Happy

You want your home to be a haven of peace, and all those who live there happy and blessed. However, you must realize that a family doesn’t just get this way without some hard work. It takes dedication and a commitment of your time and energy to have a happy and healthy family unit. So how do you create a peaceful place where you can entertain friends, relax, and live in harmony? Well, here are 20 tips that can help you.

20 Ways to Create an Environment for a Peaceful and Happy Home

Are you ready to make your household more peaceful? Try these easy tips.

1. Don’t Take Out Your Frustrations on Family Members

Life is frustrating, and it’s easy to take out those frustrations on your family members. If you want peace in your home, then you need to leave your troubles at the door. When you walk into your abode, it should be a place of peace and tranquility, and the best way you can do that is by not letting the outside problems influence what’s on the inside.

2. Resolve All Conflicts Before You Go to Bed

Unless you’re the perfect family, there will be occasions when you argue or have disagreements. While it’s perfectly normal to have these times of conflict, you should try to resolve all things before going to bed at night. You are not promised tomorrow, and should something happen during the night, you want your partner and children to know that you love them above all else.

3. Assign Tasks for Each Person, So Everyone is Involved in Upkeep

A household cannot run itself, nor can one-person handle everything. The best way to keep your home running like a fine oiled machine is to assign tasks for every person to do. To have a happy home and place to relax, every person must do their job.

4. Always Be Honest

Perhaps one of the things that have the most significant impact in a household is honesty. It means something when you can trust that the other inhabitants are telling you the truth. Even when it hurts or is hard to say, make sure you’re always honest.

5. Make Time For Each Other

Spending time together is the recipe for a happy home. While you may not take exotic vacations, you can watch a movie and pop popcorn together. It’s the little things that have the most significant impacts, especially when it comes to your time together.

6. Have Open Communication and Family Meetings

Family meetings are essential to clear the air. When issues do arise in your family unit, it’s best to meet them head-on rather than to try to sweep them under the rug. At the family meeting, allow everyone to speak what’s on their mind. Together, you can find a good compromise for whatever life throws your way.

7. Take Time for Family Dinners

Outside of entertaining friends, you want to make time for family dinners. There’s something special about the dinner table and sharing all the happenings of the day. Make sure that each person gets a chance to talk about their day, both good and bad. One day, they will remember the magic of sitting around the table, eating good food, and enjoying great conversation.

8. Value Each Other’s Opinions

Each person is a vital part of your happy home, and their opinions matter. Ensure that each person is heard even if it’s just a recommendation on the type of cereal to buy. When everyone feels essential, then the family unit can function healthily.

9. Choose Your Battles Wisely

When it comes to parenting, it’s not an easy task. As a parent, you must choose your battles wisely. This can be an essential bit of advice for your spouse too.

Sure, you may not like that your husband doesn’t shave for three days, but is it hurting you? Your kid may want to dye their hair purple, and you find it embarrassing, but it’s something that must be overlooked.

Remember, the bigger the deal you make of the small issues, the more trouble it will be. If you want something to change, then try using some reverse psychology.

10. Laugh Often

Do you often laugh? How can you have a happy home if there isn’t lots of laughter? Stop being so serious and functioning like a robot.

Take time to tell a funny joke, laugh at something silly that happened to you, or smile. You will be surprised how much better the dynamics of your home when there is plenty of humor.

11. Never Criticize or Be Judgmental

If you want your home to be a place to relax, then you want to feel like you are a contributing member. If you’re continually critical or judgmental of others, then you’re creating a negative dynamic.

No one wants to be judged and feel like they can’t do anything right. Stop being controlling and learn to accept the strengths and weaknesses of others.

12. Celebrate Victories No Matter How Small

An “A” on a math test might not be such a big deal to one child on the honor roll, but to the child who is struggling, that grade may mean everything. Celebrate the little victories as well as the big ones. Each person should feel like their accomplishments matter.

13. Live in the Moment

Do you spend so much time thinking about tomorrow and the day after that you forget to live in the moment? You will blink, and your children will be grown, and you will be in your Golden Years. Don’t forget to take the time to enjoy the here and now. Remember, today is a gift, which is why it’s called the present.

14. Develop a Positive Outlook and Rid Negative Energy

Do you want a happy home with serenity and peace? Well, you must shake off the negative energy that holds you back. Another way that you can help to rid the negativity is by burning sage.

