7 Ways to Be Happier (Starting Right Now, No Vision Board Required)

By Marie | The Wellness Flow

Let me be upfront with you about something.

This is not a "happiness is a choice and you just have to manifest it, bestie!" kind of post.

This is a real one.

Because sometimes life is heavy. Sometimes you wake up and the mental load alone could crush a small car, and someone is going to come at you with a listicle about gratitude journals and you are going to want to throw your phone into the lake.

I see you.

So here's what this post actually is: 7 real, research-backed, mostly free ways that can nudge you — slowly or quickly, depending on the day — toward feeling a little better. Not perfect. Not magically healed. Just better.

And if you're going through something genuinely hard right now? That's okay too. These 7 things are not a cure. Feeling blue sometimes is part of being a human person with a pulse. But when you're ready to start climbing back up — even just one tiny rung — these are the handholds I come back to again and again.

Life is better, not perfect. Let's start there.

Before We Dive In ,A Few Things I'm Loving

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Here are 5 things that have made me happier lately — and they're trending on Amazon for a reason:

1. The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor One of the most genuinely fun books about happiness science I've ever read. Shawn Achor makes the research feel like a conversation, not a lecture. Highly recommend if you've ever wondered why some people just seem to thrive.

2. Intelligent Change Five Minute Journal Two minutes in the morning, two minutes at night. It's the lowest-lift gratitude practice I've ever found, and it actually works. This journal is consistently one of Amazon's best sellers in the wellness space — for good reason.

3. Woobles Beginner Crochet Animal Kit If you've never crocheted and you want to understand why I keep talking about it as a wellness tool — start here. This beginner kit comes with everything: yarn, hooks, video tutorials. It's genuinely one of the most trending crochet starter kits right now, and it makes the perfect "treat yourself" purchase.

4. Joyclub Flower Bookmark Crochet Starter KitSmall. Fast. Satisfying. This kit lets you make 10 little flower bookmarks and the whole process is so calming it should probably come with a warning label. Perfect for beginners or anyone who needs a quick creative win.

5.Erin Condren Wellness JournalNot just a journal — a whole system for checking in with yourself. Mood tracking, habit tracking, space for thoughts. It's like therapy homework but cute.

Okay. The 7 Ways. Let's Go.

1. Move Your Body , Even If You're Just Moving From the Couch to the Porch

Here's the unsexy truth: exercise increases happiness just as much as doubling your income would. Which is both incredible and deeply annoying when you don't feel like moving.

But here's the thing — "movement" doesn't mean you need to train for a marathon. It means anything. A walk around the block. A 10-minute rebounding session in your living room. Stretching in your pajamas. The average person reported feeling 10% happier after leaving a yoga studio than before they entered(can’t find a studio near you, Youtube has tons of beginner friendly yoga videos try this one!)and even going to the gym showed a 7% boost.

Movement tells your brain: we're okay. We're alive. Things are moving.

And sometimes that's all you need to shift the energy.

For me: Rebounding, strength training, and walking/yoga are my go to’s. On a rough day I walk to the end of my street and back and count it as a win. Both are valid. Start wherever you are.

Try this today: Put on one song you love and move your body for the whole length of it. That's it. That's the whole assignment.

2. Pick Up Something Creative Your Hands Know Things Your Brain Forgets

I've been crocheting for years, and I can tell you from deep personal experience: there is something that happens when your hands are busy and your brain gets to quiet down.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described getting into a flow state where you're completely absorbed in what you're doing as a key ingredient to happiness. Crochet, knitting, painting, woodworking, gardening, baking bread any creative hobby that puts you in a state of focused, absorbed making gives your nervous system a genuine rest.

It's not just "keeping busy." It's neurological. Your brain literally gets a break from the noise.

And the best part? You don't have to be good at it. You just have to do it. A beginner crochet kit and a Tuesday afternoon is enough. Imperfect is the point.

For me: My crochet supples lives on the chair next to my chair and spilling onto the floor. When my brain gets too loud, I pick it up. Sometimes I make something beautiful. Sometimes I make a lumpy square and call it a character-building exercise.

Try this today: Pick one creative thing you've been putting off because you didn't think you were "good enough" at it. Do 15 minutes of it. Zero pressure on the outcome.

3. Go Outside. Seriously. Just Go Outside.

This one sounds so small that most people skip it. Don't skip it.

Research shows that stepping outside for 10–20 minutes — breathing, noticing nature, letting your mind reset — can meaningfully shift your mood and recharge your focus. And you don't need to be near a forest or a mountain. An urban park counts. Your own backyard counts. Standing on your porch in your socks counts.

Moms who step onto the porch for five minutes of natural light instead of reaching for the phone notice a massive difference in their patience levels. That's basically free medicine.

Sunshine, fresh air, and the simple act of not being inside your body was built for this. We just keep forgetting.

For me: Living in Wisconsin means some of these outdoor moments are stunning and some of them are "why is it 40 degrees in May." But I try to go outside every day regardless. Bundle up and step outside!

Try this today: Before you scroll anything, step outside. Even for 5 minutes. Just be in the air. No phone required.

