Life hasn’t been easy for anyone over the past year. During a global pandemic, it’s easy to get caught up in feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and isolation. While perfectly normal, there are ways to combat the blues and restore your overall mental wellness and happiness. From reimagining your space at home to exploring the world safely and picking up new hobbies, read on for some idea of how you can find happiness again.
Happiness at Home
Because of the pandemic, many of us have had to give up normal routines like vacations, travel, and weekend getaways. For many, it was those weekend trips and the planning of them that kept us happy. In order to find happiness during a global pandemic, we’ve had to make changes when it comes to how we spend our free time.
A good deal of people have found happiness in creating regular at-home relaxation routine schedules where they take time out for things like themed family movie nights, take out dinners from favorite restaurants, facials, beauty regimens, and more. Others are applying relaxation techniques they’ve learned in therapy as a great way to help bring happiness and joy back into their worlds.
Exploring the World
For as many people who are turning their homes into places to escape, just as many are hitting the roads. Finding great ways to travel in spite of social distancing and restrictions, they are renting RVs and other alternative means of travel to get around. If you’re someone who enjoys planning that weekend getaway but thought you were stuck at home, think again. A simple Google search for ‘how to budget for a weekend getaway‘ will point you in the right direction of affordable accommodations that might mean discounts on weekend trips during the pandemic.
If you’re considering cheap weekend getaways as a way back to happiness, do some research ahead. While many states in the United States have restrictions, there are others that are fully open. By staying at smaller Airbnb facilities instead of in hotel rooms at a resort or major hotel chain, or renting an RV and staying on public land around the U.S., you can still make a road trip a success with some careful planning. Look for outdoor activities, national parks, and places with rules about social distancing and disinfection for the safest trip possible.
Hobbies and Daytrips
For those who don’t feel safe going far from home, there are still activities out in the world that can be done in safe ways. If you once knew the joys of visiting day spas, you could either find a day spa with limitations on how many customers they serve or bring that same spirit back home. By thinking about how you would spend the day at the spa in public, you can recreate those same activities from the safety of your home. Sure, you can’t give yourself a hot stone massage, but you can still pamper yourself with someday spa staples. By combining things you enjoy from outside your home and bringing them in, you’ll be well on your way to happiness again.
If you’ve already tried new routines at home, spent some time on the road exploring, and exhausted your movie collection, board games, and book selections, consider pulling out a pen and beginning a gratitude journal. Sometimes, the key to finding happiness is appreciating the good things in our lives. By making daily lists of the things that are going right, it can be easier to get through uncertain or even a lonely time of year. Not only will this help your overall wellbeing, but it could even lead to new ideas for ways to make yourself feel happy again.
In the end, you can’t always change your situation but you can engage in acts of self care to help yourself feel happier. By committing to new interests, being creative about safe travel possibilities, and switching up routines, you’ll soon be on the way to a much happier you.
