Rediscover the joie de vivre – 6 tips for happiness

enjoyment of life
6 tips for more joy in everyday life

© Flamingo Images / Shutterstock

Not every day is a reason to cheer. At least most of them should be! What constitutes joie de vivre and how you can (re) find it – 6 tips for a happy attitude towards life.

Life is not always peace, joy, pancakes – of course! A bad day (or a bad phase) is simply part of it, the more we then appreciate the sunny side again.

Joy of life is undoubtedly felt subjectively and is closely linked to optimism, satisfaction and happiness. “What is happiness?” You will probably ask yourself now. The answer to this is just as different as people are different. Happiness is not only dependent on job and wealth, even if meaningful work and financial security are important factors. External circumstances play a role and can fuel the joy of life. However, a positive attitude towards yourself and your own attitude towards life contribute much more to your own happiness. Far too often we get angry with others or hold on to negative experiences – and all of this tarnishes our happiness and affects our joy of life.

How you can find joy in life again

If you don’t seem to be enjoying anything at the moment, you can try different methods to feel more zest for life again. Sometimes all you need is the right push! Here are 6 tips:

1. Stop the thought carousel

Our own thoughts can sometimes be real spoilsport. However, the compulsion to brood rarely leads to satisfaction in life. To get out of there, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What does this situation mean for me?
  • What I want?
  • What can I do?

2. Get rid of energy vampires

It is true that we have a lot in our own hands when it comes to our happiness and our joie de vivre, but not that we have to surround ourselves with people who are not good for us. That rob us of energy – and thus also the joie de vivre. This includes people who only pick the best and hold out their hand, but never give anything back, or the narcissists who see themselves as the center of the world and who are above all interested in themselves. But it is up to you whether you keep in touch – or not. (Tip: This is how you get rid of energy vampires!)


Signs you're dating an energy vampire: A couple about to kiss

3. Time for you

Always being there for others does not make anyone happy in the long run. Take time for yourself and do what’s good for you is. It doesn’t matter whether you want to browse through a book, take a short walk, treat yourself to a wellness weekend or simply say no to tasks and appointments.

4. Practice gratitude

A study came to the result that gratitude leads to fewer physical complaints and at the same time to more optimism and joy of life! The method was very simple: the test subjects kept a gratitude diary for several weeks. In it they wrote down what they were grateful for, ie they concentrated on positive things in their life and visualized them in the diary.

5. Set goals

Having a goal in mind can be extremely motivating and unleash unexpected strength. It doesn’t have to be saving the world, starting a professional goal (such as further training) or a hobby or getting better at one are just as good motivators. Here you will find tips for setting and achieving goals – and if you can’t think of anything, these tips will certainly help you get more curious.

6. Celebrate successes

Sometimes we find it difficult to be happy about successes. We think that luck was or that others have a larger share in the success and forget ourselves. It helps to be aware of your successes: Similar to a gratitude diary, you can (additionally) write a success diary. At the end of the day, write down your 5 personal achievements. It may be harder at first, but over time you will find that it becomes easier for you.

SOS tip for happiness

We are happy about the new job, the birth of the child or the graduation – and rightly so. The big milestones aren’t the only things we can be excited about. Little things can also bring us moments of happiness. Here you will find inspiration: 7 little things that make you happier and beautiful things that make us happy.

If you have the feeling that the dark clouds don’t want to disappear anymore and nothing brings you more joy, you should ask yourself whether there is more than one phase behind. You can find more information about depression here.

Do you have any tips for more zest for life? Then please share them in the Brigitte Community.