Trying to decide to be happy backfires. Instead, do things that naturally lift your mood: meditate, exercise, practice gratitude, learn, dance, spend time with people you care about. These concrete actions measurably increase well-being.
Many people have the notion, the understanding that to be happy, they need to decide to be happy. Meaning, if I wake up in the morning and say to myself, I'm going to be happier, or, you know, happiness is important to me, it's a choice and I'm going to pursue it. These statements actually will lead to less happiness. Hmm. We can and should pursue happiness only indirectly. Pursuing happiness directly hurts us. But if we break down happiness to its elements, then we actually can enjoy an increase in our levels of well-being. So if I wake up in the morning and say, I'm going to become happier, I'm actually going to be less happy. But if I say, I'm going to spend 5 minutes a day meditating, that's an indirect way of pursuing happiness, or exercising, or expressing gratitude, or learning, dancing, or spending more time with my loved ones. These are all indirect ways of pursuing happiness.
The Library of Minds: Brain Coach: How to Stay Sharp When AI Does the Thinking | Jim Kwik
