Recipe for Happiness

I’ve been working on my recipe for my own happiness for years now. I’ve got it oh so wrong plenty of times and found myself in a sort of sunken cake situation during tricky or stressful moments in my life. Now, at the age of 27 I feel like I’m really getting there with it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t get it right every single time. If I get too careless and forget to follow my recipe meticulously I can trip myself up. But I think it’s vital to give your own recipe some deliberation and get into the habit of implementing it when you become anxious or down.

So here it is. Like the taste buds of each individual, everyone’s recipe will be different, with a range of ingredients and varying measurements and methods. But as a starting point here is my own little recipe…

• Outdoors
  • Measurement: A LOT and preferably near the sea or up a mountain.

A connection with the wilderness, the rugged land and fresh air is my first port of call. Being immersed in nature grounds me and humbles me. It reminds me to appreciate this beautiful planet we’re part of and realise that my problems are tiny in comparison to its magnitude. My favourite happy hideaways are up the gorgeous Scottish mountains in amongst the trees or on the edge of the coastline with my feet dipped in the fresh, icy, Atlantic waves. It’s not a surprise to me that nature is the most effective therapy to me for finding my own happiness, as ‘recent research, largely done in Asia, Europe and Australia, concludes that being in forests, particularly walking and exercising, reduces stress, boosts immunity and calms aggression. […] In Britain, research has shown that recovery rates improve even if the patients can only view trees from their hospital window.’¹

• Communication
  • Measurement: As and when needed.

Communication is a key ingredient to my happiness recipe. Having an outlet to talk about challenges or issues is always helpful and having a support team who I can totally trust and know have my best interests at heart really works for me. Sharing things with the wrong people is risky so it’s important to think carefully about who you are confiding in.

• Mindfulness
  • Measurement: Every day, even if only in small quantities.

Mindfulness, or meditation, is a technique which I find very helpful not just at tricky moments but on a regular basis. Just before you start imagining me sitting cross legged on the floor humming somewhere, that’s not the kind of thing I’m talking about. For a start I’m a single mum of an extremely boisterous three year old who allows almost no opportunities for any sort of quiet meditation throughout my day. Instead, I like to spend a minute or two here and there focussing on being present. Making sure I switch off my phone, light some candles and surrender myself to the moment and the people around me. I sit, always, for ten minutes at the kitchen table each morning and focus on my coffee and what I want to achieve by the end of the day and I try to set aside half an hour after dinner each night for quiet story and reflection time. Without these quiet mindfulness moments I can get lost in the rush and bustle of the non-stop, social media-driven life we live in and always feel disappointed as I fall asleep if I haven’t given myself enough calm reflection throughout the day.

• Creative Space
  • Measurement: A couple of hours at least once a week.

Allowing myself some time to be creative each week helps to keep me balanced and inspired. Whether it’s writing a poem, playing my guitar or even just doodling in a drawing pad with my little one. I always feel more myself afterwards and approach my work with a calmer thought process.

• Giving
  • Measurement: As often as possible.

Sharing happiness and love is one of my favourite things to do. I love baking for my friends or sending lovely little notes and gifts in the post. I love the idea that from afar, no matter what mood I’m in or how rainy it is outside, that I could cheer up one of my friends and make their afternoon slightly better. Giving for me is an absolute win-win.

There many other things which I encounter each day which make me ridiculously happy, like a perfect poached egg or a smile from my little boy. But when I’m in a moment of turmoil, or I have a stressful meeting or deadline coming up, I now know my recipe. It’s a well-practised method and if I follow it diligently I know it always works for me. I would encourage everyone to put together a Happiness Recipe and try it out from time to time.

Energetic Scottish mummy with a passion for adventure and an insatiable craving for new knowledge! Sophie is obsessed with the sea and the mountains. She loves sitting next to the fire writing poems and going for picnics with her little boy on sunny days. ♥