5 Habits to Becoming a Happier Person

Many people feel extremely motivated to becoming happier. Achieving happiness can be simple: it just requires commitment.
5 Habits to Becoming a Happier Person

Last update: 17 November, 2020

We’re all interested in being and becoming happier. Professionals define happiness as a state of well-being. Now, is happiness difficult to achieve and how is it achieved?

In general terms, most people know the series of habits that can positively influence their emotional well-being. These habits include regular physical exercise, social contact, and a healthy and balanced diet. However, in addition, cultivating happiness also requires a change of perception.

Positive habits such as exercise can also improve athletic performance. People who are happier are also more self-confident and motivated to push themselves to reach their goals.

As you can see there’s a very close relationship between healthy habits and happiness. Read along to find out more.

Become happier: practice gratitude and forgiveness exercises

The first step to being a happier person is to be at peace with yourself and others. Negative emotions such as resentment and mistrust prevent people from forming a new perspective on life.

Forgiveness is also very therapeutic and liberating. When you forgive you’re able to heal and free to commence a new stage without hindrances. W e all deserve to be forgiven, no matter how many mistakes we make.

Set aside time in the day to do the things you enjoy

group workout

The stress of daily life can make it difficult to find a moment in the day to enjoy your hobbies. Most people think that hobbies are only for the weekend, however, that isn’t the case.

Spending time enjoying hobbies is a form of mental disconnection. It’s also a way to fulfill yourself.

Organization and planning are key if you’d like enough time to enjoy your hobbies. Establish a schedule with the tasks that you need to carry out during the day. This will help to prevent you from wasting time during the day.

Become happier: practice sports with others

Physical activity is always healthy regardless of whether it’s practiced alone or with others. However, exercising with others can bring along numerous additional benefits.

Exercising with someone else is the perfect excuse to get together with friends. In addition, exercising with others can also positively influence performance. This increase in performance in the presence of other people is known as social facilitation.

Learn to say “no” in order to be happier

Sometimes wanting to help people can be confused with subordinating your own needs to the wishes and whims of others. There’s nothing wrong with helping people. Helping people can be important when it comes to forging social bonds. However, the problem arises when you’re incapable of setting boundaries.

It’s important to have boundaries. Having boundaries promotes self-sufficiency. Therefore, it’s important to learn how to assertively say, “No”! Especially when a person’s interests conflict with your own.

Try new and enriching experiences

Many people try to obtain happiness by searching for material things such as money and luxury. These items can bring instant pleasure, however, they won’t foment a lasting state of well-being.

woman hiking

Engaging in new experiences is a way to open your mind. New experiences will help you adopt a new perspective on life. Volunteering, learning a new skill, or traveling are just a few examples of activities that can help you to gain a new perspective on life.

In addition to making you feel happier, these activities will also increase autonomy and self-confidence. After all, there’s nothing more comforting than feeling that you’re capable of overcoming your challenges.

These habits are easier to incorporate than you think

Happiness is available to anyone who is willing to introduce these simple habits to their routine. Cultivating happiness is more mental than physical. That’s why most of the habits that are needed to become a happier person have to do with changing your perspective and not the environment that surrounds you.

Lastly, it’s important to note that being happier doesn’t mean that you’ll never feel sad. Happier people also experience negative emotions and that isn’t a problem. All emotions have a specific function that helps us to adapt to diverse situations. Happiness isn’t an emotion, rather, it’s a state of well-being and motivation.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Ruiz, Y. (2011). La Influencia de la Facilitación Social en el Trabajo en Grupo en la Escuela. Andalucía, España: Revista Temas para la Educación.
  • Clark, Andrew Eric, Happiness, Habits and High Rank: Comparisons in Economic and Social Life (May 2012). SOEPpaper No. 452, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2131154 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2131154

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.