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We all have ups and downs, and sometimes it can be really difficult to see the rainbow on the other side. Maybe life keeps throwing your lemons, maybe you're not feeling very well, or maybe it's just the every day stresses of life! For me personally, I find it very helpful to think of 10 Things I'm grateful for. What are some things you're grateful for?

Hi Anna, Like you I found this site on "accident," and am also new. I have been meditating for about a year, along with daily positive affirmations, but have never done journaling before. Do you journal after your meditation or at the end of the day? It's also interesting to learn you are taking a course in Positive Psychology through Coursera. I only thought Coursera offered academic and business courses. That is nice to know they offer much more than that. Welcome to this site and I hope you have a great day! David

I have a few other questions please: Where can I write a Meditation Journal Thread ? Where can I track down my daily progress of Meditation Thread ? Thanks alot!

I love the message in Sonja Lyubomirsky's research paper (and in her book The How of Happiness), which suggests that general life circumstances are only responsible for 10% of our base happiness level, whereas our actions (how we interact with the world) are responsible for 40%. (The other 50% is inherited in our genes.) While these figures may be a little optimistic, the message is clear - our happiness is not generally dictated by our external circumstances. I personally found that gratitude (learning to appreciate everything good in my life) has made me so much happier. By writing a daily gratitude journal for a week or two, where we write down at least three things we are grateful for each day, it helps us to focus on the good rather than the bad. And that is sooooo important. As the quote attributed to Einstein (which he probably never said) goes: “The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”

Fact. There are many people and services that would like us to think we are broken for many selfish reasons. If that's not hard enough, those feelings also be addictive where they can become the only emotions we know. Perhaps better said we cling to our pain because we know nothing else. The good news is it does not have to be that way. We always have a choice and not one of those check boxes either where others make multiple choices and then tell us to pick one. Regarding shame, it’s not our fault the world be that way or it be as you just said. We live in a world that encourages others to cut people out of their lives whom feel ashamed and have low self-esteem because we drag them down. As a result, those kinds of people surround themselves with 'only' things that bring them bliss and joy. They also become addicted clinging to the only emotions they know. They tend to only write about things that make them feel joyful and happy whilst we tend to write about things that make us sad. Rarely do I read articles that are well balanced. Mostly because drugs and drama sells. The happy people only want to hear about happy things, whilst the sad people only want to hear about sad things. Each dynamic makes for popular songs, poems, articles and the like. Movies follow that same pattern although somewhat more deceptive. Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, happy, sad, up & down - woohoo - violence - villain & hero with whatever ideals weaved in-between. Such being the way peoples sting of cords are influenced to swing. Alas, we adopt the pattern of thinking that we must either become anyone of those characters in order to fit in or adopt the belief that we are just too broken and in need of a hero to come along and fix us. Your right about others having their own set of problems. Most don't answer because they are memorized by the same spell of which I speak. But that does not take away how it is that many of us feel so disconnected living in a world like that. That shame you talk about is also projected ... again not our fault. That said, it does not have to be a problem if only one or two take a stand and point that *&^% out. Just because the world is so unbalanced and jacked up on all that does not mean we have to wear it. That's the choice I am talking about. Please excuse my frustration coming out. Sometimes we got to let go of that as well, but helps not to hurt others in that process. Given the amount of articles on cutting others out is it any wonder so many of us walk on egg shells. Laughs out loud. Is a good practice to be mindful. Once you practice it long enough it kind of sticks and other areas of our life – up or down it does not discriminate. Sorry I use too many words. Is a complex world and the way we get sucked in is just as complex. Those are hard core feelings your talking about. Many of us have different circumstances but you can be sure there are many quiet ones out there too afraid and ashamed to find their voice. Good for you! I don't mean to dismiss your feelings by saying you got nothing to feel ashamed about because anyone living in this *&^%ed up being how I just described is understandable that so many of us are regularly cut out ... our reaching out going unanswered. Like I don't know the answers myself and or what you’re looking for. We are all at difference stages within what I call a game with a lot of messed up rules. Some people just want to continue with what they only know re clinging and all that and then others are having trouble letting go. I know I am a bit of both but with the inclination of working towards answers I have previously found that are hard to explain. The take away in that is its not easy to stay on track when we do let go of the pain. I'm probably not making much sense but is always nice to touch base with someone that sounds as if they know some of what I mean. I hear ya is all. A lot of people don't like me talking this way but you know what ... the more I write, the more I like me. Having said that though, I know it's not just about me which is why I cared to reply and reach out at all. Please don't feel ashamed because your taking time to acknowledge what's within. My advice would be we would do well not to dig deep holes we often dig keep it honest as well. Try to write more from your own perspective and not so much of someone else's. That's the other thing about today's digital world. Many of us have become mindless observers and repeaters. Lately I have been writing in an online journal. I kind of gave up on this space because it feels more like a single pick up joint where only the pretty little profile pics grabs people’s attention away from their phones. lol. Seems true enough if you take the time to look around. It's all pretty much base on external dynamics and only those who talk about bubbly things and or self-promoting with claims of being fixers but not posting much else. That said that core focus of this site seems to be based on some really great methods and one's that have helped me a lot. Those courses are finished now, but I guess it's good they have left the platform open for those few that can make real connections. Don't mind all those people, the crowed that leave so many feeling even more isolated simply by their presence. Is like how the city by for many living in it. You seem like a nice person and although I'm not basing that on your image of a green leaf - you spoke up about how you’re really feeling and did so very well. I don't much on most platforms because I struggle to use less than a thousand words. This post consisting of 1150 to be exact. Smiles – All good. If you read this, then you’re a real person and I think your awesome. Keep expressing as you feel best. Nice to of met you. Those that often say we have low-self-esteem don’t understand it’s more a case of how this world and others in it constantly let us down. I just wanted to say I think your awesome and glad you’re it. : ) ~ Dave.

