Make Time for a Daily Moment of Happiness

In today's busy world of appointments, errands, responsibilities, work, parenting and more, it's often the most basic of needs that is overlooked—happiness. Happiness is something innate in all of us, but it is nurtured by spending time doing the things that bring you joy. How do you nurture happiness? You make time for it. You chase it. You choose it. You embrace it.

Happiness is not always a given, but it is a choice. You can wake up every day and decide that you will be happy, or you can wake up every day and let the day fall the way it will. By choosing to be happy, you decide that no matter what comes your way, you will see the bright side, you will accept things the way they are. You won't focus on what could have been or could be.
We've found five little ways to nurture happiness that work for us:

1. Think like a kid. Skip rope, swing on a swing set, run with your eyes closed. Whatever you do, do it outside. Find a space—playgrounds work great!—and spend time having fun with the simplest things in life. If you watch a child, they find happiness in the funniest of places: rolling around on the floor with the dog, picking the flowers we designate as weeds or riding their bike down a hill with their legs hanging off either side. If you can find the fun and beauty in the little things, happiness is sure to follow.
2. Chill out. Nothing restores us more, allowing us to nurture our own happiness, like zoning out. Find a quiet spot with no interruptions and no stimulation (bye bye, television) and just focus on things that make you happy. Imagine yourself walking down the beach or on a path through a quiet forest. Find your happy place and go there—anytime!
3. Clean it. OK, so for some of us, cleaning isn't soothing whatsoever. But for others, cleaning up a room that needs it or tackling an organization project that's been put off for way too long can lead to happiness. Why? The sense of accomplishment accompanied by the relief of getting that nagging job off your mind can give you a nice little shot of happiness when you need it most.
4. Make a date with yourself. If your idea of a wonderful night out is a wonderful night in, make it happen! Set aside a night when you can spend time doing what you love. Curl up with a good book and a slice of pizza or set up a lovely dinner and a movie on the couch. Spending a little time on yourself in this hectic world can go a long way in helping you find a bit of happiness in your day.
5. Love the one your with. Families are scheduled to death these days. Between baseball practice, piano lessons, school and chores, it's rare that everyone can make time together a regular thing. So, make good with the time you do have. Got a few minutes in the car with one of your kids while the other is at gymnastics? Curl up in the backseat with a book and take advantage of those extra 30 minutes. If there does happen to be a free night when everyone's available, cook dinner together and spend a little time talking about what makes each of you happy. By focusing on your happiness and the happiness  of others, it will spread like wildfire!

Happiness is a gift you can give yourself and give others. Spend time nurturing it, focusing on it and embracing it. By doing that, you will find nice little happiness each and every day.

About the Author: Diane Johnson graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in political science. When she's not traveling she enjoys writing articles about online education, reading books and shopping.