ve messed this up, dillweed’. Then, instead of dwelling on berating myself, I’m smiling because ‘goober’ is just a funny insult.
Cleaning up as I cook. I often felt very overwhelmed with a dirty kitchen and a ton of dishes to do once I was done with cooking a meal. I started to make it a habit to clean up as I cook, and it instantly became more manageable when I’m done and can enjoy my meal instead of stressing out about the mess.
I wouldn’t say that it has made me drastically happier, but feeding my birds and watching them brings a peaceful joy each day.
Started declining invitations I didn’t feel like attending such as going out with people I don’t like that much, big social events with a lot of expectations, activities with friends that I wouldn’t like to do if they weren’t going… And all of that with a simple “no thanks, I don’t actually feel like it because X”. No excuses, no easy lies such as “that day’s my grandma’s birthday”, no fake feelings like “awww I wish I could BUT”. Being the owner of my free time and learning to say no without needing to give further explanations has done wonders for my mental health.
Realizing that I can choose what I think about. If I catch myself thinking about something that’s making me anxious, I simply choose to think about something else (unless it’s immediately necessary). If it’s something that’s making me sad, I sit with the emotion rather than trying to intellectualize it.
Baking with my daughter a couple times per week. Pies, cookies, different kinds of breads, etc. We have so much fun doing it together and then we get to enjoy eating what we make too!
Volunteering. Find out what kind of volunteering activity interests you and do it. It can drastically change your happiness level. I drive a shuttle van for seniors and volunteer at a community kitchen. I’m so happy doing them and I look forward to doing them.
Audiobooks. I get them free from my library app and listen to them to and from work, and when I do chores like dishes and laundry. Suddenly, I don’t mind taking the time to fold my clothes perfectly because I’m being entertained while doing so. I also never had time to sit and dedicate time to reading, but this way I can consume books on the go. I read four books in 2021. I read two books in 2022. I read four books in the first six months of 2023. Then I got into audiobooks and read 17 books in the last six months of 2023. This year’s looking even better. I’m already on my fourth book since New Year’s!
I set my iPhone to only accept calls from people in my contacts.
Do I miss an occasional call that I need to take? Yep. They leave a message, and I call them back. If it is a business or organization that I deal with semiregularly, I add them to my contacts.
The important thing, for me, is that I get ZERO spam/scam calls anymore. Well, ones that ring through, anyways.
On average, I was getting over 30 of them every day.
I am much happier with this setup.
I started doing 10 push-ups when I got really stressed out or couldn’t solve a problem. It was something I could do quickly, and it makes me feel like I accomplished something. Also, it gets the blood pumping and gives a small rush of endorphins. It makes a world of difference when I remember to stop and do push-ups when I get overwhelmed.
