NRCA has been dedicating more resources to mental health awareness, so when I came across The New York Times article “The best advice I’ve ever heard for how to be happy,” I took notice. Columnist Jancee Dunn collected the best tips for happiness she has encountered from several interviews, and the tips are easy enough to incorporate daily but meaningful enough to create lasting effects of joy.
One thing Dunn suggests is “starting a weird ritual,” which will inject some quirkiness and lightness into your life. For example, any time my kids are grabbing a ride from someone and yell “They’re here” before bolting out the door, our dog goes into a barking frenzy. To cut down on the barking, we have begun to come up with phrases the dog doesn’t understand so the kids can leave in peace. The wilder the phrase the better. The other day, my daughter said “Pickles make my nose itch” before she walked out the door. And we all giggled while the dog stayed silent.
Another tip is to “share positive gossip.” We all can fall into the “Did you hear about so-and-so?” trap, but rather than sharing negative news, maybe change it to “Did you hear Frank just ran a marathon and beat his personal record?” Dunn suggests sharing good news makes you feel good.
Dunn says a former nurse told her elderly patients often regret not cherishing moments in their daily lives more. Reframing tasks in your mind can help reframe your attitude. Dunn gives the example of saying “I get to go to the gym” rather than “I have to go to the gym.”
Finally, Dunn says the best tip she heard about staying happy came from Cher: “If it doesn’t matter in five years, it doesn’t matter.”
AMBIKA PUNIANI REID
Editor of Professional Roofing
NRCA Vice president of communications
