Therapy in Chester, NJ
Between all the stress of work, school, family, friends, health...the list goes on and on....it's easy to get overwhelmed and lose the joy in life. Sometimes in today's world, it can feel like we are playing "hide and seek" with happiness.
But just like when you played hide and seek with your friends as a kid, you can't just wait around hoping for happiness to come to you. You have to actively go out and look. You have to work hard, sometimes really hard, to find what you're looking for. Here are some ideas for how to find your happiness when it's hiding from you:
1. Look in all the old places. Just like when you played hide and seek and your little sister always hid in the same place, look for your happiness in places you've been able to find it before. So often when we are feeling overwhelmed we forget to make time to do the things that we love and that makes us happy. Read your favorite book again, pick up an old hobby, listen to your favorite songs from when you were young. If it worked to make you happy before, it might work again!
2. MOVE! You can't stand still and expect to find your friends, and you can't stand still and expect to find happiness! The body and mind are connected and if your body feels good from exercise, your mind will start to follow. Even something as simple as taking your dog for a walk around the block can get your body moving enough to help you feel a little bit better.
3. Have fun. There's no point in playing hide and seek if you aren't having fun. It's so important to make time in your day to have fun. Whether that means playing with your kids, or walking your dog, or watching a funny video. Little children often have much less stress than adults...they have a much easier time having fun! Laughter and fun are healing.
4. Reconnect. The best part of hiding and seek is when you find your friends! If you're struggling to find your happiness reach out to someone you're close to. Even if you haven't spoken in a while, even if it's just for coffee and a casual chat it will make you feel good. Humans often crave connection, so find a positive connection and work to strengthen it to help boost your mood.
5. Ask for help. Sometimes when we play hide and seek we can't find our friends and need a little help, and sometimes we just can't seem to find our happiness and may need a little help with that too. It's okay to need a little guidance and a second pair of eyes to help you search. Whether that second pair of eyes is a trusted friend or family member or a professional, sometimes a different perspective can be exactly what we need to find what we are looking for.
Sometimes happiness has really good hiding places. It can be easy to forget that it's still there waiting to be found. Sometimes it takes so much work to find our happiness it can feel impossible. But even when we are feeling low and hopeless, it doesn't mean happiness can't be found. You just have to always keep seeking.
If you need help finding happiness I am always here to help you find it!
Call us at Modern Family Counseling at 732-742-0329 for more information about our services or to schedule an appointment with our therapists!