Ancient Indian tribes learned the importance of burning sage to cleanse a space, and you should utilize whatever tools possible to ensure your home is a peaceful haven for all.

15. Spend Money and Time on Making Memories

While it’s fun to entertain friends, you should spend more time making memories. Do you spend your money on material possessions that you can’t take with you when you leave this earth? Why not spend your money on vacations and other adventures that will stick with your family for a lifetime.

Leave a legacy of someone who appreciated serenity and their happy home and lived a life full of adventure.

16. Limit Electronics

Spending too much time on electronics is not advisable. Start small by making dinners smartphone free and setting guidelines for how much time can be spent on television, computers, tablets, and phones.

Did you know that the American Pediatric Association recommends no more than two hours of screen time each day? That means your children shouldn’t be on anything electronic for more than a couple of hours. The effects of too much technology are damaging.

17. Don’t Air Dirty Laundry on Social Media

There’s nothing worse than a person that airs their dirty laundry on social media for all to see. When you have problems that disrupt your happy home, then you need to work on these issues from within. Don’t involve others, especially over social media channels, as it’s a recipe for disaster.

18. Forgive Often

If you want a place to relax and feel at home, you need to learn to forgive. No one can have peace and tranquility if they always feel like someone is holding a grudge against them. Be eager to forgive so that when you do something wrong, you too will be forgiven.

19. Give Preference to Entertaining Friends

There’s something special about inviting friends and relatives over for a barbeque or a cookout. Getting together with others, laughing often, and eating good food is special. You will make memories in your home and ensure that others feel the warmth of your happy place.

20. Don’t Try to Control Everything

Lastly, the best thing that you can do for your mental sanity is not trying to control everything. You must realize that some things are beyond your command.

Use your higher power for guidance and meditate for the times when things can be overwhelming. In this life, it’s impossible to have complete control over everyone or everything. Just do your best to make sure that you are happy and fulfilled, and maybe it will be infectious to others.

Final Thoughts on Creating a Peaceful and Happy Home for Your Family

Your home is the place where you hang your hat. It’s the space where you can relax, feel protected, and enjoy the serenity. By following these 20 tips, you can ensure that your home is a happy one where friends gather, and memories are made.

If you are always seeking permission from others in order to feel good, then you haven’t found true joy. Happiness comes from within, not from gaining the approval or validation of other people. You can’t count on external influences for everlasting contentment, because people come and go with the seasons. Someone who you considered your world could leave tomorrow and the light in your soul will follow right out the door with them.

Of course, we need other people in our lives, but we shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket. Finding contentment and fulfillment within ensures that you’ll always have your peace no matter what happens outside you. Below, we’ll go over why you should just do what makes you happy regardless of what others may say.

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” – Epictetus

7 Reasons to Stop Asking Others for Permission

Here are 7 reasons to stop seeking permission from others and just do what you want instead:

1. You are the one in the driver’s seat of your life.

When you seek permission from others about every decision, you invalidate yourself. Always needing other people’s approval will diminish your own light and power within, and you will start to second-guess your intuition. Remember that no one can truly make you happy but yourself, so it doesn’t make sense to rely on anyone else for validation. Any time you feel unsure about your life and future, simply go within and get in touch with your higher self for wisdom.

Many people have good intentions, but they can only speak from their own experiences and perspective about the world. They don’t know your heart as well as you do, so they can only offer advice based on their own opinions. Trust in yourself and allow the universe to guide you along your path. Other people can certainly help if they’ve been in your shoes before, but don’t make plans based on only their approval or disapproval of your choices.

2. You create your own joy.

Like we said in the beginning, relying on other people for happiness will only result in misery if that person decides to leave one day. Even if they stick by your side forever, no one person can fill all the holes in your soul. You must do the work yourself to find inner fulfillment. Whether that means following the dreams you’ve been too scared to go after, creating a business that gives you more free time, or training for a marathon, you should always do what makes your soul ignite with passion.

Of course, others can enjoy the ride with you, but they can’t steer the course of your destiny. You must take the reigns and charge full speed ahead toward what makes you come alive. So many people look outside themselves for answers and wonder why they can’t find them. Truthfully, the answers look different for everyone, so you must get in touch with your own soul if you want clarity about your life.

3. Seeking permission from others takes up valuable time.

If you always need permission from others, you will spend countless hours trying to get them to see things from your perspective. Instead of simply doing what you want, you’ll have to consult with them first and potentially waste time arguing with them about your plans. However, they may never see things from your point of view, which may lead to you giving up your dreams before you even take the first step. Needing validation creates an additional unnecessary step in the decision-making process.

