10 Painfully Obvious Ways to Make Your Day a Little Better

Statistics show that 100% of people have been unhappy at least one time in their life. (This is an assumed statistic. Do not cite in scholarly essays or intellectual parlors.)

On any given day, when you find yourself a little bluer than you would like try a few of these nifty tricks to shake off those miscellaneous moods.

1. Let go of some grudges

Forgive your roommate for getting that sangria stain on your favorite pair of linen overalls. You just have to let it go. There are other overalls out there. None as cool as the pair your roommate desecrated, but I am sure there are others.

2. Go by a daily routine

Wake up. Contemplate exercising. Eat breakfast. Put off exercising for later. Watch some old Boy Meets World episodes. Google where the Boy Meets World cast is now. Take a nap. Put on work out clothes. Late lunch. Watch one more episode of Boy Meets World. Watch five more episode of Boy Meets World. Put on running shoes. Accidently fall asleep. Wake up unsure of where you are. Gain geographic baring. Eat dinner. Take walk to get frozen yogurt. Decide the fro-yo walk counts as enough physical exertion for the day. Go to bed.**

3. Take rejection as time to develop a necessary skill

Don’t take rejection as a full-frontal assault on your person, but the possibility for self-discovery and friendly sympathy.

4. Find a strong group of friends

Gore Vidal once said, “Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.” Jealousy is natural, but it is a shade of green that is unflattering on everyone, especially when worn too long (even those with an olive complexion). So, just be happy that you keep such great company.

5. Finish what you start, and don’t start something you know you can’t finish

Jigsaw puzzles. Cleaning the garage. Matrimony. Whatever it may be. It is important to challenge yourself, but is also good to know your limits.

6. Let yourself experience a wide array of emotions.

In a 24 hour period, stretch yourself and try to experience at least five of these: sadness, joy, fear, anxiety, arousal, nausea, martyrdom, incarceration, hope, desire, forgetfulness, happiness, grief, jealously, longitude, exhaustion, haplessness, yearning, disappointment, inspiration and smiling.

7. Find an extracurricular you love to do

Statistics show that over 80% of people are unhappy with their jobs, which is exactly why I make the unintentionally conscious decision to be unemployed. Even if your 9 to 5 doesn’t quite float your boat, find an enjoyable hobby like journaling or boat building.

8. Be conscious of the way you spend your time

“Fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.” This does not mean that you have to actually run for a full minute (you’re not Superman), but try and use your time and skills advantageously.

9. Avoid social comparison

So the guy next to you in the coffee shop may be reading War and Peace and drinking a cappuccinowhile you are online shopping for a new pair of linen overalls, sipping on a hot chocolate with extra whip cream, but that does not mean you should feel intellectually inferior. But maybe once you’re done with the hot chocolate try out some Hemmingway or Kafka or Suess.

10. Smile at someone that you do not know

My great-grandpa used to say, “Always smile at someone because it may the only one they get all day.” He was a pretty smart guy.

Have a great day!!

Featured image via fanpop.com.

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