Guest Post Sunday: The 5 Ways To Happiness by Maggie (Dreaming Of Guatemala)

Dear readers,

This Sunday I bring you a post by one of my favorite bloggers and a dear blogger friend, Maggie, who blogs over at Dreaming of Guatemala.

If you don’t already know her, take this chance to stop by her wonderful blog. She writes about her faith, her family (she’s a proud big sister of 3), her Spanish studies (she’s learning on her own!) and her daily accomplishments, among a few other subjects. I’m so happy that she has agreed to guest post for me and she has come up with such an amazing and helpful post about positivity, something we all need to focus on.

The 5 Ways to Happiness 

Hi everyone! I’d like to start by saying thank you to Cheila for this awesome opportunity to guest post on her blog! It was so kind of her to think of me, and I’m really excited to get into this. ❤

Alright, so today, I’m going to be talking about positivity! Sometimes, it’s so hard to stay happy and positive, no matter what’s going on in life. Whether everything’s fine, or we’re having a tough time dealing with everything that comes our way, there are times when we need an extra positivity boost. I’ll have days where it simply takes an inspirational post or quote to get me back on track! That’s why I’d like to share my happiness tips with all of you. I have compiled together things that I recommend to you when you’re feeling down and need some encouragement, as well as things I do myself when I need more happiness in my own life. Feel free to sit back and enjoy!

1. Figure out what is causing you to feel down. If you can do something about it, then by all means, do your best to change it! Sometimes, we don’t even realize what we’re doing to ourselves. For example, I’ll end up feeling awful on occasion simply because I’m dehydrated. By just drinking water, I’m instantly feeling better.
2. Take some time for yourself, or seek out others. Depending on what is affecting you in your life at this moment, I know that one of those choices will help you; the other one will make it worse. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, or worn out from a long day, I enjoy relaxing in my room. This usually consists of watching YouTube, working on a blog post, catching up on blogs, and maybe read a book, too. Being around others, while enjoyable to me, isn’t what fixes my tiredness or weariness. Now, on the other hand, if I’m upset about something, I much prefer spending time with my family, because even if they don’t understand what I’m going through, it’s definitely a nice distraction. I also enjoy talking to the awesome bloggers I know, as that always helps get my mind off of what’s upsetting me.
3. Reach out to others. Sometimes, telling my loved ones what’s bothering me is the last thing I want to do, but it is the most therapeutic thing of all. Do you know why that is? Because they will either comfort you as best they can, or completely surprise you by saying they’ve been through something similar! It is so comforting to know that you’re not alone in feeling a certain way. We tend to feel like we’re alone in our struggles, which doesn’t turn out to be the case at all! Share how you’re feeling with your family, or write a post about it on your blog. Someone will eventually be able to relate with you and comfort you.
4. Focus on the good. I’ve found that, no matter how bad it gets, there is always something to be thankful for. Counting your blessings really does something for your heart. Being able to step back and see that there is still so much beauty in your life is a huge encouragement – at least to me!
5. Be happy with yourself. This one may sound strange, but it’s true. If you aren’t accepting and taking care of yourself the way you are, imperfections and all, it’s hard to be joyful. I’ve had days where the moment I let go of the insecurity I feel about different things about me, I’m quickly able to find the ability to be happy again.

Happiness isn’t an outside force, or something that can be caught and bottled up – it starts right inside of you. Once you can accept yourself, as well as the ones you love, and learn to be okay with anything life throws your way, you will find beauty everywhere you look.