Everyday happiness is built on routines. Indeed, happiness is something you cultivate, not something that falls from the sky. But what are these routines? How can we integrate them into our already busy daily lives? Here are 9 happiness routines for you to try out!

1 – Read for 5 to 30 minutes, every day

When I talk about a reading routine, I’m talking about a routine during which you learn, escape, dream, feel emotions… So you can read, but you can also watch videos. As long as, during that time, you feel you’re taking care of yourself, giving yourself the tools to become a better person.

I’d like to come back to your possible belief that you don’t like to read. Why do you say that? Is it about school, when you didn’t like compulsory reading? Have you tried again since? Have you discovered other reading styles?

What’s more, maybe you’re reading and don’t even realize it. Look, you’re actually reading my article. So you see, you’re reading. Reading doesn’t have to be books. It could be articles, magazines…

Because reading helps you to be happy every day. You give yourself the right to learn, to be surprised and to open up to other points of view.

What’s more, reading also helps to reduce stress and maintain better mental health.

That’s why, every day, I invite you to take 5 minutes to start, but eventually 30 minutes is the ideal time to read whatever you want. Try things out. Learn what you’ve always wanted to learn.

2 – Exercise 5-10 minutes a day

To be happy on a daily basis, we need to take care of our physical health, and that means exercising. Of course, we’re all unequal in this respect. Some of us will be more flexible, some stronger, some more achy…

That’s why I invite you to listen to yourself: what sport would suit you best? Jump rope or yoga? Swimming or martial arts?

If you don’t do any sport at all, I invite you to take it step by step. Maybe you can start with 5 minutes of sheathing a day, and build up as your confidence grows. Or you could simply go for a walk once or three times a week.

For those of you who are more active, why not treat yourself to a sports routine: a 30-minute run once a week and a 10-minute sit-up session every day?

Being happy every day also means taking care of our bodies. We often forget it, but our body is always there for us. It carries us, supports us and does so 24 hours a day. So let’s take care of our body as much as it takes care of us. Happiness starts here.

3 – Cuddle for at least 2 minutes to feel happy every day

Life moves fast and we forget to hug the people we love.

What’s more, we live as if we were immortal. It’s not the case… So let’s not miss any more opportunities to show our love to those who are important to us.

The “cuddle” routine means giving your lover a real kiss at least once a day. It means hugging our children for at least 2 consecutive minutes. It’s hugging our family and friends when we leave them.

Being happy every day means cuddling. It soothes us and brings us back to basics. In the end, the file on our desk isn’t worth as much as those we love. So let’s breathe and focus on the essentials.

4 – Seeing friends and family on a regular basis is a happy routine

We’re running out of time and, all too often, we miss opportunities to see our friends and family. We put it off until next weekend, and then finally meet up again the following quarter. So we reassure ourselves each time, making a commitment to see each other sooner, but we all too rarely keep it.

Seeing our friends and family should be a routine. Of course, the frequency depends on how far away we are. That’s why we try to set a frequency: every month, every quarter?

Now, I know this may sound “forced”, like an obligation. But it’s not. Setting a frequency just lets us remember to see our family and friends. Because, when there’s no frequency, we’re more likely to let time slip by, and that’s a shame.

And if it’s really impossible to see each other, why not text or call?

Being happy every day means taking care of our circle of friends and family. We often grumble about our friends and family. They’re not what we’d like them to be, but they’re our friends and we love them. And we know very well that to be happy, we mustn’t harbor expectations or believe that our role is to approve of others. Other people do what they want, and so do we. The most important thing is to love, respect and listen to ourselves.

5 – Love yourself a little more each day to be happy every day

Being happy every day also means feeling good about yourself, looking at yourself in the mirror with kindness.

Unfortunately, most of the time, we denigrate ourselves. We think we’re too fat, too tired, too bland, not to say ugly.

How can we be so unkind to ourselves, to this body that is so generous with us? Isn’t it what has sustained us for so many years?

That’s why your happiness routine will consist of looking at yourself in the mirror every day and saying 3 kind words to yourself. Look yourself in the eye and give yourself 3 compliments: “I love my eyes, my hair, my nails…”

Because loving yourself and knowing how to compliment yourself is one of the keys to everyday happiness!

6 – Eat one healthy food per meal

to function properly. Plus, did you know that what goes on in our intestines has an impact on our mood?

It’s also good for us to eat healthier. I know it’s not easy for everyone (myself included), we haven’t all learned the right reflexes, and some habits are well established.

But, little by little, thanks to a routine, we can eat better and better and therefore take care of our bodies and our moods.

To do this, I invite you to replace one unhealthy food with a healthy one at every meal. For example, replace the ice cream at snack time with an apple and yoghurt.

Do your best. Test and repeat as often as necessary.

7 – Take stock once a week to be happy every day

Carried along by the whirlwind of life, we often do things more out of automatism than because we know they’re good for us. We’re evolving every day, yet some of our habits are years old. Do they still correspond to the person we are, to our values and goals?

Once a week, I invite you to take stock of your week: what happened? What do you remember that was positive? Anything negative? What was pleasant? Less pleasant? Why or why not? What do you want for next week? What do you need?

Being happy every day means doing things that suit us, that are like us and that we are passionate about. That’s why we need to take stock, to step back and live our lives better.

8 – Indulge yourself for at least 5 minutes a day

Have you noticed that we take ourselves and life too seriously? What we do with our time should be useful, profitable and approved of by others.

Yet life isn’t serious. Life is a discovery! Life is about taking care of ourselves, that is, satisfying our needs such as food, shelter, clothing… but that’s not all. Life is also about simply enjoying life. It’s about laughter, wonder and forgetting the passage of time, if only for 5 minutes.

That’s why, every day, for 5 minutes, give yourself the right to do absolutely anything that gives you pleasure: is it singing, running, shouting, coloring, gardening, laughing, watching a cartoon, walking, buying a rose?

Give your heart the right to leap with joy and happiness. Being happy every day means collecting moments of simple joy.

9 – Saying thank you every day is a life-changing routine

This is perhaps one of my favorite routines, to feel my heart fill with gratitude, to feel this urge to shout, to sing my gratitude to the Universe: thank you, thank you, thank you!

That’s why I invite you every day to take a few moments to say thank you for 3 things. Whatever you want. It could be for being alive, for being able to walk, dance and change, or it could be for the famous good news of the day. It could be for your family and children who make you laugh, or for a book that moved you. You name it!

Being happy every day means feeling lucky to be alive and understanding that life isn’t perfect, but it’s precious.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How can I be happy every day? 5 daily gestures
Discover 10 morning routines to cultivate happiness first thing in the morning

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner

In this insightful travelogue, Eric Weiner explores the link between geography and happiness as he embarks on a global journey to discover the secrets of joy in different cultures. Through witty observations and encounters with people from Iceland to Bhutan, Weiner examines the cultural and environmental factors that contribute to everyday happiness. This book offers a unique perspective on what it means to lead a fulfilling life, blending humor and wisdom in the quest for the elusive geography of bliss.

I recommend this book for a quick, easy weekend read. It will make you smile and remind you to appreciate life in general and the great privileges we have today as world travelers. This book has become one of my go-to books for those times when the daily grind starts to wear you down and the next vacation seems years away.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself