Since 2013, the United Nations has encouraged people everywhere to celebrate International Day of Happiness. The special day is a means to recognise the importance of happiness and wellbeing as universal goals and hopes in the lives of people around the world.
The day worth celebrating has arrived and being in quarantine shouldn’t be a reason to skip it. From working on your self-expression to learning a new skill or a slow and pleasant spa day, here are several celebratory ideas to try at home.
When people prepare to stay at home, they often stock up with long-term products, such as pasta, canned goods or oatmeal, which can get boring after a while. However, this is the perfect day to treat yourself. Contactless food delivery is available in most cities, so you can order something you’ve been craving for a long time!
Another idea is learning to cook something fancy for yourself. If you’re living alone, you don’t need to have company for a good meal. Love yourself enough to cook something extraordinary just for yours truly. Andy Baraghani from Bon Appetit writes, “Taking the time to listen to myself, to cook for myself, has been the best form of self-care I’ve instituted in my life.” Cooking up a storm seems to be one of the best ways to take good care of yourself during quarantine.
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#2 Idea: Reach out to the world
Self-expression is an essential part of happiness. If you feel like you have something to share, don’t keep it yourself. Whatever it is, you can put it online and share it with the world. If you write, start a blog, or if you are into visual arts, create an online portfolio. For those who enjoy making videos, creating a showreel can be a fun challenge.
“Nowadays staying at home doesn’t withdraw you from the world. Actually, the result of quarantine can be quite the opposite, Arnas Stuopelis, Chairman of the Board of hosting provider Hostinger, says. “You can create a personal blog or a website within an hour and share your thoughts with the world.” He adds contribution, feedback and recognition can boost your joy even after Day of Happiness is over.
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#3 Idea: Learn something new
Sometimes quarantine can leave you feeling stuck. To feel that life really is continuing to progress, you should use the time at home to learn a new skill. You can find step-by-step tutorials on YouTube, or you can join online learning courses to feel like you’re working with other people. Once you start to learn something new, you feel as if your life is evolving, which always helps to make you feel more accomplished, leading to happiness.
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#4 Idea: Get those art supplies out
While in quarantine, it’s not unusual to feel like anxiety is taking over, but you can try to deal with it and express it through art. “Act of imagination is actually an act of survival,"Girija Kaimal, a professor at Drexel University, says. "It is preparing us to imagine possibilities and hopefully survive those possibilities.” So by using your imagination, you are more capable of dealing with stress and more likely to find happiness.
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#5 Idea: Have a self-care day
Sometimes the best way to do something for yourself is to do nothing at all. Just give yourself a bubble bath, light some candles and enjoy this slowed-down pace. You can make yourself some face masks or body scrubs. When you show attention to your body and treat yourself with love, this love will spark happiness in you.