Hello and happy Tuesday!
I hope you’re doing well this morning! My morning began with an early workout at the gym with Ryan. I warmed up with 20 minutes of intervals on the elliptical before I did three sets of 12 reps of leg extensions and hamstring curls. Then it was time to get really sweaty!
I used the Nike Training Club app on my phone to go through an advanced 15 minute Get Focused lean legs workout. It seems like I’m breathing heavy and dripping sweat after only five minutes of any NTC workout. They’re legit!
Breakfast
Breakfast was similar to yesterday’s morning meal.
More overnight oats!
I topped today’s oats with banana slices. That did the trick!
Habits of Happy People
As I was drinking my coffee this morning, I stumbled upon an article on the Huffington Post’s website about the Habits of Supremely Happy People. I thought the article was really interesting!
According to the article “joyful folk have certain inclinations,” including the following habits:
- They surround themselves with other happy people
- They smile when they mean it
- They cultivate resilience
- They try to be happy
- They are mindful of the good
- They appreciate simple pleasures
- They devote some of their time to giving
- They let themselves lose track of time (and sometimes they can’t help it)
- They nix small talk for deeper conversation
- They spend money on other people
- They make a point to listen
- They uphold in-person conversation
- They look on the bright side
- They value music
- They unplug
- They get spiritual
- They make exercise a priority
- They get outside
- They sleep
- They laugh
- They walk the walk
As I read this list, I found myself agreeing with nearly every single point. It also made me think about a few additions I would add to the list that contribute to my overall happiness on a regular basis:
- Owning a pet: You guys knew this was coming. Before I owned a dog, I didn’t really understand how people could be so crazy over their dogs. Now I totally get it. Sadie makes me laugh every single day and she truly is part of our family. I’m also fairly certain that even if we saw Sadie as “just a dog,” she wouldn’t tolerate this and would wiggle her way onto our laps every single night until we viewed her as a family member.
- Reading: Reading is something that calms me down and transports me to another world. If I’m stressed out, curling up with a book at the end of the day is a great way for me to relax and get lost in a story.
- Appreciate time with my husband: Since I’ve started working in the evenings at work a few days a week, I’m beginning to value my nights at home with Ryan even more. I’m so grateful that I have a husband who makes me feel supported and adored every single day. Of course we both have our “off days” on occasion but we make it a point to get outside and spend uninterrupted time together nearly every day. It’s always a highlight!
- Schedule time with faraway friends: I feel lucky that the plethora of weddings we had on our calendar this year have allowed me to stay connected to my long-term friends who live far away, but now that wedding season is over, we’re still trying to make it a point to plan events (Friendsgiving!) or special visits (SantaCon!) so we can all stay connected and spend time together in person. I value my friendships with my college and high school friends so much and will gladly save money in other areas so we can travel and be together when all of our schedules align.
- Connect with family: Ryan and I recognize how lucky we are to live within two hours of our families and we try to spend time with them regularly and keep communication constant. Regular phone calls, text messages (I really need to do a blog post dedicated to Ryan’s dad’s texts because they are the best) and visits are a priority for both of us. I’m already counting down the days until Thanksgiving with my in-laws!
Question of the Morning
- What habits in your life regularly contribute to your happiness?
In addition to the bullets listed above, being outside, surrounding myself with positive people, attending church, leading my LiveSTRONG group, jamming to upbeat music on Pandora, exercising and truly believing that everything will always work out for the best are key factors that contribute to my overall happiness.
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I live close to my family and, for me, that’s key to being happy. I love being able to drive over for spur-of-the-moment dinners and be there for special events and birthdays. I’m loving the thankful November movement I’m seeing on Facebook this year – with each day people posting something they are thankful for. Sometimes we focus too much on what we don’t have, haven’t done, or things that aren’t going right. But each of us has so much to be thankful for.
I’m also thankful for my fiance – we met on Thanksgiving day – if that’s not reason to be doubly thankful, I don’t know what is! 🙂
Congratulations on your engagement!!! <3
Awesome post! My dog definitely contributes to my happiness too! I love to read and exercise and spend quality time with those I love too!
