While it might not feel like there’s much to celebrate these days, the United Nations International Day of Happiness can serve as a reminder to shift our perception. Starting in 2013, the holiday serves to demonstrate the importance of happiness in everyone’s lives, and in 2021 I think we could all use a pick-me-up. This holiday reminds everybody that happiness is an inherent human right that every human deserves. While it may seem like a fleeting, abstract desire, it is essential for your wellbeing. Over the history of this holiday, different focuses and programs have promoted wellness and happiness. This year the organization has laid out three main themes to reflect the world’s current state, including “Stay calm,” “Stay wise,” and “Be kind.” In this way, we could all figure out how to incorporate little drops of happiness not only on March 20, but throughout the rest of the year.
Stay calm
The first theme of the holiday is about relaxing and letting go of external circumstances out of your control. For many of us, we’ve had our lives completely flipped upside down because of the pandemic. Many things are changed, and many things might not return to the way they used to be. As well, we might often find ourselves wondering when things will end and when life can feel a bit normal again. With all these racing thoughts, you might begin to feel responsible for the mishaps that have happened.
It’s essential to take a minute to step back and realize that there are many things that we simply cannot control. While we’d like to be able to manage all of life’s turmoil, it’s simply unrealistic. By blaming ourselves, we just make the situation more difficult to manage. Instead, try to be more gentle with yourself. Give yourself some slack and compassion, especially considering the situation that you’ve been placed in. It’s easy to give into self-depreciation or doubts, but I believe that before everything else, it’s essential to stay as calm to suit your mental health better and make the best decisions during this time. You can’t choose what goes on to the outside world, but you can choose how you respond. Let it be in a calm manner that prioritizes your well-being!
Stay wise
The next theme of the holiday is about making positive choices that better yourself and those around you. This is important considering that getting through the global pandemic is a collaborative effort. While it might get redundant and obnoxious, remember to follow safety guidelines at all times, including wearing your mask, social distancing, and attempting to limit gatherings. I know that for many college-aged people, these past couple of months must have felt incredibly lonely. Considering that college is a bustling environment, the switch to self-isolation can feel harsh on everyone. Despite this, we should all try not to give into large social gatherings. Instead, try to get creative about online hangouts with friends or socially distanced forms of hanging out. It’s essential to recognize that not only could you be at risk, but you could spread the virus to other folks who are immunocompromised. It’s important to make the right decisions even though it may feel hard. We have to work together if we ever want to see the end of this pandemic.
As well, being wise comes in the form of the decisions you make with yourself. It’s important to make sure you’re taking care of yourself, despite your routine being slightly different from usual. Incorporate new forms of self-care, such as new recipes or small hobbies, to switch up your routine. Try to disconnect from social media or technology in general and enjoy your time alone by doing things you don’t usually think of doing. It’s essential to make sure you’re doing good and staying well. In this way, you can help others as well.
Stay kind
I believe that the final theme that the UN promotes on International Day of Happiness is the most important. We are all experiencing such a life-changing event that is affecting everyone in different ways. It’s important to consider that people are dealing with things that they might not be comfortable with sharing or experiencing challenging emotions. It’s important to be gentle with yourself and others during this time. Try to reach out to loved ones and remind them that you’re there for support. If we all extend help to each other, we can get through this more healthily. While we may all still feel separated and down in the dumps, it’s important to remain kind to each other and share some love.
While these tips are definitely not going to solve the larger issues at play, we can incorporate them to ease our way through the rockiness of life. While happiness is not something that can truly be measured or held, I hope that these tips help you shift your view on how you can deal with the flaming chaotic state of the world. Remember to take care of yourself and others, and hopefully, happiness will soon follow!