4. Eat Like You Like Yourself

Okay, we're not going full nutrition lecture here. I promise.

But I do need to tell you that what you eat has a more direct impact on your mood than most people realize. Eating fewer processed foods and getting adequate sleep are important first steps to keep negative thoughts at bay, according to psychology research. Fluctuations in blood sugar from skipping meals or eating lots of processed foods can leave you feeling tired, irritable, anxious, and confused, because when blood sugar drops, your body pumps out stress hormones trying to compensate.

Translation: That 3pm crash where everything feels impossible and you're convinced your life is falling apart? Might be your lunch talking.

And water. Drink the water. Research found that when people who usually drank plenty of water decreased their intake, they felt tenser, less calm, and less content — and when they increased their water intake again, they felt happier. A glass of water is not going to fix everything. But it's not going to hurt.

For me: I'm not perfect at this. But I notice that on the days I eat real food and drink water like a person who has it together, I feel better. That's the whole data set. Yours will look similar.

Try this today: Drink a full glass of water before you do anything else. Then eat something real at your next meal. That's it.

One of favorites! Baked sweet potato and lean ground beef with the same toppings as a Big Mac!

5. Put the Phone Down (At Least for a Minute, I'm Not a Monster)

Studies show links between heavy social media use and higher levels of loneliness, anxiety, and depression often due to constant comparison and information overload. Which is hilarious and terrible because you're reading this on a screen right now and I post content on the internet for a living. We contain multitudes.

But the research is real. In studies where participants cut off internet access, people reported experiencing more positive emotions while reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Even a partial digital detox offered similar benefits just a little reduction of constant stimulation from phones and social media helped people reclaim their ability to sustain attention.

You don't have to delete Instagram. (Please don't, I need you to follow me.) But you can put the phone in another room for an hour. You can charge it outside your bedroom. You can declare one hour a day phone-free and see what happens to your brain.

What usually happens: you feel slightly anxious for 10 minutes, then weirdly peaceful, then you remember hobbies exist.

Try this today: Set your phone across the room for the next hour. Pick up a book, your crochet, a journal anything with your hands. Notice how you feel.

6. Do Something for Someone Else (This One is Kind of Magic)

This might be the most underrated item on this entire list.

Donating time, volunteering, and everyday acts of kindness can have long-term benefits for your own happiness. We experience vicarious pleasure from helping a little echo of the happiness we see in others and it gives us a sense of pride in having done something worthwhile. Most importantly, it strengthens our social relationships and sense of connectedness, which is essential for real happiness.

In plain English: doing something kind for someone else makes YOU feel better. Not in a "martyrdom" way. In a genuine, neurological, your-brain-lights-up kind of way.

It doesn't have to be big. Text someone you've been thinking about. Drop off something homemade at a neighbor's. Leave a generous tip. Compliment a stranger's earrings. Small kindnesses stack.

For me: Crocheting and donating newborn hats or chemo caps is an instant mood boost. Every time.

Try this today: Send one text to someone telling them something you appreciate about them. That's it. Watch what it does to your own mood.

7. Write It Down, Even If It's Just "Today Was a Lot"

Journaling gets a bad rap because people picture filling ten pages of deep thoughts every morning before sunrise. That is not what I'm suggesting.

Regularly expressing gratitude increases positive emotions, improves relationships, and even strengthens physical health. Gratitude activates brain regions associated with dopamine the "feel-good" neurotransmitter. And the lowest-lift way to practice gratitude is to write down three things you're thankful for. Three. That's the whole thing.

They don't have to be profound. "Good coffee," "it didn't rain," and "my kid made me laugh" counts. Your brain doesn't care about the size of the thing. It cares about the noticing.

And on the hard days? Writing down exactly how terrible you feel is also valid. Get it out of your head and onto the page where it can't bounce around and grow in the dark. Sometimes "today was a lot and I am tired and my feelings are big" is the most honest and helpful journal entry you'll ever write.

Try this today: Write down three things. Right now, before you scroll. Three things that exist in your life that you're even slightly grateful for. Small is fine. Real is better than perfect. I text three things I am grateful for to my some of my close friends and they respond with theirs. I love it an it is an instant boost of happiness.

The Honest Truth About All of This

None of these 7 things will fix a hard season overnight.

If you are in the thick of something genuinely painful grief, anxiety, depression, burnout, a season where getting out of bed is the win these are not a replacement for support, therapy, connection, or rest. Feeling blue sometimes is not a problem to be solved. It's a signal to be heard.

But when you're ready even a little bit ready these seven things are gentle on-ramps back toward yourself.

You don't have to do all seven. You don't have to start perfectly. You can pick one today. Just one.

Movement, creativity, fresh air, real food, less screen time, a small kindness, three words of gratitude.

Any one of them, started today, is enough.

Life is better, not perfect. And so are you.

🧶 — Marie

Save This Post for Later 📌

If this resonated with you, pin it, bookmark it, send it to a friend who needs it.

And come back and tell me in the comments — which of these 7 are you actually going to try first? I want to know.

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