13 Ways To Feel Happier In The Next 10 Minutes Or Less

We live in a hectic and often angry world and it’s easy to let everyday life get you down. I know some people wake up every morning with a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts. They go to bed without a worry on their mind and fall right to sleep. I am not one of those people. I have to try hard to not let that kind of person annoy the heck out of me.

“I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness… We all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness…” | The Dalai Lama, The Art of Happiness

What if everyone on board gets food poisoning? What if you fall overboard and can’t swim well enough to stay afloat until they come to rescue me? What if no one comes to rescue you? And on and on it goes. Some days you just feel sad for no explainable reason. Here’s what you can do to remedy that situation!

SEE ALSO: 3 Benefits Of Daily Sadhana Practice

1) Breathe

For five minutes do nothing but concentrate on your breathing. In and out. Slow deep breaths. Don’t think about anything else. There are days when I need to stop and do this once every hour. It will help. While you do it, repeat “In with the good, out with the bad.”

2) Draw something

Find a sketch pad on your bookshelf and learn to draw. This isn’t to become a professional — it’s merely for the joy of creation. Draw whatever you want. Take your sketch pad and go to the park. Draw the trees or the slide or whatever you love to draw. It will remind you of old school days, you just have to get up and do it.

3) Take time to play with your children

Don’t think about the laundry or anything that needs to be done. Plan on ordering pizza for dinner. Then sit down on the floor and play with them. Get out a board game or some coloring books. If you can’t get your mind off the housework while in your own home, then go to the park. But don’t just watch them. Play. Interact with them, go and enjoy.

4) Spend some time with your dog

If you have a pet dog, it’s time play and spend some time with your dog. They love you no matter what. In debt up to your eyeballs? They don’t care. Lost your job? Good, more time to spend with them. Going to lose your house and have to move to a crummy apartment? They won’t care as long as they’re with you.

5) Walk around

You can choose to walk in the next 10 minutes. Even if it’s cold, even if you’re tired, and especially when you don’t feel like walking. The fresh air and open space will help. Plus, walking releases endorphins that act as natural anti-depressants. Breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun or the rain, smile at the people you walk by. If I could only credit one thing for pulling me out of depression, it’s this simple act.

6) Twist a balloon

For a fun-loving task, twist a balloon! It might sound ridiculous, but for less than $5, you can buy a hand pump and a bag of 260 balloons from your nearby store. You can Google “balloon twisting” and get instructions by illustrations or by video. Making balloons into adorable little poodles or wiener dogs can be surprisingly fun. Wrap another balloon around its neck and you have a leash. Or learn to make silly hats.

7) Visit the beach

If you are blessed with a nearby seashore or any water body, visit it. You may find it calming in many ways and you don’t even need to be with a companion. You can spend as much time as you want quietly on a seashore even by yourself. Don’t forget to switch off your phone and be with yourself, the endless sea water and sky above the blue ocean.

8) Write something good about yourself

Write on a piece of paper ten good things about yourself. Are you a good cook? Do you love to sing? Can you make people laugh? Are you kind to animals? Are you good to your mother? Are you a good parent? Remind yourself about your good qualities on regular basis. It will not take much time and you feel happier to discover yourself.

9) Notice the natural beauty around you

Find the beauty in your surroundings. Sounds obvious enough, I know. But most of us don’t do it. We walk by the flowers, look down at the sidewalk while beautiful clouds float over our heads, and ignore the sound of laughing children. Start to take notice of what happens around you.

10) Dress well

If you are not feeling good, dress well and create some time to pamper yourself. Clothing impacts people and you notice their behavior towards you will change if you dress well. Choose one of the finest dresses that you love to wear when you go out. It not only boost your confidence, it’s also a motivator. It can really help you connect with others! If you feel good, look outstanding, you have a much better feeling about yourself when you do the complete makeover in the right way.

11) Start forgiving

Are you angry with someone? Forgive them. Not because they deserve it but because you want your peace of mind back. You don’t have to be friends with them. You don’t have to hang out with them, and you don’t need to talk to them. Just get them out of your head by letting go of whatever they did to hurt or offend you. Write them a short letter about how you feel. You don’t even have to mail the letter. Just get it all out of your system once and for all. You will feel happy and much more relaxed just by writing the letter or forgiving others on your own.

12) Make a to-do list

Think of something you would like to do in the future that isn’t quite possible currently. Print out a picture of the item or place you’d like to visit and tape it to an empty jar. Start saving change in anticipation of when you’ll be able to purchase the item or visit the place you’ve always wanted to go. It may take a while, but you can achieve many goals if you take small daily actions for 10 minutes in your daily life.

13) Need a push? Read motivational stories

Find a passage that resonates with you and write it down. Tape it to your refrigerator for the week and read it every morning. Find a new one with every new week. You may enjoy reading the Psalms from the Bible but you may find other passages that resonate more with you, so just do it, and it will help you to feel much happier not for the next 10 minutes but for many more days to come.