Hey Maxxu - just letting you know I got your message and wanted to encourage you to try again. It sucks when making a post and it not going through. I'm confident in what I say but will leave a link to a space I just paid for where I will take up less space. I just want to reiterate what I said in PM by saying out here in the main, I think your going to make a great psychologist. 🙂 I'll check back in the event you manage to get a response through. If not all good. Just continue to use PM. I doubt my presence and essence will make many connections here. That's got nothing to do with self esteem. On the contrary ... more a case of how I feel very passionate in all that I say. I've pretty much reconciled with my family all round. It's out my front door and in society that most of my family are met with resistance. We do pretty good and utilize services in a effective way. Take care and all that ... really hope you get in a response before I go. I'll pm that link as well as leave in the mental health section. If this place had a journal sections I'd probably stay. Funny how the universe works. I kind of figured I'd just be passing through. 😉

Gratitude Journal and it's ok to repeat things day after day. My head, my eyes, my hand to the paper focusing to identify things that make me grateful. some of my fav's - air, sun, health, family members over and over again. Dinner plans tonight. Gas in my truck! it's endless and cleansing.

Let's see...... um I have been on forums for fitness many times. I am not a member of any other forums at this time. I love forums but they can be less than positive sometimes, and I ditched them. I found this site because I am reading "Happy For No Good Reason." Turned to my browser and types "happiness forum" and here I am. totally looking forward to learning, participating and contributing to "happy" HogTodd is because I ride Harleys with the HOGS every week, and it is one of my passions. I am the happiest guy I know. The reasons are endless. I keep a gratitude journal. my philosophy: "third is first." That makes God first, everyone else second and me third. Ever since I took that philosophy on, I have lived "first class." So, you see, 3rdis1st. That is all for now. Have a fantastic day!

Scientific insight 🤣🤣. Turning each disatisfaction into clarity. Not meditation however simply labeling the emotion I feel with a feelings list and seperating what I think from what I feel in a journal app. This contributes to my feelings of happiness.

I hope you know that bad days are part of living and we all have them...reaching out here can be a comfort I'm sure. I journal my feelings a lot and that helps me. I also work in a MH organization where we talk about our feelings and acknowledge bad days. It's a wonderful thing to be who we are and not be judged for it. I wish you comfort today ❤️

I journal digitally via audio recording almost daily.

