Purpose.

We all have happiness, it's just hard to see it past all the other stuff we got going on in our heads.

For me:

1. Set goals
2. Accomplish those goals

That’s what gives me the best feedback. The more realistic goals I set and the more often I accomplish them, the better I feel. Bonus points for setting “due dates” for bigger goals and seeing if you can meet your own deadline.

By remembering and being fully aware of who you are in this world ... by being grateful for the good fortune you had by being born in the situation and family you have now.

You could have been born in an African village and lived for a year before dying of something. You could have been born in the slums of Mumbai. You could have been born in Gaza. You could also remove the time constraint and you could have been born a peasant in medieval Europe.

Out of all the billions of human lives that have existed so far, there are many that were born during this time but only a small percentage of them were lucky enough to be born in a family with wealth and privilege enough to enjoy the modern technologies we've created so far.

I am lucky, you are lucky and anyone who is able to read this is lucky to have been born at this time to enjoy this online chat.

Remember where you are in this world and this time. As unhappy as you think you might be, there are millions of people that wish they could have the life you have now.

Be happy because you are a winner of the cosmic lottery of existence.

• Take time off from social media once in a while, or at least avoid doomscrolling all day. Bad stories generate FAR more engagement than good stories, and every form of media knows this. If 100,000 people in your area have an average-to-good day and 5 people have terrible days, all 5 stories presented to you will detail how things are in your area are terrible.

• Physical health affects mental health and vice versa. Eat healthy (or healthier). Stay hydrated. Get 7-9 hours of sleep regularly and use sleep hygeine. Get 90+ minutes of exercise (anything that raises your heartrate) a week which is like 15 minutes/day. Don't worry about doing it all immediately - if you try to change everything at once you're more likely to get overwhelmed and burn out. It's way better to make slow, sustainable changes over months than it is to do a difficult crash course for a short time and get fed up with the process.

• Do thankfulness exercises. When I go to bed at night I think of 3 things I'm thankful for in the day. On average or bad days it may be that I wasn't in constant/chronic pain, that I got to eat and drink, and that I'm in a safe place and a soft bed. Just remembering those basics (that many of us take for granted) helps keep me aware of good things in my life.

• Find ways to enjoy hobbies that require participation - arts, sports, board/video games, whatever. Just something other than passively taking in TV/online media. This will help you feel engaged and double points if it's something that allows for improvement because you'll feel rewarded as you get better.

It's simple, really. Just don't search for it. Cherish the little things

Find an IRL community that means something to you. You have to feel like you belong somewhere, and people need a support group to help when they're down. You can't feel happy if you're lonely.

I buy my wife matching undies and bras.

It's fun for me, she appreciates the new clothes and I pick out what I want to see her in / out of.

Win win.

Good friends, core friends. Good memories. Doing good things, helping. Toss in a cup of stability and a couple hobbies. If you’re practicing or just recently discovered practicing adhd, another dozen hobbies and a therapist/counselor.

smells are effervescent and seem to be very impactful.... anecdotal evidence only

I recently asked a friend of mine something similar and i will add it here for the sake of discussion.

We need to fulfill our basic needs in order to be happy and content with life. There are 3 basic/main categories:

1: bodily needs: better diet, exercise etc. 2: mental needs: intellectual conversation/pondering, reading/writing a book, even playing some video games etc. 3: spiritual needs: religion/hope for a better time and better place

I would also add one more, 4: social needs: spending time with friends and family, doing something for the community, relationships and dating etc.

Since my friend and I are religious, 3 makes sense on its own. But you might need to think about what it means to you. Imo the most important part is having hope.

Personally for me, its 1 and 4 that i struggle the most with. And in the end, its okay to be wrong and try different things and formulas to find what works best for you.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes! You live and you learn!

I enjoy helping people. Making other people's lives better is the goal I set for myself, and I love it. I keep souvenirs as to remember people that I've helped.

I look around my house and just feel this sense of pride and peace knowing other people are happier now than how I found them

I remind myself "it's just life" and that "no one makes it out of life alive"

A tiny bit of nihilism goes a long way

When l don't worry about family, work, mortgage or the long list of chores I'm pushing in front of me.

I mostly listen to books during the commute, and play a few games when time allows it.

We don't

A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy.

Albert Einstein

I just bought a skateboard and I'm going to head to the skate park, alone. So I would say one tip (of many) is don't limit yourself to social stigmas and have fun!