You can inform other people about your plans or dreams, but don’t feel the need to engage in further conversation, especially if they want to argue. As long as you have made the choice that feels right in your heart, you don’t need anyone else to agree. Use your time wisely and work on your dreams rather than talking to others about them.

4. You’ll feel great freedom when you depend only on yourself.

It makes you feel empowered when you decide you don’t need anything but yourself to feel happiness. You don’t need permission from anyone to feel happy; it is your birthright. So, go ahead and claim what’s yours, and don’t let anyone squash what makes your little heart feel full. When you wake up to the realization that you create your reality, you’ll never have limiting beliefs again.

As the grand designer of your life, you’ve created everything you see around you. The job you have, your relationship and friendships, and the places you go everyday have all been a part of your masterpiece. Your own energy and vibrations attracted these experiences into your life, whether you knew it at the time or not. Since we all create our own realities, you simply need to align yourself with what you want, and then take action to manifest it.

Other people can help you reach your goal, but you hold the power within to enact change all by yourself. You don’t need anyone’s permission to initiate change or create a life you love. This brings us to our next point…

5. You can’t possibly please everyone, so why bother?

Scientists have found that people who want to please others all the time tend to experience higher levels of mental stress. They usually dislike confrontation, so they simply go along with the status quo just to keep the peace. People-pleasers also tend to have low self-esteem, so they don’t want to say anything that will cause the group to look down upon them. Wanting to make others happy doesn’t mean you have to neglect your own happiness in the process.

Seeking to make everyone happy only leads to misery, because it usually means you have given up your own opinions and beliefs in order to avoid guilt or shame. Those who engage in chronic people-pleasing tend to have an intense fear of rejection and will do anything to make sure people like them. However, if everyone likes you but you don’t feel the happiness within, you’ll only feel resentful and empty.

Other people must take responsibility for their own happiness, so don’t make another job for yourself by catering to their needs. Take care of yourself, and everything else will fall into place. Those who want the best for you will stick around, and those who took advantage of your kindness will leave once they’ve realized they can’t use you any longer.

6. You’ll lose yourself by seeking permission from others.

When you do everything to ensure others’ happiness but neglect your own, you will surely lose yourself in the process. As we said before, making other people happy doesn’t have to come at the expense of your own joy. First, you need to cater to your own health and fulfillment, and once you’ve filled your cup, you’ll be in a better position to truly help others.

People pleasers tend to have problems setting boundaries and remembering their own needs. However, you’ll start to get burnt out if you always put everyone before yourself.

7. You drain your own energy by giving away your power.

When you put other people’s opinions above your own, you give away your inner fire. Some people who don’t have the best intentions may take advantage of this, seeking to take control of your life. To avoid this, you should never ask people’s advice unless you really trust them and know them well. Even then, only ask permission from people whose lives will become affected by a decision.

For example, if you’ve been asked to move across the country for your job, you would obviously need to talk it over with your spouse or family first. However, if you don’t have anyone relying on you, you don’t owe them anything. It will only drain your energy reserves if you constantly need validation from other people.

Final thoughts about why you shouldn’t seek permission from others

Needing approval from others about every little thing leads to disempowerment and unhappiness. If you have a goal of being happy, you’ll only create more steps toward the final destination by relying on others to give you this feeling. In other words, you can’t count on anyone else to bring you happiness. However, when you depend on solely yourself, you find the freedom and wisdom you’ve been seeking.

Asking the advice of others doesn’t necessarily cause problems, but requiring someone to validate your choices will steal your power. If they don’t approve, then your dreams have just been canceled because the person you needed permission from didn’t agree. So, why even ask for others to approve of your decisions? If you’ve thought them through and have made them from the heart, then you’ve done the best you could.

Remember, others can walk the path with you, but they can’t walk it for you.

Guided meditation has become increasingly popular due to its instant benefits in our lives.

You’ve probably heard about meditation from a friend or somewhere on the wide web, but you’ve been too swamped to find out more.

Well, here’s the brief gist:

Meditation is a simple activity of sitting or standing still and concentrating on your breath. It helps you avoid stress and boost your happiness. Many practitioners admit to using meditation to improve their overall quality of life.