Acting happy! Loved the happiness project! So hard to remember all the good tips though! Smiling a lot is a good one!
I love quality time with Christian! He’s a busy guy so our schedules don’t always mesh perfectly. It just makes the time I DO have with him even better! I’m also a happy camper when I bake- if I’m ever in a bad mood or grumpy, all I have to do is decorate a cookie and I’m all smiles again. If only it will always be that easy! 😉
CRAZY! i also happened to do a post about happy habits today 🙂 great minds think alike. LOVE yours!
Twins!!!
This sounds silly, but putting effort into making yourself presentable. Taking a shower, putting on regular clothes, make-up, etc. immediately makes me feel a little happier! Also, eating something chocolate, everyday single day, and being 100% okay with it! And yoga.
Not crazy at all. I should do that more often! 🙂
To connect with family is one of the best things on earth! They can make you so happy in so little time. Not pretending to be perfect, but enjoying the opportunity of having them close to you, that’s extra special. I think that the little things in life, like an unplanned night out, can make anyone happy. Also I agree with you in every point, family, friends, love, exercising, being positive! 🙂 We need to look for the simple things that made ourselves as well as our days and life better!
As a Life Coach (and blogger) I created an e-book on discovering your personal values. This helps identify what fulfills you and makes you happy. If anyone wants to do it is is on my web-site for free at http://www.fabinyour40s.com/Discovering_You.html.
I teach this in workshops and it’s always eye-opening. Love to hear from you if you do go thru the excerise.
I love spending time with my husband! We’re both in school and work full time so even if it’s grocery shopping we take advantage of the time we have together. Exercising is also a major factor to my happiness..love those endorphins!
I just did a similiar post a couple of weeks ago! The one thing that kept coming up was to have gratitude to be happier. I think all of the ones you mentioned are super important, too!
A habit that makes me happy everyday is to always get my ME time…usually in the form of going to the gym/run/walk. Lately I’ve also been emphasizing GRATITUDE-so much to be thankful for yet so many things are overlooked in the hustle and bustle of the days.
Thank you for posting the habits of happy people today! Spending time with my family, my boyfriend, my pet and exercise always make me happy 🙂
Great post! The main things that keep me happy are my faith, my husband, friends + family, and teaching yoga. 🙂 It’s so good to check in on what’s most important every now and then 🙂 Thanksgiving is a perfect time to do it! Thanks for this reminder! 🙂
Spending time in God’s word definitely uplifts me and helps me make it through the day. Time spent with my sorority sisters is always a full of laughter and fun, but at the same time I can have those serious conversations with them. My friends make my life so full of joy and I love spending time with them whether it’s at sorority programming, at home watching a movie, or a night out! Exercise and eating both make me happy too! Great list!
Those things always make me ridiculously happy too…time with my long-time girlfriends, QT with my husband, and my puppies. Also spending time with my family and being there for my nieces and nephew’s events!
I was just thinking the other day how much I enjoy your posts because your are so stinking happy all the time. 🙂 no doubt that some of us could use a little more of that in our lives and this is a good reminder. For me, when I get over stressed and frustrated about things that don’t matter that much, I try to tell myself that. As my sister in law would say, it’s small potatoes. There’s no use in stressing about that stuff.
“It’s small potatoes” – I love that! I say something similar to myself when things start to bother me. “Will this even matter in a week? In a month? In a year?”
there is NOTHING better than having a dog as part of the family. if you own a dog, you understand “this” feeling.
Love this, I consider myself a happy person and found myself agreeing with everything too! I definitely agree that owning a pet is a must, I can’t imagine life without my little fur baby!
I would say the things that bring me the most happiness are time with my husband and running. My husband is in his last year of medical school and while we are finding more time to be together now, I know when residency begins we will see each other much less so I am trying to take advantage of the time together!
I did the lean legs workout this morning too before a cycling class! Thanks so much for the recommendation on the Nike Training App – it’s great!