Hey just be yourself try maintaining a gratitude journal and just write 3 things which you are grateful for that volunteer even be a cup of coffee u had in the morning life is easy don't complicate😇

Hello everyone, Today I'm going to share my personal experience of getting over a Breakup💔 I think many of you might be going through the similar processes in your life and you might find it helpful. So, my relationship started and was going very good. The relationship lasted for 2 and half years. I was so sure that he is THE ONE! He was emotionally available, very caring, in short, the MAN OF MY DREAM! I was ver certain that I was going to marry him, as he committed at the very start of the relationship. But then, he moved to another city. We both knew that this was going to happen, and Long Distance Relationships are difficult. But still, we promised to hold on to each other no matter what! But when he actually moved to another city, I noticed change in this behaviour. But I was trying to understand that, because he was in a new city, meeting new friends and exploring everything. But I used to be at home because of the Pandemic, waiting for his ONE REPLY! It was exausting for me, but I was still trying to understand. But after a few months, I told him that I feel ignored and he replied with "I don't know what to do". I asked this many times after that, but his reply was the same. And one day, he denied to reply to my 'I love you' message! That's when I knew that the relationship was about to end. But I still kept convincing myself until he stopped replying me. He used to be online all the time, but didn't reply me, or didn't even see my message. I was broken. I tried talking to my friends, but it didn't help. That's when I took help from ONLINE THERAPY. I was assigned a Qualified Therapist with messaging at any time and live sessions. They suggested me that it was the time to Stand up for myself! And I finally broke up with him. I was surprised that I didn't cry that day. I was actually feeling liberated. It's a very good feeling when you let go sometimes. But still, all my wounds were not healed. I took more help from ONLINE THERAPY. Used as there features like their Worksheets, Sections, Live Sessions, Messages, Journal, Yoga and Activity Plan. My counselor was very Sensitive, caring and able to understand my Problems. She suggested me that the only Love I needed that time, is my OWN LOVE! That's when I started the journey towards Self-Love. And I've never felt this Good before. I'm not exajurating it, but guys, Self-love can change your world completely! Self-love taught me to be compassionate about myself as well as to others. I'm very grateful that I had someone to speak to when I thought that No one could understand me! This is NOT a promotional post, and my own experience. I hope you all found this helpful. Also, don't forget to Love Yourself guys. And I really recommend you to checkout ONLINE THERAPY if you are going through any Mental Health Issue or Problems and more importantly, it's okay to Ask for Help when you need it, it will only benefit you 💕🤗

I walk my brothers dog or journal.

I had the book "Me and White Supremacy" already bought, but it is a tough piece of work like any form of sincere and honest personal transformation. So I have been tiptoeing around it for months. After the murder of George Floyd, I finally stopped reading bits and pieces and sat down writing my journal and doing the work. So if you feel shocked, angry, sad, horrified, guilty - any feeling that you can use to fuel action and you ask yourself what you can do now with that energy here are some tips that I compiled for myself. Ultimately you need to educate yourself, and this will be your journey. These are some starting points: Listen, learn, educate yourself: Listen to BIPOC voices. Some accounts I follow on Instagram are: , Layla F Saad, Light Watkins, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Lama Rod Owens, No white saviours I also support Aja Barber and Rachel Ricketts on Patreon. Work through "Me and White Supremacy" by Layla F Saad. This is a 28-day workbook. Not fast, not easy but truly transformative and necessary. Every Tuesday at 2 pm CET we are hosting a workgroup to talk about some chapters in the book and what came up for us. Donate. I chose a monthly donation, so it's also an ongoing financial commitment. Attend protests - while doing so please also make sure you keep the safety distance and wear a mask. The coronavirus is also still out there. In all of those cases first listen and learn, respect the places and spaces. Most of the pressing answers have already been answered and you'll get there with a bit of patience. That's what I can think of at the moment. Listen to the ones who have raised their voices like writers, activists and educators, be grateful for the work they've done to educate us and learn. As a team here on happiness.com, we talked about the urge to do something and also performative allyship, especially when the actions come from brands. So we decided that only the ones who want to will talk about what they honestly and wholeheartedly engage in. I ask you to do the same when commenting on this topic. Let's concentrate on real change instead of the "would have", "should have", "will" that only creates the illusion of doing something. How are you contributing?