In guided meditation, an instructor assists you step-by-step as you connect into your soul and reach the meditative state. It’s an optimal method for those who are new to meditating to get the hang of it. You’ll find countless smartphone apps, YouTube videos, and social media groups to help you get started.

Here are 16 science-backed ways guided meditation helps you become happier:

1 – Decreases stress and anxiety

Stress reduction perhaps the most important benefit of meditation. Stress happens when we become overwhelmed with the rigors of everyday life. There’s just so much to do with so little time.

Many times, these concerns are works of imagination, but we send stress hormones to our body. Such habits repeated over time lead to intense anxiety and chronic stress.

Here’s how meditation helps you get rid of stress.

Guided meditation gives you mental space and clarity to organize your mind. What’s more, studies show that meditation helps to reduce cortisol(stress hormones) levels. And increase happiness hormones in the body.

2 – Fights depression

Depression is an insidious sickness that slowly robs you of your happiness and vitality. Depression not only affects your happiness and general well-being, but it also affects your mind and your decision making.

When you sit down to meditate, you connect deeply with yourself. And let go of stress and depression.

Furthermore, this study shows how meditation can help you get rid of negative ruminations—giving you an inner glow of happiness and fulfillment.

3 – Greater empathy and kindness

One easy way to become happier is by simply sharing with others. A little kindness you show goes a long way.

So go ahead and try complimenting your coworker’s dress, donating to charity, or listening to your partner when he or she tells you about their day.

4 – Stay in the present

Meditation makes you more present, calmer, and feel more connected to the world.

Studies show that certain kinds of guided meditation help you develop gratitude, understanding, and empathy for everyone.

Your attitude of gratitude will attract happiness to you.

5 – Develop more self-awareness

Research shows that when you see yourself clearly – you become more confident.

Have you ever been at a gathering with someone who always seems relaxed, calm, and collected as a coconut? He quickly connects with everyone. He never fazed by uncomfortable situations.

Don’t you sometimes wish you can be as fresh and calm as these people?

Yes, you can

The simple answer – you need to increase your self-awareness.

Guided meditation helps you remain fixed in the present moment. Brain-imaging research shows that meditation can help rid you of social anxiety. And make you more confident. You become a better communicator and build happier relationships.

6 – Improves your relationships

A secret that many of the most successful people know is developing quality relationships.

That’s right! Emphasis on quality.

“The quality of your life depends on the quality of your relationship.”

Quality relationships could be the difference between a failed company and a successful one, a painful divorce, and a successful marriage.

Maintaining our happiness also means developing and maintaining quality relationships.

Guided meditations help us foster more quality relationships by giving us the means to monitor our thoughts.

By doing this, we have a clear picture of how we see ourselves and how others see us.

7 – Improves your creativity

What would you give to unleash creative energy like Leonardo da Vinci?

What would your work look like if you could summon your inner creativity? Would your home life look different if you could become more spontaneous?

Creativity has long been with enhanced performance at work and general happiness. Creativity promotes out-of-the-box style thinking to help you solve problems and overcome challenging situations.

In this study, scientists found the often-overlooked influence of meditation on creativity and improved cognitive function.

The results?

We’ll give you the breakdown.

They found out that while guided meditation helps to enhance our emotional cognition, we also benefit improved mood and high levels of creativity. This, in turn, helps us to boost our performance and we remain happy while doing our work.

8 – Sharpen your memory

Well, you might ask – how does a cutting-edge memory help you be happy?

Let me explain.

Imagine if you could remember peoples’ names on the spot, or remember a minute detail about them. Imagine what that would do for your relationships. Perhaps you’d seamlessly build quality relationships. Maybe you communicate effectively with your workers or connect deeply with your husband.

Still not convinced?

Studies suggest that guided meditation can sharpen your memory and attention.

9 – Enhances deeper sleep

Studies show that sleep deprivation impairs attention and working memory, but it also affects other functions, such as long-term memory and decision-making.

On the other hand, quality sleep has long linked to improved performance.

Meditation can relax you and help to promote deeper sleep. In turn, you wake up in a glorious mood and high energy – ready to seize the day.

10 – Improves decision making and problem-solving

It’s no surprise that meditation practice is becoming more popular among top executives managing billion-dollar companies.

Indeed, many leaders attribute guided meditation as a way to build strong leadership skills.

And for a good reason too.

Studies show that people who meditate regularly assess different parts of their brains to make significant decisions.

