10 Tips for Creating Lifelong Happiness

These are 10 of my personally-proven happiness makers. They are in no particular order, but they’re all equally valuable in my humble opinion. Try a few out and let me know if you find yourself…happier!

1. Schedule a massage once a month.

Go ahead and schedule out an entire year if you want to. You can always change the appointment time and date if you need to down the road, but having it in your calendar in the first place is important. And go!!! Don’t cancel and deprive yourself of that pampering. You need it. Trust me. A massage a month can extend your life by 10 years.

2. Create and stick to a nightly routine.

Your brain is much happier when you know what to expect. If you want a great night’s sleep, you have to teach your brain what to expect for bedtime. Every night I take out my contacts, wash my face and put on night cream, brush my teeth and put in my super sexy mouth guard, brush my hair, take CBD oil and melatonin, rub lavender and cedarwood essential oils with coconut oil on my feet, and rub coconut oil lotion on my hands. It’s about a 10 minute routine. I love it. It probably annoys my hubby but he’s never said so!

3. Create and stick to a morning routine.

Same thing with bedtime, you need to teach your brain what to expect to wake up for a great day. I begin by getting up IMMEDIATELY when my alarm goes off—no snoozing! Then I go outside with the dogs for potty-time (just to be clear…they go potty outside, not me even though I live in the country and could totally do that if I wanted to.) Then, we come back inside and I give them a treat and pour a cup of coffee for myself and settle down into my special chair. I turn on some relaxing spa-like music on my phone and practice my meditation breathing until the kids wake up or my husband Darrin bugs me for something (hahaha, just kidding). He never bugs me. He’s the light of my life.

4. Schedule an appointment with yourself to exercise at least 3 times a week.

This is pretty easy for me now, since I’m a group fitness instructor I have regularly scheduled classes. But I still workout on my own time too. Exercise is critical for happiness! Even before I was an instructor, I had regular days and times I exercised, and planned babysitters in advance so I’d never miss a workout.

5. Buy yourself flowers once a month.

Even if it’s a crummy little grocery store bouquet, you still need some fresh flowers in your life. I know some people claim they don’t care about or like fresh cut flowers, but I call total B.S. on that. Who doesn’t smile and smell fresh flowers when they’re nearby?! This is a super easy and no-brainer tip for quick happiness. If you think you’re likely to forget and neglect yourself, your local florist would be more than happy to put you on their calendar for regular monthly deliveries.

6. Say NO without feeling guilty.

I used to give half-assed no’s when I didn’t want to do something. I said things like, “Uh, sure maybe. I’ll get back with you” knowing full well that I didn’t want to and wasn’t going to do the thing in question. In the end it just gave me more anxiety because I’d feel guilty about letting the other person down after they probably had their hopes up. Now, I just say, “No.” I don’t say it in a mean, aggressive way or justify my response either. I just say No. No is a complete sentence.

7. Buy the pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers you love and covet them like they’re gold.

Colorful things make me happy, and that includes writing tools. I LOVE learning new things so I always have a book with me. I write in the margins, underline, circle, and highlight to my little heart’s desire. But for years, we only had all the free pens we’d get at farm shows and from business vendors, and pencils that the kids got with their Valentines or Halloween candy. I hated those things. I wanted my own pretty, perfect, pens gosh darnit! You know, ones that write so awesomely and never run out of ink. These special, beautiful, colorful pens fit so perfectly in my fingers and I love the look and feel of them like they’re only ones in the entire world and then when somebody takes one for school I go bananas on them! “Who took my pen!” I interrogate my family. Now nobody touches my drawer of pens, pencils, highlighters, and markers for fear of wrath.

8. Smell the oils.

I’m totally into essential oils. The science of aromatherapy is way more interesting than what I can even explain, so you’ll just have to trust me on this one. Essential oils are magic in a bottle. Oils that induce immediate happiness for me are Christmas Spirit and Joy (both are Young Living blends) and also rose, geranium, orange, and lavender. I keep Christmas Spirit in my vehicle and whenever I’m pissy while driving or waiting in a parking lot for a kid (which happens often), I open my bottle and take at least 5 long sniffs…maybe even more, depending on the severity of my pissiness. Instant relief and happiness, guaranteed! Aromatherapy is powerful. (BTW if you’re interested in learning more about YL essential oils,
I can help!)

9. Plan date night.

Dating is important, even if you’re already married. Dating yourself is important, too. Go the places you want to go. Eat the things you want to eat. Drink the things you want to drink. Watch the movies, live theater, or concerts you want. Date night is pure enjoyment night, and everyone needs enjoyment in their lives to be happy. When your children see you prioritizing your own happiness, they will be happy for you too! So get it in your calendar!

10. Create a menu on Sunday.

On Sunday, I sit down and make a list of what we’re having for dinner for the week, based on the week’s appointments and activities, kids’ practices and games, and farming schedule. I can’t very well make a dinner that’s non-portable when Darrin is working in the fields! Then I look through the fridge and pantry to see what we need.

I go grocery shopping (and usually my family helps me now too which is amazing), so I know we have everything we need. It takes all the stress out of the dreaded “what’s for dinner?” question because I already know what we’re having every day.

The meals vary some, depending on if I’ve recently watched a new Pioneer Woman episode, but these favs are pretty much on constant rotation. Monday is lasagna. Tuesday is grilled hamburgers. Wednesday is chicken quesadillas. Thursday is meatloaf. Friday is pizza. Saturday the kids can fend for themselves because Mom and Dad are going on a date, so basically that’s macaroni and cheese. Sunday is grilled chicken breasts. I always have on hand fresh fruits, veggies, milk, juices, cereal, snack bars, eggs, cheese, bread, peanut butter, and crackers.

The kids all know how to cook, and do very often, if they want something I haven’t prepared or there aren’t any leftovers.

So there you have it, ladies! Let me know in the comments below which tip is your favorite and most likely to try, and which tip isn’t and most likely you won’t even attempt :) These 10 happiness habits work for me, and since I’m in the biz of spreading happiness wherever I go, it’s very easy to talk about the things that make me happy! Or, you can share with me any happiness habits you already have in place in your life. Share the wealth of knowledge with us all!

What practices do you find yourself doing that bring you more happiness? Share with us on Facebook or in the comments below. Would love to hear from you.