The quest to find what makes people happy takes psychologists in all kinds of interesting directions with their experiments. One such finding seemed to show that when people are nice to others, whether it be by giving them something or just being friendly, this increases that persons happiness levels.
This should not be too surprising if you know anyone who does a lot of charitable work. These people tend to be repeatedly described by people that know them as “…one of the happiest people I know”.
So what can you do to make someone happy every day? There is an unlimited amount of ways to make someone else happy. I’ll use myself as an example. I spend most of my days working from home, whereas my wife goes to work. She obviously has less time to get things accomplished around the house than I do. Therefore I usually try and pick something different every day to do that I know will put a smile on her face when she walks in the door after her day at the office.
These acts of kindness don’t have to be large either. Simply doing a chore around the house that you don’t normally do can make someone happy. If you’re a teenage son or daughter living at home, this will go over especially well with your mom. Husbands score points for doing this also.
What if you’re a wife and you want to do something out of the ordinary to make your husband happy? Besides the obvious things that everyone is thinking right now, maybe you could buy a six pack of his favourite beer and rent an action movie for the both of you to watch together. Believe me, husbands love it when their wives are willing to embrace a good action movie with them now and again.
Sometimes doing something nice for a stranger is even more gratifying than doing something for a loved one. It really helps you connect with humanity to know you did something out of love for another human being simply because they were in need and you could provide for them. Whether it be doing something charitable through an organization, or perhaps just mowing your neighbor’s lawn or shovelling her driveway because you know she has a hard time with these things, anything will be appreciated.
So remember, the next time you’re looking for a way to feel good, don’t overlook some small way you can brighten someone else’s day. If you try and develop the habit to make someone happy every day, I can guarantee you that you’ll be happier too.
Be Happy J