Self-care is the first step to happiness. Have you been taking care of yourself? Join author Jennifer Harbaugh as she shares “Get Happy Now!“
Written by Jennifer Harbaugh
You may consider yourself a happy person, but perhaps you have experienced discord in your life and have been down lately and don’t know how to get back to your happier self. You have been trying self-help books and talking to your friends as a therapy and all failed to help you. You start to get frustrated and give up and stay in that depressive mood for so long that the feelings of sadness and emptiness become normal to you. However, you have been asking yourself, “Where is that happy self I used to have and have known for a long time?” Read on to discover how you can reclaim your happy self and start smiling again.
Self-care is the first step to happiness. Have you been taking care of yourself? If not, today, call and make an appointment with any of these places. It doesn’t have to be just one place. It can be all of them, depending on your budget. You deserve to splurge. Self-care is a necessity. It’s always fun when someone pampers you for once.
- Hair salon: Get your hair cut, dyed, or just styled.
- Nail Salon: Get your manicure and pedicure.
- Massage or Spa: You deserve a day of bliss with a massage or whatever services are offered.
If you are a spiritual person or spiritually curious, then try these things to find yourself within your own heart:
- Meditation: Meditate on the place of happiness and develop peace within yourself.
- Reiki: Get your chakras aligned. This helps you begin healing depression.
- Yoga: The mix of meditation and physical connection with your soul can do wonders for your heart.
If you are a nature person, then consider these things. Connecting with Mother Nature is one of the best therapies for your soul:
- Take a hike into the woods and connect with the nature.
- Take a long bike ride.
- Take up gardening in your own backyard or build a mini one in a bright window in your house.
If you are an artist of any kind:
- Get art supplies and start painting away your emotions.
- Write poems or songs that talk about your unhappiness (If Taylor Swift can make a lot of money on her break up songs, so can we. But our pay will come in increased happiness.)
- Take an art class (photography, painting, pottery).
While the options above can help you feel good, in order to stay happy, you have to have a constant in your life. Ask yourself if you are living in a positive environment from home to work to social life. For example, if you have any friend that drains your happiness with their negativity, get rid of that friend, even if you don’t want to. Is your job dragging you down? Consider finding a job that benefits you emotionally and mentally in the long run even it means working in an unfamiliar and new environment.
And the most important thing: Are you happy at home? Why or why not? It can be from bad feng shui in your home space. If so, then fix it. If you don’t get respect and love you need from your loved ones, tell them you deserve as much love as they do.
I just started doing something that is very therapeutic and that is carrying a journal with you every day wherever you go: write down your feelings about every situation you are in so you don’t push in your feelings to your heart and make yourself unhappy. Let it go. Be free. Be happy.
Get happy now, because you deserve to be happy.
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
What have you accepted in your life that took time, physically or mentally?
It took me a while to finally accept that I’m different from everyone else and I should not adapt myself to the society norms. So what if I am not thin? As long I am living a healthy lifestyle. So what if I don’t want to wear a dress and heels? As long I have clothes to wear everyday. I should be living the life I want, not the life the people want me to live.
What do you appreciate about yourself and within your life?
I appreciate the fact I am still alive and being given a second chance to reclaim myself. Not many people are lucky like me and I am grateful for that.
What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What goals do you still have?
My most rewarding achievement is that I exceeded everyone’s expectations of what a Deaf person can do. I have many goals, still…but, if I have to pick one goal and that is educating the world about the most important things in life.
What is your not-so-perfect way? What imperfections and quirks create your Identity?
Do I really have to tell? Okay, procrastination is my “not-so-perfect” way, probably the reason why it took me long enough to finally realize I need to start reclaiming myself at age 26. My imperfections are: biting my nails and being a worry wart.
How would you complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my mind, I cannot believe that I came up with this article. So eternally grateful for that creativity part of my brain doing the hard work for me.