You know how you sometimes get that gut feeling – the sudden burst of inspiration to a task that had been challenging. Many meditation specialists claim to experience intuitive guidance in their work.

11 – Mental clarity

We have all experienced fogginess and an inability to make decisions.

Frustrating, isn’t it?

When we sit down to meditate, we train our focus and concentration. Since the central practice of meditation is to anchor our attention on our breaths, it is no surprise that the same quality of awareness sips into other areas of our lives.

And on top of that, meditation improves our focus and allows clear thinking.

Multiple studies show higher performance with individuals that meditate as opposed to those who do not when carrying are varying cognitive tasks.

12 – Increases mental toughness and resilience

Having mental toughness and resilience means you can weather the storms in any situation. You can bear almost anything life throws at you.

Imagine if you could take on the toughest tasks like a navy SEAL. Will you get more work done?

Fortunately, you already know-how. Now here’s the exciting part.

Studies suggest that top athletes, politicians, and top CEOs practice meditation to develop resistance to stress and power through any stumbling blocks in their way.

13 –  Boosts immunity

Ever notice how sluggish you feel after an exhausting day at work? That’s stress.

Do you know that a 10-minute meditation can help rid you of stress while boosting your immune system to fight diseases?

That’s right!

A UCLA study shows that HIV patients who practiced mindfulness were able to slow down the spread of the virus in their bodies.

Guided meditation also helps your body produce more disease-fighting immune cells that protect your body.

14 – Preserves the aging brain

The key to happiness is a healthier mind and body. Along with improving attention and clarity, meditation helps strengthen more neural connections in your brain.

There are positive results that long-term meditation practice helps to keep your mind sharp and clear. It also prevents age-related memory loss and dementia by strengthening your brain health.

15 – Helps you lose weight and achieve your body goals

Do you regularly try to lose weight, but you find that either:

• You can’t maintain the healthy eating habit.
• You’re unable to get yourself to go to the gym.
• You can resist binge-eating unhealthy snacks.
• You think – what’s the use?

Meditation helps you control your impulsive actions, and more so helps you stay on course to reaching your weight loss goals.

Furthermore, one reason that may contribute to is stress eating. By meditating regularly, you reduce the stress and anxiety surrounding unhealthy food and reach your health goals.

16 -Destroys addictive habits

We all struggle with our addictions, whether we enjoy more caffeine than we should or a bag of salty chips in the evening.

Here is why we all have cravings. These addictions produce “feel-good hormones,” which make us happy and satisfy our cravings in the short-term.

Succumbing to our addictions leaves us devastated and powerless in the long run.

There is continuous evidence that meditation helps us control our cravings. Whether you are looking to quit smoking or you are trying to stop overeating, this study shows that guided meditation played an essential role in helping recent dieters stick to their healthy eating plan.

More than that, meditation let’s rewire the pleasure centers of our brains.

Final thoughts on guided meditation and increasing your happiness.

Meditation is an age-old practice that powerful CEOs, top martial artists, famous Hollywood actors, influential bloggers, bestselling authors, well-known media personalities, high military ranks, revered artists, and gold medal Olympic athletes all employ to live happier lives.

But the truth is…

Anyone can use guided meditation to boost their happiness. Best of all, it is free, and you can carry it anywhere you go.

Even when life is disappointing, you can still be happy. It doesn’t require you to be delusional or resigned to negativity. You choose how you cope in every life situation.

You’ve lived long enough to understand that nothing goes as planned. No matter how hard you try or how noble your cause, there will always be learning curves and unexpected setbacks. Part of living makes you realize that there are some things you can’t control.

When we talk about upsets and disappointments in our lives, we categorize them by intensity. For example, getting a ding on your car door and wrecking your car are two different upsets. We go throughout our life, coping with adverse situations of all degrees.

Are You Happy…or Is Life Disappointing?

What is your definition of happiness? Does it represent a blissful life that is free of problems? Of course, this concept doesn’t represent reality.

When your life is on the upbeat, you probably feel what we call happiness. If something or someone throws a wrench in your plans, your happy emotions turn into a deflating balloon. So, satisfaction is a fleeting emotion that depends on the environment and circumstances.

The world bombards us with slogans, artwork, and advertisements that encourage us to be happy. Of course, marketing spends billions of dollars each year to tell you how to accomplish this. But when disappointing situations happen in your life, will materialism buy your happiness?

