As a busy mom and wife, I know how life can often feel like an endless stream of responsibilities, routines, and cleanup time.
But I’ve realized that in order to be the best version of myself—for my family and for me—I need to intentionally focus on enjoying my life more and creating my own happiness each day.
And what about you- do you need to enjoy your life more and focus on the good times to live your best life?
These are the easy habits I’ve started doing that have made a huge difference in my happiness and fulfillment, ones I know could also change your life for the better.
Key Takeaways
- Embrace Gratitude and Mindfulness: Starting your day with gratitude and practicing mindfulness throughout helps you appreciate the small moments and stay present, creating a more positive and fulfilling mindset.
- Prioritize Your Well-Being: Incorporating daily movement and self-care routines can rejuvenate your mind and body, giving you the energy to enjoy life while reducing stress.
- Simplify to Focus on What Matters: Decluttering your space, simplifying your schedule, and learning to say no allows you to create room for what truly brings joy and fulfillment, making life less overwhelming.
- Foster Connections and Celebrate Small Wins: Building stronger relationships and celebrating small achievements can add meaning to everyday life, reinforcing a sense of accomplishment and happiness.
- Step Outside Your Comfort Zone: Trying new habits and hobbies and unplugging from technology encourages you to break away from the routine and experience life with fresh excitement and perspective.
These simple but powerful shifts can help you find more enjoyment in your daily life, even in the busiest moments, by focusing on what truly brings happiness and fulfillment.
15 Ways to Enjoy Your Life and Feel Happier Every Day
1. Start Your Day With Gratitude
One small habit that made a huge difference for me is starting each morning with a simple gratitude practice. Having quotes of gratitude or listing what I was grateful for made me focus on the good in my life.
Before I get out of bed, I take a moment to think about three things I’m grateful for. It’s sometimes as simple as my morning coffee or my daughter’s smile.
We think about gratitude and being thankful the most around Thanksgiving, but it helps us to think of the things that bring us joy every day!
It’s a great way to set a positive tone for the day and go into my routine, remembering the happiness big and small things bring me.
Some people also have bullet journals, with pages dedicated to gratitude that you can look at when you’re hitting a low point. I love the idea!
2. Practice Mindfulness
Now, what is mindfulness? It’s thinking on and acknowledging what s going on in the moment, and using those thoughts to stay in the moment, good and bad.
I’ve started making time to practice mindfulness throughout the day—whether it’s while doing the dishes or playing with the kids.
I just pause, take a deep breath, take a mental picture, think about my emotions in the moment, and some of what mindfulness is is acknowledging what’s up without judging.
It helps me stay in the moment instead of constantly thinking about the next task on my to-do list.
I find joy in the small things again and can even make changes easier to ensure happiness is the front-runner in my moments.
3. Declutter Your Space
Decluttering our things and simply having less stuff to take care of and clean up has really made me enjoy life more.
When my space is clutter-free, my mind feels clearer, too.
I make it a habit to tackle small decluttering projects every week, and it really helps me feel more in control. I’ve even made a bunch of cleaning and decluttering printables to kickstart my plans.
Sometimes, it’s going through the stuff my oldest brings home from school or clothes or toys that aren’t being used anymore.
Just having less stuff taking up space makes things cleaner, and it helps me be smart about buying things and over-stuffing our lives some more.
4. Move Your Body Every Day
Even when I’m super busy, I make it a priority to move my body and have some light exercise.
I’m more of an exercise buff now that we have equipment at home, but in the beginning, spending time with my daughters and students at school was the only movement I was doing.
I needed to add in relaxing movements that I could use to decompress after work and make it “me time” in a slightly productive way.
Whether it’s going for a walk, doing yoga, or just stretching, I feel so much better mentally and physically. Moving daily has become essential to my well-being.
5. Connect With Loved Ones
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we may forget to connect with the people who matter most. Don’t let good friendships and family time fall to the wayside!
I’ve started scheduling regular phone calls with friends and family or simply sitting down with my kids for uninterrupted quality time.
I look forward to FaceTime with my folks on the weekends, monthly brunch with the crew, and a movie night with my hubby.
It fills my heart and reminds me of what’s most important. I want to keep having good times together, and we all need to put in effort to plan even little stuff.
6. Try New Things
Getting stuck in routines with the kids and work can be rough, and it was once just too easy to get into the habit of watching TV or a movie in my downtime.
But I pushed myself to find things outside of that that made me happy- and that included trying new things that could bring even more dopamine!
I’ve made it a goal to try new things—whether it’s a new hobby, a new recipe, or even taking a different route on my daily walk.
Stepping out of my comfort zone has brought a sense of excitement and fun back into my life.
The new recipes are often a fun change of pace, and it doesn’t hurt to have more hobbies to pick from when you want to relax and have some enjoyable you time.
7. Unplug From Technology
I noticed that constantly being on my phone or laptop was draining me. Even TV or movies were becoming too much with more drama and tragedy, when I want some laughter and happiness instead!
So, I’ve started unplugging for certain periods each day, limiting when I could use my apps outside of chatting with family and friends.