My dog, familly, friends, reading, achieving a craft project, exercising (although I’ve been on a break lately), CLEANING -as in living in a clean house makes me happy-, shopping also makes me really happy, especially when I make some good deals.
Excellent post. Sometimes we forget that it’s the smallest things that bring happiness. I agree 100% with you on the dog part too! Surrounding yourself with positive people is key and that’s why I love reading your blog everyday!
Exercising and listening to good music definitely keep me a happy person! 🙂
Mine would be eating a diet higher in healthy fats, sleep, exercise and practicing gratitude.
I’m a big time worrier especially when they are situations out of our control. My Mr always reminds me to have faith because in the toughest of times (deaths excluded because let’s face it, there’s no bright side when people leave your life way before their time) that we’ve always been okay or stronger for it. I try to stress just a little less than usual because we are financially prepared for the worse and mentally expecting the best can only help calm me down and make me happier!
spending time with my nephew always makes me happy, he finds pleasure in the simplest things and is so silly, you can’t not laugh. Another thing that makes me happy in the fall is taking walks or hikes and breathing in the fall air, looking at the colors changing on trees, and knowing holidays spent with family and friends are right around the corner!
Totally agree with the get a pet! My dogs are my babies and make me happy (and not feel lonely during the day when I am home working)!
Hope to see you at wine and dine on Saturday, I’m not doing the 5k but we need to meet up pre race for the half. I will have my phone, tweet me! @HeathersLG
One key thing for my happiness is practicing gratitude daily, and remaining present. I can get so caught up in worrying about the future and over thinking the past that I let life pass me by. Consciously trying to remain in the present moment and taking time each day to focus on the things in my life that I am thankful for helps me to alleviate stress in my life and be happy.
I was always a dog lover, but before I got Elmo I was so annoyed with other people’s pets trying to jump on my lap and give kisses. Now, I ENCOURAGE it. It’s so weird how your perspective completely does a 180. I couldn’t imagine life without him!
I tried the Nike App after reading your review of it. OH MY GOODNESS! I about collapsed after doing one of the Get Lean workouts! I love this app, perfect when you are in a workout rut!
Love this list! Definitely spending time with friends and family makes me the most happy. Reading, blogging, Zumba and baking are also near the top of the list too.
I completely agree about owning a pet. I can’t imagine how people live without them! It’s amazing how the little things they do make you feel so happy inside 🙂
Thank you for posting this! I agree with all the things listed.. And I have to agree that owning a dog ( or two in my case) makes me happy everyday! They get excited over the little things in life and remind me to do the same. I also love reading your blog because it is upbeat and you always seem so positive!
Such a great topic! Key for me is: WORKOUT REGULARLY – endorphins, baby! EAT HEALTHILY – affects my mood for sure! WALK MY DOG – gets me outside and he’s just so cute! QT with FRIENDS AND FAM – laugh, make memories, enjoy each other’s company, have FUN!
The things I learn in yoga always pertain to my whole life- breathing, staying in the moment and being grateful <3
Everyday things can get in the way of what makes me most happy- being with my husband and baby.
Love this. I think a key/often overlooked habit is trying to be happy! Just finished The Happiness Project and developed my own daily and monthly life checklists to increase my life satisfaction/happiness. I posted about it on my blog here if you’re interested 🙂 http://eathardworkhard.blogspot.com/2013/11/morevember-daily-and-monthly-life.html
Great post! I’d say self-love is the number one thing that contributes to my happiness. Taking care of myself, doing my nails, hot showers, working out… 🙂
The one consistent habit throughout my week is cooking dinner for myself and my boyfriend. We have hectic schedules but every night we are sure to spend time in the kitchen talking about our day.
Hi Julie! I loved your post today! This is so true! It’s the simple things that make our lives better and happier! I also owned a beautiful dog; however, she passed away last January after almost 14 happy years with my family (she lived with my parents). I was devastated, I couldn’t even look at German Shepherds because I would start crying uncontrolably. Nevertheless, as they say, the time heals everything and my husband and I will be getting a pup next month! Obviously, my first dog will always be in my heart, but I’m really looking forward to get this little munchkin with us (she was born last week, so we have to wait for 8 weeks now to get her). So yah, thanks for a beatiful post full of positivity and happiness! xoxo
I completely agree! No need to dwell on the bad, what’s the point?!