No matter your circumstances, you can be more than happy. You can choose optimism, which is not an emotion. When you decide to be joyful, you transcend the fickle feelings of happiness and can cope with disappointment.

Are you happy? Do the things you have, and the accomplishments you’ve made bring you joyfulness even when things are a mess? Perhaps taking an honest look at your happiness definition can answer the question.

What Makes You Content?

We’ve all made a happy list since childhood. Remember sitting in school and daydreaming about your future instead of listening to the teacher’s lecture? You were probably deciding what you wanted to be when you grew up.

No doubt, your happy list expanded and changed exponentially over the years. Few people become what they dreamed of being as a child. Your career path may have changed several times over the years, and you may have encountered disappointment along the way.

Do you have your dream career, home, or experiences? Did you marry the kind of person you have always wanted as a spouse? Do you have all the things and accomplished everything you wanted as evidence of happiness?

Why Does Life Feel Disappointing to You?

Neither being destitute nor wealth should define you. You needn’t deny yourself every comfort of life to experience happiness unless you desire a monastic lifestyle. However, drowning yourself in materialism may make you happy for a while, but unpleasant circumstances happen to us all.

Like water, humans seek their level. Remember when you pleaded for the latest fad toy in the store, and you got one as a gift? You were encouraged for a while, and then you were longing for something bigger and better.

This paradox is not limited to children. As we get older, we seek more and more to replenish our depleted happiness. Unfortunately, the more we get, the more it eventually takes to make us happy.

Even if you won the lottery, studies show that most people will be at the same level of happiness that they were before the landslide win. Millions of dollars can buy you almost anything you can imagine, but they won’t sustain your joy before you need more.

When Life Gives You Lemons

We’ve all heard the platitudes and seen the memes that encourage us to make the most of a bad situation. If life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? What if you don’t like lemons or lemonade?

Everyone, rich or poor, has had their share of disappointing times. If your happiness depended on a perfect life, you would never have it. Setbacks in life are inevitable, and you won’t be happy every moment.

One way to cultivate joy during trying times is to dispel the myth of perpetual happiness. Every time you read a magazine, see a billboard, or an advertisement, you are bombarded with images of perfection. These visually enhanced models are surrounded by all the goods and services that society dictates you must have for happiness.

What do you do when that luxury car needs a new transmission, or the basement floods and ruins the floors in your dream house? How do you go on when your Knight in Shining Armor is seeing another damsel behind your back?

At some point, you must decide to have joy, regardless of your plight. It doesn’t mean you aren’t hurt, angry, and feel incredibly disappointed. You muster that inner joyfulness that gives you the strength to go on with your life.

Invest in Your Joyfulness

Most of the world’s religions warn of the frivolity of materialism. Instead, they prize honesty, virtue, and character above riches. Their sacred writings overflow with examples of choosing intangible gifts above material wealth.

In the same way that your bank accounts earn interest each month, your joyfulness compounds with the right attitude. Unlike cash, your spiritual accounts can never diminish, unless you choose. Making wise investments in these will bring you joyful dividends, regardless of your circumstances.

How do you make these intangible investments? You concentrate on the things in your life that truly matter. Instead of working yourself to the bone for something that won’t last, you can build on a foundation of joyfulness that will endure for a lifetime.

Gratitude is another gold standard of spiritual investment. When you are grateful for all the blessings you have, it will sustain you when things aren’t going as planned. You find delight in the smallest blessing, and you are less likely to become unsettled when disappointing things happen.

Time is a precious commodity that you can neither buy nor sell. From the wealthiest billionaire in the world to the most impoverished villager, we all have twenty-four hours in a day. Because of our limited-time account, we discover joyfulness when we spend it wisely.

When you spend quality time with family and friends, their love strengthens you when disappointment unbalances your life. Even when things don’t go as planned, you feel encouraged by those around you. It brings you the happiness that materialism can’t supply.

Reevaluate Your Expectations

In “National Lampoon’s classic Christmas Vacation,” Chevy Chase portrayed a loving husband and devoted family man who longed for the perfect holiday. No matter how hard he tried, his good intentions were foiled by family members and laughable misfortunes.

Can you see yourself in that character Clark Griswold? Is every holiday and special occasion around your place jinxed because they didn’t meet your standards of perfection? Maybe it’s time to reevaluate what you expect in life.