I am also in real need of this and mine is Gratuity Journal (Gratitude, list, positivity journal) Tomorrows todo list Hair Teeth Face Outfit for tomorrow Fall asleep think about something that made you smile that day. And yeah I feel a lot better when I do these. Especially the outfit. That is to big a decision to make in the morning. And why don't I always do this, I don't know hot weather or boredom, surfing the net, laziness. It works well when I do though. I like to keep it pretty simple too.

Sometimes it helps to talk to other people around you when you feel like you have a lot to say to someone that you can't communicate with. It might also be helpful to write things down, like a letter, but in a journal, just to get it off your chest. I don't know the circumstances of your situation, but it is also important to remember that *you* also have so much light and love inside of you 💚

I loved the book that was used with my MBSR course, Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn and found it helpful. I have been studying soul traits using a couple of books for quite some time. The books we used were Every day holiness by Alan Morinis and Mussar yoga by Edith Brotman and Alan Morinis. Studying the traits has definitely changed my life. Each trait (patience, humility, equanimity and more), are practiced for a month with a group of participants who journal, practice, etc. between meetings. During the pandemic I completed beginner's yoga (230 hours) and now am in 300 hour training. Yoga is amazing tool. I am certified in meditation and various types of yoga. I'm a life long learner and curiosity breeds happiness for me.

I've been dealing with depression on and off, especially in these times! I read some article about practicing gratitude and writing a gratitude journal. It really helps me!

Hi Tyrell just wanted to say that you matter, you are special and you are not alone! When I am feeling anxious I like to plan a hiking or an outdoor activity, connecting with nature really bring me peace and root me again! Also I love cooking so making a special dinner just for myself is my way of self care! Always look inside, yoga and meditation, listen to calm music, write a journal and express what are you feeling at the moment! just express yourself and let it all out

Technically, every day is self-care day, but if you live a busy life, that's not always possible and we forget to take time for ourselves which often leads to stress, exhaustion and tension in the body. I've started doing something called self-care Sundays where every Sunday afternoon I take 2-4 hours completely for myself to do slow down, replenish my energy, and do something I love that makes me feel energised and relaxed. This includes either all or some of the following: Take a guilt-free nap Journal for at least 15 minutes Yoga or body stretches Hair mask Face mask Long bath with sea salts and dried flowers Eat a healthy dinner Read a few pages of my favourite book What are some of the things you do to unwind and reconnect with yourself?

Compassion ? This is a very interesting topic. I also want to develop compassion for myself and also for others. I learned from situations and life experiences. Compassion does not just happen, many values support it. From my experience, the foundation of that is a number of virtue values such as patience, openness and accepting things as they really are. Including also forgiving our shortcomings we have not been able to forgive. When I grab hold of something whether it is a situation, property, or relationship I usually suffer. Life is always changing, and letting go is another wisdom for the next step. I write a journal to experience and pick up values that emerge from it. Then, I found many positive things. May the best come to us all.

Hey Happiness folks, I just signed up and this is the first post I saw. Incredible how things just fall in your lap when you're open to seeing the opportunities. Anyway, I've been on a very frugal search for happiness myself and I come from the Hispanic culture in which mental health doesn't really exist. I've struggled with wanting religion in my life and I do connect to certain aspects of it but I just don't believe. I envy that sense of wholeness and I've tried to just "have faith" but try as I might my logical brain will not allow for it. I have religious friends and convos and I go to church and listen to K-Love. I simply replace the religious words with different ones. Faith would be, "fake it till you make it". Praying is more like "write in a journal" or "talk to yourself in the mirror". This post is long, so if you get what I'm trying to say or want clarification please let me know! And if you don't, just think of a happy thought that brings a genuine smile to your face. That's enough for me ?

I agree self care is so important daily, its hard sometimes I feel guilty with a never ending to do list . But I find slowing down is helping me feel so much better about myself. There is no rush to get chores done they will always be there. I find breaking up my day. Working in small chunks so helpful. Then I will relax with a good book, a puzzle , gardening, or going for a bike ride in nature, listening to uplifting music. Helps me recharge Instead of adding to your to do list, journal about all the things you've accomplished . Will make you see progress you've made and make you feel like your day has purpose and that you have achieved something no matter how low you are.

I journal daily I like to use the word focused meditation because I like to listen to podcasts and consider my writing channeling or going with the spiritual flow of thought streams that pop into my head as I'm listening to what I'm hearing.