Happiness During Quarantine
During quarantine, I have found myself thinking about happiness more frequently. Two questions I have been pondering are “what can I do to stay happy” and “is it okay to feel happy”. Let’s dive into these more deeply.
What Can I Do To Stay Happy
The #1 thing I have found to work for myself is to get excited about things that are happening in the near future. It’s been difficult for me to think too far ahead because our world is filled with so much uncertainty right now. Because of this, I avoid thinking about future plans (ie: a vacation, birthday celebrations, or anything that is more than a few days away).
Not planning ahead is very unlike me. I am typically all about having my calendar filled in with plans for the upcoming weeks and months - just ask my husband, Oakley! However, during this time in life, planning ahead is more likely to lead me to feeling anxious and sad.
So, instead of planning ahead for upcoming weeks and months, I am focusing on the 2-3 days immediately in front of me! Ask yourself - “What can I do tomorrow that I can start looking forward to right now?”. Here are some ideas:
start a journal
call a friend
wine + cheese night
do an art project
read a book
bike ride
movie + popcorn night
buy a new board game
cook or bake a new recipe
plant flowers
Is It Okay To Feel Happy
The short answer: Yes.
The long answer: Yes, without a shadow of a doubt! Yes, 1,000,000%! Yes, absolutely positively, yes! YES, YES YES!!
Here’s why.
More than ever, in this season of life, we need to be taking care of ourselves. We are able to love and support those around us BETTER when we are feeling our best (keeping in mind that “best” is a relative term).
This is a topic that we discuss in Think Happy:
When you love yourself first, you are able to love others better. Think about that for a minute. I once heard an analogy that has stuck with me: Imagine your life is an empty coffee mug and your love is a full pot of coffee. When you pour the coffee, your mug starts to fill up. This is you filling yourself with love. When the cup is full, keep pouring the coffee—keep pouring out love. Now the coffee is spilling out of the cup, starting to pool on the table and drip on the floor. It’s literally going everywhere (what a mess, right?!)! This is how huge of an impact your love can have on those around you! But, the key is to fill your own cup first.
So, yes. It is okay to find happiness during this scary, uncertain, sad time. Find ways to keep yourself feeling happy so you can show up as the best version of you for those in your life.