This reevaluation doesn’t imply that you shouldn’t dream or be halfhearted in the things you do. It merely means that you redefine what makes a joyful holiday or event. If everyone is happy and surrounded by love, then you can consider your gathering a success.

Think about the last holiday you spent with your family and how you felt. Were you exasperated trying to create a scene in time reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting? When you learn to relax and enjoy the moment, you won’t worry about perfection, and your joyfulness will overflow.

Always Have a Plan B

The motto of scouting is always to be prepared. If you believe in Murphy’s Law and have experienced it, you know that things rarely go as you hoped. Without a backup, one little mishap can make your plans topple like a house of cards.

It’s not pessimistic to expect something to go wrong, because we still live in an imperfect world. When you have an alternate plan, you can always make things work. Sometimes, joyfulness comes from taking an unexpected path.

Maybe you are one of those people who tend to over-analyze situations. You can be so busy overworking the details that you miss the whole picture. Knowing more ways than one to get to where your going is always a benefit.

Final Thoughts on Staying Happy Despite Disappointing Circumstances

Have you ever noticed that virtues are linked to each other? When you use one, the others must follow. Allowing more compassion into your life brings love, peace, and joyfulness as fringe benefits.

When you are less judgmental of yourself and others, you may notice that you don’t feel disappointed as often. As you extend grace when you or somebody else makes a mistake, you’ll discover that joyfulness doesn’t require perfection.

Practice being more patient and compassionate each day. When someone shows you the same courtesy, make it a point to be grateful. Watch how these virtues work in tandem to minimize disappointing situations.

If you want more joyful moments in your life, understand that it’s a practice, not perfection. Even when disappointing situations come your way, it’s ok to be unhappy. Then, you pick yourself up and continue your journey with the joyfulness you’ve kept in reserve.

Clean Teeth, Happy Family: How to Find the Best Family Dentist

Your family needs clean, healthy teeth—but no one likes going to the dentist.

Finding the right family dentist can be challenging. You need someone who understands how to treat teeth from the young to the old. 

You might not look forward to taking your kids to the dentist, but it’s critical to take good care of your youngster’s teeth. In kids aged 6–19 years, dental cavities (tooth decay) is the most common chronic disease. This can lead to infection and pain. 

An excellent dentist makes it more enjoyable to schedule visits. How do you find the best family dentist? Here’s your guide. 

Check Your Insurance

Start with dentists in your network. You can ask friends for referrals (and you should!). However, if your insurance doesn’t cover a highly-recommended dentist, you’ll find teeth cleanings, and other dental work gets expensive. 

Most dental insurance plans don’t function in the same way as your health insurance. Many dentists have more flexibility in how they work with dental insurance providers. 

If your current dentist is no longer in your network, or you find a dentist that seems perfect but isn’t in your network, talk with them. They might offer payment plans or comparable rates to being an in-network dentist. 

But, if it’s not an option to stay with your first choice of dentist, as them for recommendations. Dentists understand that treatments are expensive, or that different dentists can help with different needs. They’re often connected enough to know another great dentist that works for your insurance or budget. 

Ask Your Friends

You can do this before you check your insurance (see above). However, it’s often more budget-friendly to find your top choices from within your dental insurance network first.

Once you have a few options, ask your friends if they know those dentists, how they work, and if they’re suitable for the whole family.

Friends and family understand the importance of a dentist who handles both kids and adults well. Your circle of friends will give honest input about a dentist and what they like or don’t like about a dentist on your list. 

Check the Location

A top-rated dentist can be tough to find. An excellent dentist that’s close to your kid’s school, your home, or your work is even more challenging to find. 

With at least two visits to the dentist per year for each member of your family, make sure your dentist is convenient. You’ll take kids out of school and take time away from work to care for your family’s teeth.

Unless you have unique circumstances or truly prefer one specific dentist across town, don’t compile a list of recommended dentists that are too far away. For instance, if you’re in the Toledo area, find a dentist in the area. 

Going to the dentist can feel like an inconvenience. Don’t make it a bigger hassle by choosing a dentist that is outside of your day-to-day area. 

Visit the Office

When you’ve done your research to narrow your dentist search, visit the office. 

• Is it comfortable? 
• Is it kid-friendly? 
• Is it in a reputable location?
• Is it clean?
• Is the staff friendly and competent?

Ask about their treatment procedures. How do they treat pain when filling cavities? What products do they use for teeth cleanings? Make sure you’re comfortable with how they handle your mouth and your family’s mouths. 

