We’re all on a quest to find a little joy, but what if the path to happiness was actually super easy? And what if someone wrote an article and illustrated it with GIFs showing you how to be happier? Oh look. We did.
#1. Stop spending your money on material things that you really don’t need.
You don’t need the shoes/blender/keyring. You know what you need? An awesome holiday with your friends. Or a date night with your SO. Spend money making memories because they last forever.
#2. Stop beating yourself up because you ate dessert…
Okay so you ate a whole bar of chocolate. Instead of being so wracked with guilt that you need to eat another one just to calm down, relax.
#3. … or didn’t go to the gym.
Slaving away at the gym might give you the abs that dreams are made of, but it’s self-love and self-acceptance that’ll make you feel truly fabulous in body and soul.
#4. Stop lying to make your life sound cooler.
If you’re life is so boring that you need to liven up your stories with porky pies, you need to either a) go do more fun stuff or b) ask yourself why you’re so unhappy with your life (and then refer to a) again).
#5. Stop wasting time on fairweather friends.
Can you trust them with your secrets? Are they always there in a crisis? No? Then they suck. Cut them out of your life and devote your time to people that love you (there’s more of them than you think).
#6. Stop being so judgemental.
Why are you always looking for flaws in other people? Live and let live; criticizing others is just giving your insecurities a voice (and that’s the last thing they need).
#7. Stop saying “no” to everything.
It’s easier to decline every invite and stay inside because Netflix will never take you out of your comfort zone. Say yes, open your mind and experience everything (good, bad and possibly weird) the world has to offer.
#8. Stop over-analysing things.
All that time you spend worrying about things that have already happened is wasted. You can’t do anything about it. So invest your energy in looking forwards.
#9. Stop thinking you’re a failure just because you didn’t succeed.
You won’t succeed at everything you do and you’ll never be the champion of everything in the world. Embrace your flaws, work on them if you need to, and move on.
Because you know it’s a waste of time. Switch off your phone (after you’ve read this, obviously) and instead of checking notifications, check in with the people in your life — in person.
#11. Stop regretting.
You did it. It can’t be undone. End of. Instead of fretting, do things differently or, to quote an icy Disney queen, let it go.
#12. Stop complaining that you’re busy.
If you genuinely don’t have a moment to breathe, cancel something and take time out. If you’re just whinging, be thankful that you’re so in demand/popular/important. No more negativity.
#13. Stop caring what other people think.
As Dr. Zeuss so rightly said, the people who mind don’t matter and the people who matter don’t mind.
#14. Stop being afraid to chase your dreams.
It might sound cliche, but you’ve only got one life to do all the things you want to do, however embarrassing/lame/downright strange those things are. So get going.
So no excuses now — go get your happy on.
