It is believed that you don’t need a reason to be happy, you choose to be happy. Yes, you may not find yourself in a cherry situation, but you can choose to make the situation better than before. How can it be done? Here is a list of 22 activities that make you happy and feel good.

Activities That Make You Happy

1. Play Any Sport

Sometimes you feel like not doing anything and want to just lie on the bed the whole day. Why do we feel so? Are we bored, tired, or just lazy? 

Having a favorite sport can help you overcome this laziness. You just have to do one thing, spend some time in a sports activity. Be it Badminton, Cricket, Football, Basketball, or anything else. 

When we play, our body releases chemicals that boost our sense of well-being and suppress hormones that cause stress and anxiety.

Among the chemicals released are endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine neurotransmitters which are related to pain and depression emotions. Go out, play, and feel happy!

2. Cook A Meal

Have you ever tried cooking something new? If not, do try. It can be something your mom used to make, cold coffee (my favorite), or can be your favorite dish.

Research tells that spending time in the kitchen, and making food with your hands can ease stress and restlessness and enhance mindfulness.

Not only do cooking and baking improve moods, but the feeling of satisfaction also gained when seeing the end product naturally enhances happiness.

3. Talk To Your Old Friends

There are times when you haven’t talked to your old friend for months and then you hesitate to make the first move. Stop overthinking and just pick up the phone and dial up an old friend. 

Old/Childhood friends are one of the most comforting things in this world. They know you for a long time, they understand you, they know how you had been earlier.

Talking with them brings back the memories of the ‘Golden Times’ spent with them and it gives you a sense of belongingness and happiness that your friends still love you.

4. Spend Some Time In Nature

Nature can be the best friend of any Human Being. When God created us, he created nature beforehand as he knew who will be our best Buddy. 

Being in nature, or even viewing natural sceneries, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally.

It also contributes to your physical well-being, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. Make sure you do so atleast once a week.

5. Take A Short Trip

There are several times when you are so tired from daily activities that you need a break. 

Having a break from your everyday activities and going on a short trip, be it solo or with family or friends allows you some quiet time that helps you reconnect with your inner self without interruptions. 

You can take advantage of the peace to release your stress and tension and relax like never before

6. Watch Your Favourite Show

Favorite shows are like our best friends. We can watch them whenever we want and it gives us the same happiness and satisfaction as it used to give before.

It provides you with a sense of relaxation and good feelings. Watching your favorite show is very much about enjoying the present moment.

When you are watching it, no longer are you focused on being ‘productive’ or on the stresses of life. You’re just sitting back and enjoying.

7. Read A Book

When you read, you are not just reading a book but you are doing a mental exercise altogether. 

Reading puts our brains into a pleasurable trance-like state, similar to meditation, and it brings the same health benefits of deep relaxation and inner calm.

Regular readers sleep better, have lower stress levels, higher self-esteem, and lower rates of depression than non-readers.

8. Dance To Your Favourite Songs

You must have heard from many folks that “Dance your heart out”. Yes, most of us love it but have you ever thought what are the benefits of Dancing and how it makes you happy?

When we dance our brain releases endorphins, hormones that can trigger neurotransmitters that create a feeling of comfort, relaxation, fun, and power.

Music and dance do not only activate the sensory and motor circuits of our brain, but also the pleasure centers thereby giving us a sense of satisfaction and filling us with pure joy.

9. Go For An Adventure Activity

Adventure Activities fill you with thrill. Whenever you do an Adventure Activity, be it trekking, Rope Climbing, Climbing a Mountain, Bungee Jumping, or some roller castle ride.

It not only manifests you with a sense of happiness but also improves your health. And it leaves you with a lot of memories which you can always cherish. 

 10. Write A Journal

Writing your heart out is like having a conversation with oneself. Writing opens up an outlet to confess fears and worries without judgment.

Putting thoughts down on a piece of paper or in a journal has therapeutic benefits that include increased happiness and reduced stress.

It can also prove to be your best friend in need and partner in crime as you always have the backing of your pen and paper.

Read How To Start Journaling and Self-Love Journal Prompts

11. Listen To Your Favourite Songs

It is said that Music is our best healer. Whenever in doubt, you can head towards Music. When we listen to our favorite music.

It releases dopamine, known as the feel-good hormone, which activates our brain’s pleasure and reward system.

Music can have a positive, immediate impact on our mental state. Its fast tempos can psychologically and physiologically arouse us, helping energize us for the day.

