I'm a very goal-oriented person. When I feel stressed about where I am in life or get frustrated that what I'm doing isn't worth doing, I make a list of my goals. At the top of my list every time is: "Be happy". With other goals, I am able to cross them out when I finish them and I'm able to build off of those to make other goals. But "Be happy" is on every list and I'm always trying to improve my life in order to be happier. Here are some ways that I've found have made me a happier person.
Help others for the sake of others
I feel like "help others" is at the top of the to do list in every self-help book or article. I've personally always thought this to be stupid. How would helping others help me? If you're helping others because you're looking to feel better about yourself, then it won't. If you're looking for something in return when you do something for someone else, then that won't make you happier; it will make you bitter.
Take time for yourself
Yes, it's important to do things for others, but it's okay to be selfish sometimes. How do you expect to be happy if all you're doing is spending your time trying to please other people? Also, school is important but your sanity is also important. Take a break: take a walk, read a book, do whatever you need to to relax and focus on yourself.
Find a hobby
This goes along with taking time for yourself. When you find something that you love doing, it makes it easier to escape when you need to. Feeling down? What a perfect time to write or play an instrument or go for a run or whatever it is that makes you feel better.
Find a job that you like... or one that you don't hate
One of the main things college kids complain about is work. Whether you're working in order to pay your tuition or just so that you can support your shopaholic tendencies, chances are you've had a job that you hate but had to keep. Of course we hate our jobs. We're in college. We work in fast food and retail, as checkout people and servers. Our jobs suck but being able to go to work and not want to die is probably the easiest way to be happier.
Get rid of toxic friends
Take an honest look at the people that you surround yourself with and ask yourself how you feel when you're with them. Do you dread hanging out with them? Do you pretend you don't see their texts when they ask you what you're doing? If so, it might be time to end your friendship. If that seems a little extreme, it's not. It may sound cliche but "life's too short" to hang out with people you hate.
Don't allow yourself to be the victim
If you don't like your life, change it. Stop crying about how hard your life is if you're doing nothing about it. If you can't change your life right now, which many of us can't because we're in college, change the way you see it. Ask yourself if this one bad test score or this breakup will be relevant in five years. If it won't be then move on. It's impossible to be happy when all of your focus is on what's going wrong. Suck it up, buttercup.
