It seems to me that there have been more “new days” popping up recently. What do I mean? Well, March 20th was declared the International Day of Happiness by the United Nations. Really? Read more from Day of Happiness:
“In July 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a groundbreaking resolution which recognised happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes… happiness and well-being of all peoples”.
In April 2012 the first ever UN conference on Happiness took place in New York and in July 2012 the UN General Assembly adopted a further resolution which decreed that the International Day of Happiness was to be observed every year on 20 March. It was celebrated for the first time in 2013.”
This day is supported by Action for Happiness whose goal is to get people to pledge “to try to create more happiness in the world around them through the way they approach their lives.”
I love their “GREAT DREAM” 10 Keys to Happier Living based on “a review of the latest scientific research relating to happiness.” They say,
“Everyone’s path to happiness is different, but the research suggests these Ten Keys consistently tend to have a positive impact on people’s overall happiness and well-being. The first five (GREAT) relate to how we interact with the outside world in our daily activities*. The second five (DREAM) come more from inside us and depend on our attitude to life.”
They have some awesome resources for taking action to be happier that include videos, links and interesting content. Here are the links to the actions:
- Take the Happiness Pledge
- Do Good Things for Others
- Create a Happiness Group – hmmm. Not sure about this one!
- Find Three Good Things Each Day – my favorite
- Thank the People You are Grateful For – another important one
- Look for the Good In Those Around You
- Bring Mindfulness Into Your Day – YES!
- Find Your Strengths and Focus on Using Them – more yeses!!
- Get Help if You are Struggling
Why is this important? Studies show that happiness is contagious, happy people are more successful and more. Check out more from Happify’s great Happiness Infographic (warning – you may get some Pharrell song stuck in your head if it isn’t already. Oops!)
Also check out Fab, Fit, Fun’s 15 Ways to be Happy and my post with tons more happiness research from last fall.
For a counterpoint, see Time Magazine’s 10 Reasons Not to Celebrate International Happiness Day. But, having just done that myself, I would say, don’t bother and think of ways that you can make your world a happier place to be!
Do you know what makes me happy? Prizes! 9 winners were selected for my Alexandra’s Playground raffle. You know what else makes me happy? Raising money for a good cause! I raised $2,350 for Alexandra’s Playground!! A win-win!
Do you know another thing that makes me happy? Giveaways! Don’t miss mine. Check out my Spring Into Fitness Blog Hop giveaway and my All Pro Science Complete Veggie Protein giveaway!
What makes you happy? Do you think we need all of these “days” to remind us to do thinks like focusing on happiness? Please share in the comments!