Be Happier Archives

Most of us want to be happier but we often forget that happiness is a choice. It’s about how you choose to view your life and the things that happen to you.

When it comes to positive emotions like happiness and love, there’s often an assumption that they should just happen to us. But it’s up to you to make choices to trigger feelings of happiness, joy and love.

Every emotion that you feel, whether it’s positive or negative, has a trigger. Most people intuitively know and accept the triggers for negative emotions – you feel sad when your best friend moves away or you might feel fear about having to speak in public.

So to be happier you need to activate the triggers that make you feel love, joy and happiness. I’ve curated a selection of blog posts with tips to inspire you to bring more happiness into your life.

Want to Know How to be Happy? Try These Tips

Do you want to know how to be happy?

The secret is simple: You must choose to be happy – because happiness is a choice. And you’re the only one in charge of your happiness.

Yep, you’re in charge of your happiness. Not your partner, mother, boss or best friend.

Being happy isn’t the absolute sum of how much good or bad happens to you. It’s how you choose to view your life and the things that happen to you. You can read my post about the key skills needed to cultivate more happiness here.

If you’re not feeling happy right […]

2021-08-27T04:13:35+00:00By Erin Olivo|Feel Better About Yourself, Be Happier, Wise Mind Living|Comments Off

What To Do When The Holidays Suck

It’s the most wonderful time of year…or is it? The truth is, for a lot of people the holidays suck.

The holiday season is one of the hardest times of the year for many of my clients. Pressures on finances and time, dwindling hours of sunlight (read about seasonal affective disorder here), overeating and drinking, and more time spent with family doesn’t always turn out to be festive.

This time of year can also bring up painful reminders or memories from the past, and sometimes all of this leads to sadness, anxiety and even depression.

If your reality […]

2021-08-27T04:13:35+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier|Comments Off

How A Gratitude List Will Make You Happier

When you hear the research about gratitude and how making a gratitude list improves your health, makes you feel more connected to others, and lifts your mood – are you skeptical?

How are you going to feel better just by making a list?

And do those psychologists actually think that this Pollyanna-attitude-thing is going to help when you’re really feeling crappy?

It may sound too good to be true, but I’m here to tell you it’s not.

Gratitude increases happiness and is a great antidote to many things, including anger and bitterness (read this post I wrote to learn more about […]

2021-08-27T04:13:35+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier, Wise Mind Living, Gratitude|Comments Off

7 Tips to Bring Positivity Into Your Life

Every day has something positive in it. Some days you just have to look a little harder. Here are seven things you can do to bring positivity and happiness into your life.

Write in a gratitude journal every day.

Make sure to be specific! A number of studies have found gratitude to be linked with positive emotions, and overall well-being and life satisfaction. And writing in your journal every day will help it to become a habit.

Listen to music that sounds the way you want to feel.

Research has shown that music activates the region of the brain that releases […]

2021-08-27T04:13:35+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier, Wise Mind Living, Gratitude|Comments Off

5 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Have you been hit by the winter blues?

The fun of the holidays are a distant memory, and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and predicted six more weeks of winter. These days it’s just cold, dark, and dreary.

One in five Americans suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression also known as the winter blues.

Even if you don’t meet the criteria for a diagnosis, most of us experience at least some of the symptoms: fatigue, less desire for socializing, and feeling down or blah.

It’s very important to be mindful about taking care of yourself if […]

2021-08-27T04:13:38+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier, Wise Mind Living, Depression|Comments Off

How to Make Resolutions That Last By Prioritizing Your Values

It’s a new year and that means you’re probably thinking about making resolutions.

Or you’re wondering how to keep your New Year’s resolutions. 92% of Americans who make resolutions don’t achieve their goals according to researchers at the University of Scranton.

You might want to lose weight or spend less or get organized—all good options if you consider the downside of change first (you can read more about that here).

But I have a Wise Mind Living […]

2021-08-27T04:13:38+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier, Wise Mind Living|Comments Off

How to Beat the Holiday Blues

The holiday season is in full swing. Anything that can hold a strand of lights is lit up. Christmas tunes are playing in the elevators. And your inbox is full of emails from retailers reminding you of all the gifts you need to buy.

It’s the time of year that also comes with an underlying message that you should be happy, merry and grateful.

But for many people, the holiday season is actually a difficult time of year and brings on the holiday blues.

There are plenty of things that can make you dread the holiday season. The grief over the […]

2021-08-27T04:13:38+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier, Wise Mind Living, Depression|Comments Off

The Best Ways to Cope With Negativity

Have you ever had one of those days where your exposure to negativity is overwhelming?

I had one this week. After a long day at the office, I turned on the evening news and heard about the shooting in Ottawa, the ongoing fear of the Ebola virus, and the continuing ISIS attacks.

Whew – sometimes it feels like the world is going crazy!

It’s hard to not let the negatives around us become negatives inside us. But you don’t have to let the bad news ruin your day or make you anxious.

Here are three tips to help you shake off the […]

2021-08-27T04:13:39+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier, Wise Mind Living, Anxiety Relief, Gratitude, Acceptance|Comments Off

Happiness is a Choice

I often tell my patients that happiness is a choice—it doesn’t just happen to some people and not happen to others.

Then I tell them about the difference between people who are happy and people who are unhappy. It has nothing to do with how much good stuff or bad stuff is going on in their lives.

At this point, I often get some push back or rolling of the eyes. You might even be rolling your eyes right now.

But I’m here to tell you it’s true, happiness really is a choice. It’s about how you choose to view your […]

2021-08-27T04:13:40+00:00By Erin Olivo|Be Happier, Wise Mind Living, Gratitude|Comments Off