I am often asked, “How do you stay so happy all the time?” Well the short answer is, “I don’t.” We all have times that involve “unhappy” emotions including sadness, despair, frustration or anger just to name a few. Life is full of cycles. Feeling the full range of emotions as you go through life is part of being human. No one is happy ALL of the time. The difference between “happy” people and people who are not happy is that “happy” people recognize that happiness is a choice. While we may feel sad or depressed, happy people choose not to set up camp and put down roots in that unhappy state, marinating in those unhappy emotions. It is not always easy but it is possible to move through tough times with a smile on your face.
When feeling unhappy emotions acknowledge them and even embrace these emotions, but set a limit. It is not going to help to ignore or deny how you are feeling. We must acknowledge the emotion and experience the related feelings that go with it in order to move through that emotion. However, also set a limit for yourself. Be it 10 minutes or an evening depending on the magnitude of the upset, only allow yourself to wallow in unhappiness for a set period. This does require you to exercise your willpower and to recognize that you are in charge of your emotions, not the other way around. When it is time to take control and move out of an unhappy state try the following hacks to shift back into a happy state of mind and allow the unhappy emotion to pass.