12. Donate something

Donating is a selfless act, It makes us Happy, One of the major positive effects of donating something to charity is simply feeling good about giving.

Being able to give back to those in need helps you achieve a greater sense of personal satisfaction and growth, it feels good to help others

Biologically, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect.

 13. Visit an Orphanage/Old Age Home 

An Orphanage or an Old Age Home is a place that makes you feel privileged. After visiting an orphanage or an Old Age Home, you start appreciating the little things in life when you see people who don’t have them. 

Only at such times do you tide over the insignificant and immaterial things and appreciate the bigger picture

14. Do Some Gardening

Gardening is a very good physical activity for anyone, It can help stimulate your sense of touch, smell, and sight, which helps you boost your mental well-being.

It gives you a sense of life satisfaction and lifts your mood. Digging in the dirt lifts your spirits, 

The digging stirs up microbes in the soil. Inhaling these microbes can stimulate serotonin production, which can make you feel relaxed and happier.

Also, Reaping the fruits you saw is another satisfaction in itself.

15. Try Your Hands On Photography

Photography is one of those activities which can fill you up with motivation, The visual stimulation which we get from looking at the photographs and the satisfaction of knowing that we created these photos brings a lot of joy.

On a deeper level, satisfaction may come from being able to express ourselves. It also helps us recall happy times from the past.

Photos are a great memory prompt, and because we tend to take photos of happy occasions, they weight our memories to the good.

16. Watch Sunset or Sunrise

Sunrise or Sunset are amongst the most beautiful natural activity which takes place daily. When you stare at a breathtaking sunrise or sunset, you are allowing your brain to take a break from fretting over the past or worrying about the future.

Observing a sunrise or sunset is the same as practicing mindfulness. You can even turn it into a meditation by taking several deep breaths, relaxing your body, and calming your mind.

It has been proven that watching the sunrise or sunset gives you a better sense of gratitude for the earth.

When you are caught up in the natural beauty of the Earth, you rid yourself of any distractions and feel higher levels of satisfaction and gratitude for what’s happening in front of you.

Also, you will get some free Vitamin D!!!

17. Visit Your Local Market

A local market of any place contains within itself a lot of diversity in form of Art, Architecture, and Culture.

A visit to a local market is a great way to gain insight into the traditions and culture of a place. Despite the onslaught of the mall culture in various cities, the traditional markets still hold their own.

A visit to a local market is a great way to gain insight into the vibrancy of a city, It makes you feel aware of your city and fills you with a sense of pride in your city.

18. Do something creative 

Creativity is something that is linked directly with Happiness. Creativity comes when the mind is in total freedom. This total freedom comes when the mind is loved and not disciplined.

When you love yourself, the dopamine level in your body increases. Your mind feels free to think. And when free thinking happens, creativity happens.

So keep doing whatever you love, think, and feel. People report being happier and energized when they are engaged in everyday creative endeavors.

20. Make A Gratitude List

Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hope that it will make them happier.

Once you make a grateful list, you are thankful to your life for the things you have now. It increases positivity, when you take the time to focus and note down the good things in your life you naturally become more positive.

It also improves Self-Esteem, Reduces Stress, and helps you sleep better. 

20. Dress Up and Take Pictures.

Girls, this has to be our favorite! Dressing up is something which we all like to do. Do we really need an occasion to dress up? No! 

Dig your clothing space, and prepare one or more outfits that make you feel confident, powerful, and above all happy, because they trigger the release of feel-good hormones in your body.

Take pictures, post them on any social media, and get good comments from your well-wishers. It will not only help you light up your mood, but will also imbibe you with a sense of how beautiful you are.

21. Learn A New Skill

Learning a new skill is something that makes you happier. One of the things that people need to be happy is to be engaged in difficult but doable activities.

This brings an opportunity for you to become so absorbed in your task that time seems to stand still.

Also, we feel pleasant emotions such as contentment, pride, and joy when we learn something new. Our confidence grows and we perceive ourselves in a new way.

If you want to learn some digital skills, read, Skills To Learn Online For Free

 22. Read ‘Her Better Space’

And, since you are here. I am pretty sure that it would have brought a smile to your face. So, what are you waiting for?

Pick anything from the list and start doing it. We are the master of our own lives and we should live them to the fullest. So, a new and energetic day awaits you.

Enjoy it to the fullest and keep reading ‘Her Better Space’