I’ve been on a fruitful quest to find and maintain happiness. and be at peace with myself.
However, there are times it is hard to be happy for one reason or another.
This can be because of what is happening around me. I found that sometimes you have to fake it until you feel it.
The University of South Australia conducted research on this topic, and found that faking happiness will trick your mind into thinking you are happy.
You can pretend to be satisfied in some ways, and you will find that eventually, you will be.
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1. Do Something You Like
If you don’t feel happy, concentrate on doing activities you love. You can listen to music that puts you in a great mood, or you can watch a show you thoroughly enjoy.
You can visit a restaurant or a place that you appreciate. All of these will help you pretend that you are happy.
Make yourself go out and do them even if you don’t feel like doing them.
2. Gratitude
You will be happier if you are appreciative. Even if you feel that you don’t have much to be thankful for, you can start by writing one thing in your gratitude journal or have a gratitude jar.
If you have a gratitude journal, you can read through it and remind yourself of times past when you have been appreciative.
Studies published in the Berkley University science-based newsletter have found that gratitude changes how your brain perceives something negative and becomes more positive.
Being grateful will help you pretend to be happy.
3. Do Something For Someone Else
Helping other people will make you happy.
You can call a friend who you know is going through a hard time and encourage them.
Or you can spend time with an elderly person who may not have family visiting them often, or you can surprise a loved one with a gift.
You will pretend to be happy in the beginning, but after a while, you will find that you are truly happy.
4. Smile
When you smile, even your eyes light up and express your happiness throughout your body.
When you pretend to be happy and smile, your eyes may not light up as if the enjoyment was genuine.
One way is to practise smiling with your eyes as well as your mouth even when you are not happy.
Look at your reflection in the mirror and smile and note how your eyes look, then smile again when you think of something that makes you happy and see the difference.
Keep practising until your smile looks happy from your mouth and your eyes.
That’s How You Pretend To Be Happy
Sometimes you will not just feel happy, and you may need to go out and appear happy.
You can pretend to be pleased by smiling, being grateful, doing things for other people that will make them happy and doing something you enjoy.
When you pretend to be happy, your brain perceives it as happiness, and the exciting thing is that you will find that you will eventually feel joyous.
Now go out there and enjoy your quest for happiness and inner peace.
I wish you good luck.