Category: HACK 201-301

Want to feel happier and less frustrated with the minutiae of daily life? Then decide not to get frustrated by all the little things that don’t go as planned. Raise your frustration tolerance so that you don’t let frustration take over and ruin your day. Don’t get mad when little irritations pop up—instead, try and find the humor in them. Just go with it and roll with the punches. You’ll be happier! 

No matter what you see on the surface, you can never know what another person is really going through. We often tend to judge and criticize others without even knowing it. Yet when you do that, you are coming from a place of jealousy or fear, and that is not demonstrating your best self. You have no idea about the journey other people have gone through or what they’ve experienced to make them who they are today. You have no right to criticize what you don’t understand. Besides, judging others will limit your happiness as well. You wouldn’t want to feel judged, right? So don’t judge others. 

It may sound silly, but smiling causes an emotional response in your body that can actually make you feel happier. Smiling at other people can make them and you feel happier, but smiling at yourself in the mirror can have the added effect of boosting your self-esteem and self-love. Imagine smiling at yourself in the mirror every morning— think about what that would do for your confidence and mood through- out the day! 

You have problems now, and you will probably always have some kind of problems in your life— as old ones disappear, new ones emerge. But it’s how you view your problems that determines whether or not they will overtake you. Focus on your problems, and they will seem huge; focus on the good things in your life, and your problems will seem smaller. You should also try (this may be harder at some times than others) to appreciate your problems. Sure, they may seem frustrating today, but tomorrow they could turn into an opportunity you hadn’t thought of. 

One of the biggest sources of frustration in our busy lives is being late and all the annoying distractions that can lead to that. Stuck in traffic? Missed a bus? Burned your breakfast? So much frustration and anxiety can be avoided if you allow your- self extra time to get places and to get stuff done. Wake up earlier in the morning to allow for traffic, for example—then you won’t be late for work and have your boss glaring at you all day. Pace yourself. You’ll have a more relaxed and happier day! 

Can you feel that snarky comment hovering on your lips, about to burst forth at your significant other’s expense? Hold it in. Feel angry at your boss and know that your anger is about to become a tirade? Keep your mouth shut. The old saying is true: once you’ve said something, you can’t take it back. If you feel you are about to say something you’ll regret later, just don’t say it. This will prevent a huge amount of potential trouble! Keeping your mouth shut will save your relationships too. 

Don’t be a martyr or a pushover by any means, but when you see the office jerk who always gives everyone problems, try being kind. Ask him about his day or his family or joke about the latest office escapade. Unkind people often need kindness the most. Of course, some people are just negative and no amount of your kindness will help them, but you will feel better about yourself knowing you tried. And maybe your little bit of kindness will change the other person’s day, after all. 

If you want to be happier, you must realize that some conflicts are unnecessary and a waste of your time. Some people are toxic and are so addicted to drama and anger that you will never win an argument with them or even reach a common understanding. There are far too many fun and wonderful things to spend your time on—you don’t need to fight every battle. Try to reach an understanding with someone you are arguing with, but if it’s going nowhere, make your own day better: remove yourself from the situation and prevent yourself from being sucked into their drama.