It’s amazing how much more present I feel when I’m not glued to a screen. My focus is better, and I enjoy life more.
I find I’m not being as negative about things in our house or about my routine or heck even my hair. Spending less time online was a great idea, and I filled that time with better habits for success.
8. Create a Self-Care Routine
Remember this always- self-care isn’t selfish! You can’t be on your A-game or take care of things when you feel like falling apart, so make time to focus on your needs.
Self-care has been a game-changer for me. I talked about me time already, but there are many ways that can look, and some of it is pampering myself.
I schedule time for a hot bath, skincare routine, or reading a book. Taking time for myself has helped me recharge and be a better mom and wife.
I’ve even talked to my daughters about what it’s like to feel overstimulated and like things aren’t going well, and they’ve noticed when they feel that way and need some self-care time!
I love teaching them good habits, and I’m happy to let them read on their own, do some angry painting if they need to get the feels out, or whatever self-care would help them feel better.
9. Simplify Your Schedule
By simplifying my schedule and only committing to what really matters, I’ve found so much more peace and joy in my days.
I used to say yes to everything because I didn’t want to miss out (FOMO is real, guys!), but I’ve learned that less is more.
Burnout can come and take those fun times and turn them into an over-stimulating disaster. Now I’d rather focus on having some fun times but still haven’t some open and free time to focus on the girls or focus on me.
Think about how much time you have in the day for work, your family, your friends, and whatever else, and be realistic- do you want plans every Sat./Sun for the next 6 weeks?
That used to happen to me, and it’s a hard pass now!
10. Spend Time in Nature
Getting outside and soaking up the fresh air is one of the best ways I’ve found to reset.
Whether it’s a hike with the family or a solo walk, nature has a way of calming my mind and lifting my spirits.
Sometimes, this overlaps with going for my walks or runs and my exercise or even taking my girls out for some fun, but sometimes, I need to carve out time for this.
I like taking a blanket out and having our date nights outside, taking a drive out to the beach for my weekend me-session (or making it a whole family thing), and so much more.
11. Focus on Your Breathing
When I feel overwhelmed, I’ve started practicing deep breathing exercises. I found some really great calming breathing techniques, and use different types based on what emotions or situations I’m in.
Deep breathing helps me calm down and refocus in moments of stress. To take time to make my body feel less stressed so I can better tackle whatever is going on.
Taking just a few deep breaths can truly change how you’ll react in the moment when you’re ready to blow or just storm off.
12. Learn to Say No
This one has been tough for me, but I’ve learned that saying no is a form of self-care. It allows me to protect my time and energy for what truly matters.
The more I practice declining things, the more empowered I feel.
This goes hand in hand with scheduling less stuff, but it’s more than just going to all those parties and playdates- it’s declining doing favors and helping out when you’ve got a lot on your plate.
I have 2 active girls, life with my friends and family, and my loved ones know I have to better balance what I can and can’t do without sacrificing my free time.
You’ve got to balance when you say yes or no, based off of how much time and energy you have to give- and don’t feel guilty when you don’t have time or energy to do things!
13. Celebrate Small Wins
I’ve started celebrating the small victories in life—whether it’s crossing off a task from my list or making it through a tough day with a smile.
It’s important to acknowledge those moments and feel good about them.
And I don’t mean celebrate like get out the lobster and butter, but there are little things that you can do to reinforce the good things you’re trying to do.
You can share the good stuff you’ve been up to with family and friends, have a celebratory dance party with your kiddos (highly recommend LOL), buy yourself some flowers, cook your favorite meal, and more!
14. Focus on Positive Self-Talk
I used to be my own worst critic, but now I focus on talking to myself with kindness. I’ve pushed myself away from the glass is half empty and focusing on the fact that my glass has something in it and that matters.
Instead of dwelling on what I didn’t do perfectly, I remind myself of all the good things I’ve accomplished and that I still got things done.
There’s always tomorrow and I can be happy with growing and learning as a person with flaws.
Focusing on “coulda, shoulda, woulda” thoughts will just make me think nothing is ever good enough, and I don’t want life to be that way!
When things don’t go smoothly, I think about what I tried to do as my best in the moment, and the next time around, I can try to do it differently. We live and we learn.
15. Give Yourself Permission to Rest & Recover
One of the biggest shifts I’ve made is allowing myself to rest without guilt and seeing it as saying yes to me rather than no to others.
As a busy mom, it’s easy to feel like I always have to be productive, but I’ve realized that rest is just as important.
Taking time to relax, whether it’s a quick nap, reading a book, or just sitting with my own thoughts in the quiet, has helped me recharge and enjoy life more fully.
Rest isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for finding joy and balance.
Final Thoughts
These simple habits have helped me shift from feeling overwhelmed to more fulfilled. I really have found more enjoyment in my life, and have so much hope that you can, too!
By practicing gratitude, simplifying my schedule, moving my body, and being mindful, I’ve found joy in everyday moments.
The best part? These habits don’t require drastic changes—just small, intentional steps.
Whether you’re a busy mom, a professional, or anyone in between, these are easy ways to start enjoying life more and becoming the happiest, healthiest version of yourself.
