Skip to main navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer
  • For Medicare
  • For Providers
  • For Brokers
  • For Employers
  • Search
    Search
    Español
  • For Individuals & Families:
  • For Individuals & Families:
  • Shop for Plans

    Shop for Plans

    • Plans through your employer
    • Learn about the medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral, and voluntary benefits your employer may offer.
    • Explore coverage through work
  • Log in to myCigna
  • Log in to myCigna
  • Shop for Plans

    Shop for Plans

  • Member Guide
  • Find a Doctor
  • Home Knowledge Center How to Be Happy

    How to Be Happy Every Day with These 10 Simple Tips

    For many, finding happiness is a life-long effort that they adapt along the way. While there are no rules about how to be happy, many people have success with the ideas outlined here.

    What are some secrets on how to find happiness?

    Learning how to live a happy life is a common goal. Collective wisdom suggests you can only learn how to be happy after you've learned how to be happy with yourself.

    Consider the following 10 tips for how to live a happy life.

    1. Recognize that you have choices

      While you can’t prevent many of the difficulties that you'll encounter in life, you can control how you respond to them. You'll be more content once you begin to see happiness as a choice rather than as a good fortune that only some people enjoy.

    2. Practice gratitude

      Even during the most difficult life experiences, there are often things to be grateful for. Acknowledging what is good in your life is an essential step in learning how to live a happy life.

    3. Forgiveness

      Anger toward yourself, toward things that have happened in your life, or, anger toward other people can be a significant burden. When you can let go of anger, you may begin learning how to be happy with yourself.

    4. Mindfulness

      Become aware of the role your thoughts play in the quality of your daily life. Focusing on bad things and negative emotions can be destructive. You can learn to be happier when you stop dwelling on the negative and focus on the more positive side of things.

    5. Friendship

      Feeling included in a community of friends can be important part of living a happier life. Without the love and fellowship of friends, loneliness may become a factor that can detract from your health, happiness, and overall well-being.

    6. Rest

      Getting the right amount of sleep is important for feeling refreshed and focused. But losing sleep can also impact your mood. You can help your quality of life by practicing good sleep habits and getting plenty of uninterrupted rest.

    7. Movement

      Exercise stimulates your blood flow, which can help you feel better. While some people enjoy very intense exercise—and the endorphins it can generate—even a small amount of movement is beneficial and can help improve mood, lessen stress, and improve sleep.

    8. Sunshine

      Sunshine typically makes people feel happier. Take advantage of sunny days by getting outside—but don’t forget the sunscreen. If your environment is often without sun, lamps that are specially designed to mimic sunlight may be an option. If you are affected by dreary weather or the wet, wintry seasons, talk to your doctor. You should also talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing for help choosing the right sunscreen for you.

    9. Cleanliness

      Keeping your work and home spaces clean and free of clutter may help lift your mood. For example, some people are happier when they rearrange furniture and spend a day cleaning out a closet. If you’re feeling crowded in your space, try a little cleaning and organizing to see if that boosts your happiness.

    10. Small wins

      Part of learning how to be happy with yourself comes with life experiences. Try to set and work toward achieving some goals. Start small. Find a goal or two that are relatively easy to accomplish. Have a plan in place for how you will achieve them. Achieving goals can help boost your confidence, and with it, your sense of happiness, too.

      Finding happiness is different for everyone. Try making a few small changes a day that help you feel better when you do them. Over time they become good habits that can lead to a happier—and healthieryou.

    Tags

  • Relationships
  • Mindfulness
  • This information is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor for appropriate examinations, treatment, testing and care recommendations.

    I want to...
  • Get an ID card
  • File a claim
  • View my claims and EOBs
  • Check coverage under my plan
  • See prescription drug list
  • Find an in-network doctor, dentist, or facility
  • Find a form
  • Find 1095-B tax form information
  • View the Cigna Healthcare Glossary
  • Contact Cigna Healthcare
  • Audiences
  • Individuals and Families
  • Medicare
  • Employers
  • Brokers
  • Providers
  • Third Party Administrators
  • International
  • Manage Your Account
  • myCigna Member Portal
  • Provider Portal
  • Cigna for Employers
  • Cigna for Brokers
  • Cigna Healthcare. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Legal
  • Product Disclosures
  • Company Names
  • Customer Rights
  • Accessibility
  • Non-Discrimination Notice
  • Language Assistance [PDF]
  • Report Fraud
  • Sitemap
  • Washington Consumer Health Data Privacy Notice
  • Cookie Preferences
  • Disclaimer

    Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see a listing of the legal entities that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of The Cigna Group Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT). The Cigna Healthcare name, logo, and other Cigna Healthcare marks are owned by The Cigna Group Intellectual Property, Inc.

    All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna Healthcare sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.

    Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna Healthcare website. Cigna Healthcare may not control the content or links of non-Cigna Healthcare websites. Details

    La aseguradora publica el formulario traducido para fines informativos y la versión en inglés prevalece para fines de solicitud e interpretación.

    The insurer is issuing the translated form on an informational basis and the English version is controlling for the purposes of application and interpretation.