What’s the secret to happiness? What provides meaning to life?
You ask people alone all day and they’ll say company. You ask teens struggling with depression and school and they’ll talk about their peers, belonging, being able to be themselves around others. You ask parents and they’ll say their child’s laugh or smile. You ask a monk and he’ll say communing with God.
The secret to happiness and meaning in life is about connecting with others.
You see it every day, people on their phones: commenting on posts, sharing pictures and videos, reading people’s feeds. They’re connecting with others, sharing their stories and selves, feeling a part of something bigger than themselves.
Take the 5 Day Challenge to Boost Your Happiness.
Every day for 5 days do something to connect with someone.
It’s a challenge so just sending a text is not very challenging (unless it’s to reach out to someone you need to reconcile with).
- Write a letter or send a card.
- Write an email.
- Call or video chat a friend.
- Invite someone over or plan a virtual get-together (virtual game night, cooking together the same recipe, watching a show together, craft or paint night using Youtube etc).
- Leave a special gift for a friend or colleague at work.
- Send a care package to a friend in the mail.
- Volunteer
- Take a class on a hobby you’ve been meaning to try/foster.
- Try one of these random acts of kindness
Try one or more of these activities a day for five days and reflect on how you felt. It’s not an overnight miracle; it might take more than five days to improve your overall happiness, but maybe it’ll help you have a five feel good days you want to repeat again.
The 5 Day Challenge can also in turn bring happiness to those around you too!
May you unlock the secret to happiness in your own life.