If you’re asking yourself how you can feel a bit happier and more energized, you’re certainly not alone.
Life is stressful, the internet is filled with bad news, and it can all feel inescapable. But the good news is—there are plenty of (stupidly easy) things we can to boost our mood! And I think most of us are in dire need of feeling good right now.
Now just as a caveat here—choosing to be more positive isn’t denying reality. We’re not about just ignoring the real, systemic injustices happening in the world around here—nor are we preaching a one-sided message that your mindset is the only thing keeping you from the life of your dreams.
However—choosing to be more positive doesn’t have to involve denying reality, AND it can actually help shape it.
One belief that is the heart and soul of this blog is that the good life should be available to everyone—and spreading positivity can actually help make that happen.
These little habits and mindset shifts I’ll list out here won’t just boost your own mood, but could also have further-reaching effects if practiced collectively (think ‘the butterfly effect’ 😊). Your joyful presence can have an impact on the world around you, too.
So now, without further ado, here are 5 very simple, very actionable mindset shifts that you can start today that will help you be happier and more positive overall.
1. Get offline!
It seems that social media nowadays has become synonymous with—you guessed it. AI-generated rage bait posts.
If you spend enough time engaging with this stuff, you will surely start to feel the emotional effects after a while. I liken spending too much time with this content to eating too much junk food—it may be fun for a moment, but you’ll start to feel pretty bad after.
Choosing to get offline will have a two-fold effect:
Your own mood will likely increase, AND
The AI rage-bait posts will eventually disappear after a while if we simply stop engaging with them 😊
My suggestion is to try a little experiment where you get offline for the summer. I am planning on designing a little ‘mental wellness challenge’ for the summer, so stay tuned for that in the coming weeks!
But even now, cutting down on—or just stopping altogether—with the ‘doomscrolling’ will surely impact your mood and well-being for the better.
2. Think of what your worst day would look like
“Huh?” you might be saying…
But hear me out!
Imagining your worst-case scenario—whatever it may be—can help you appreciate what you have right now. If you have ever had a nightmare that felt incredibly real—only to later wake up in your own, quiet bed to your own, regular life, I think you know what I’m talking about.
The relief you would feel if you were having your worst day—but suddenly got plucked out of it and placed back into your regular life—is something you can have right now.
Think of all the things you have now that you wouldn’t if your worst-case scenario was happening. I know this might sound weird–but one of my worst-case scenarios is being in prison—so I’m very much on the ‘straight and narrow’ to avoid that!
If that was happening, I wouldn’t be able to just get up and make a cup of coffee when I wanted (which I may actually go do right now!). I wouldn’t be able to put on a fun YouTube video of someone traveling to Amsterdam while drinking said coffee (which I might also go do in a moment). I wouldn’t able to act silly while giving my daughter a bath this evening (which I am very much looking forward to ❤️).
Simply put—thinking of your worst-case scenario—then reminding yourself that it’s not happening—is an easy short-cut to feeling more joy and gratitude. Think of all the wonderful things you are able to do right now… and then go and do them!
3. Wish other people well
I know of someone who wakes up every single day and sends text messages to 3 friends—simply to let those friends know know she is grateful for them. She claims that not only are the recipients often thankful for and flattered by those messages—but it helps her to feel more positive as well, reminding her that she is surrounded by people who love and uplift her.
Sending love to other people—either just in your mind as a meditation exercise—or actually sending a note or message—is not just a powerful mood booster but also a way to bolster and improve your relationships (which will help with your well-being in the long-term 😊). It’s nearly impossible to feel love and emotions like worry, jealousy or rage at the same time.
Try to consciously think of at least three people in your life who you are grateful for, what you love about them, and the good things you would like to see come about in their life. And tell me after a week that that didn’t make you feel better overall!
4. Engage deeply with a hobby you truly enjoy
Back in 2024, I decided on kind of a whim to start learning Korean. I’ve since fallen ‘off the wagon’ a bit with other things taking more of a priority (and energy levels being low)—but the spirit behind the decision to start was:
‘I want to do something purely because I enjoy it.’
There was no bigger goal—I didn’t need to learn that language because I was moving there for work or school. I wasn’t learning it because it was for a class or I have family who speak it. I was learning it because the language sounds pretty—that’s literally it 😂
And I found it fun, and relaxing, and well—a mood booster!
Finding something else to focus on (besides the regular stresses and worries of everyday life) is a great way to give your brain some rest. And again—I’m not talking about distraction or denial of real problems here—but there are times in our lives when we’re just plain worried about things that we have no control over, and so the worry is pointless.
Hobbies are great for:
- Giving our brains the stimulation they crave
- Sending a signal to yourself that your interests and desires matter
- Finding something that gives you a goal to work toward (aka a sense of purpose and accomplishment)
- Finding a ‘helpful distraction’ to give your brain a rest from worry/anxiety
Overall, hobbies don’t necessarily fix everything, but they can definitely add a spark of joy into your life 😊
5. Change up your appearance
For our last tip, a little wardrobe or hair transformation may be the thing that you need to give yourself a little boost!
Now I’m certainly not saying ‘appearance is everything’. But there have been several times throughout my life where my solution to stress was to make drastic changes to my hair—and I have to say, it did help a bit!
Tailoring your appearance (clothing style, hair, makeup, what have you) to make you feel confident and present yourself as such to the world does send the message to yourself that you matter.
‘I love myself enough to take care of myself,’ is the idea.
Recently, my mom bought my daughter a pair of glittering golden mary-jane shoes. My normal thought would be ‘that’s cute—but it’s only for kids.’ Secretly, deep down, I wanted a pair too—so one day, while in a particularly impulsive state of mind, I got myself some!
It was more than just a pair of shoes—it was a signal to myself that I matter enough to do those silly little things.
Changing up your appearance can be a quick boost to your self-esteem—and don’t underestimate the value of those quick little doses of dopamine.
I hope you found these tips helpful and that you might try implementing a few just to see how your mood improves!
May you allow yourself to find joy in your life, be grateful for the little things, and do the things that make you happy 😊