I am lucky to live in the same town as my family & while I don’t have kids of my own, I’ve gotten to watch my niece & nephew grow up. I spend a ton of time with them & they keep me laughing constantly. Their dog (big German Shepherd named Bogart) always makes me happy. he’s everyone’s favorite family member. Having a bad day? Go see Bo & he’ll make you forget it.
My daughter for sure would be added to the list and following your dreams!! I went back to school 2 years ago and although it was completely nerve-racking, I knew it would help me get where I wanted to be!
I love this! This will kind of sound like I’m tooting my own horn or something but people are constantly saying how happy I am all the time, that I’m a ‘ray of sunshine’ and ‘don’t you ever have a bad day?!?” OF COURSE I DO! Doesn’t’ everyone?! But just because my morning got off on the wrong foot, or whatever else is going on in my life, doesn’t mean I need to take it out on everyone else. I think it’s important to choose to be happy and to look on the bright side of life. You can always find someone who is worse off than you. One of my favorite quotes that I think goes along with this post is: “Be kinder than necessary- for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle”. I really try to live my life with this in mind and I think it keeps me in the right frame of mind most of the time. 🙂
PS. Couldn’t agree more with being a pet owner = happiness!!! LOVE my pup!!
I would agree with all of yours, especially about owning a pet! My pets always bring a smile to my face, no matter what kind of day I’ve had. I also pay attention to all the little things that make life great. You don’t have to have major amazing things happen to feel like you have a fulfilling life. Sometimes just sipping coffee on the back deck with the dog and a nice breeze can make my day awesome!
Great post Julie!
For me its also important to limit worry. We all worry and its so easy to do. I read somewhere that worry doesn’t make the future easier, just the present harder. I try everyday to remind myself not to worry because like you said; you have to truly believe that everything will work out the way its meant to:-)
i love your list! as cheesy as it sounds, it actually made me happy when reading it 🙂 i completely agree – my dogs bring so much joy into my life. my daily walks around my neighborhood, home cooked meals, hot coffee, reading on the couch (preferably in pajamas ;)), and family time also top my list!
Love this post Julie! Whenever I start to feel stressed or unhappy I take a step back and figure out when those feelings began and if there is a specific person, event, habit, or something else that’s bringing me down. Usually I can pinpoint what’s toxic in my life and adjust it or get rid of it all together. It’s kind of like defragmenting your computer…get rid of all the spam files and BS you don’t need anymore!! (nerdy, I know)
I agree with that list too and yours as well. My dog and baby also contribute everyday to my happiness. I also think people have a choice to be happy. Some of the happiest people I’ve met aren’t the ones with the most things or live in the best place, but they are genuinely appreciative for everything they have and enjoy life.
Great post! My cat (even though I’m a dog person, we don’t own a dog…yet) makes me SO happy. I still get excited to see him every day and get this wave of happiness when he curls up with me or wants to play. And my husband is absolutely the number one influence on my happiness. Being with him, talking to him, even just thinking about him makes my life feel full of joy. I used to think it was “bad” to let some outside force/person influence my happiness so much, but it sounds like a lot of other people agree that their family, friends, pets, and significant others impact their happiness, too!
I read that article a few weeks ago and loved it so much that I printed it out! I think it is all so true. Something else that makes me very happy is watching heartfelt real videos online — sometimes you just need a good pick me up and they remind you that there are really good people in the world! Like this one: http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/lion-forms-unusually-close-bond-with-conservationists/
I love this! I have been struggling with discontentment a lot lately, so it is a great reminder that happiness is intentional and won’t just fall into my lap some day!
Working out truly used to feel like a burden, but after I got into the swing of things it is truly a great feeling to get into the gym (especially early in the morning when I’m the only one there) and have a little alone time! I also feel happier when I spend time in the Bible in the mornings!
Thanks for sharing! 🙂