Talk with the dentists and the staff. Most adults can adapt to a new dental hygienist and procedures easier than children. Make sure the staff and the office environment works well for your children. You don’t want your kids to dread going to the dentist twice a year. 

Verify Credentials

There are good dentists with training and experience. Then there are “budget” dentists who probably cost less but who might not be the best choice to handle your family’s dental needs. 

The American Dental Association (ADA) is one of the most well-known associations to help you find a reputable dentist. But not all excellent dentists register with the ADA. 

It’s not necessary to restrict your dentist search to only ADA-registered dentists. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health, and the Academy of General Dentistry are a few other reputable organizations that support quality dentists. 

No matter your potential dentist’s organization affiliation, be sure they are fully qualified Doctors of Dentistry. Without that licensing, a dentist lacks the experience and knowledge to care for your teeth. 

After-Hours Care

Sometimes tooth emergencies happen on the weekend. When that happens, you don’t want to wait until Monday for relief from pain. 

What is your dentist’s after-hours policy? They don’t have to offer after-hours, emergency help in their office. But it’s critical that they can connect you to a local partner dentist who can help your family with an oral issue after office hours. 

Finding the Best Family Dentist Improves Smiles!

Turn your family’s frowns upside down. Finding the best family dentist for your family helps improve their smiles—in more ways than one!

Most dental practices have come a long way from a cold, intimidating environment. Many dentist offices have screens for kids (and adults) to watch movies while the hygienist works on your teeth. 

Going to the dentist doesn’t have to be something your family hates to do! Find the right environment for your family and a payment plan or in-network dentist that helps your budget. 

If you found this article helpful, be sure to check out some of our other articles to help your family stay healthy! 

Building Loyalty: Tips for Making and Maintaining Happy Customers

Keeping customers is one of the most challenging things about running a business. However, if you can improve your customer retention, you’ll save time and money. 

On average, it costs about five times more to acquire new customers than it does to retain current customers. Focusing your marketing dollars and time to build loyalty is going to pay off much better in the long run. 

How do you make happy customers that keep coming back? It starts with you and how you treat your customers in a few critical areas. 

Do What You Say

First things first: keep your promises. 

Customers can quickly sniff out a company that doesn’t honor its policies. Whatever you promise for a sale, a service, or a return, make sure you follow through exactly as promised. 

• On the one hand, you want to demonstrate that you care about your customers. Righting a wrong or working with a customer to make sure they have what they need goes a long way. 

• On the other hand, unhappy customers love to tell everyone. Your reputation is always at stake. Customer satisfaction goes a long way toward earning positive reviews and customer referrals. 

Offering a steadfast return policy is an excellent way to ensure your customers are happy. No one wants to live with a product that doesn’t work or isn’t what they expected. 

Don’t make customers work too hard to return a product. If it’s an easy process for them to communicate with you and receive a satisfactory solution, they’ll keep you in mind for future purchases. 

Consistent Communication

Customers love good communication. Whether it’s an update about tracking for an order or a heads up about special offers, providing consistent communication is part of making customers happy. 

Be Proactive

Sometimes waiting too long to reach out is enough to lose a customer. Proactive communication keeps you top of mind with customers. 

Be careful not to spam email inboxes with too many messages. Communicating too frequently is an easy way to make customers unsubscribe and shop somewhere else. 

However, don’t wait until a customer reaches out to you. Follow-up after a sale or service. Send exclusive offers to current customers. Ask for feedback instead of waiting for a customer to come back to you.

Be Responsive

When a customer reaches out to you or leaves a comment on your website or social media pages, respond promptly. Don’t wait more than 24 hours to respond to a customer message. 

Putting off a response to a complaint or failing to resolve a situation quickly turns customers off. A complaint doesn’t go away if you ignore it. Great companies respond to every legitimate issue with prompt apologies and a resolution. 

This goes for good comments, too! Acknowledge a customer who posts a positive review or sends a grateful email. 

Listen to Feedback

If you’re communicating regularly with customers, you’ll get plenty of feedback. It’s critical to listen to feedback and react in positive ways. 

You don’t have to do everything that every customer suggests. You’ll know when you’re getting useful feedback that can help the customer experience rather than people wanting changes to try and get more out of you.

With the feedback that requires action, make sure your customers feel heard. Tell them you’re considering what they have to say and you’ll get back to them. 

When customers feel heard, they feel valued!

Reward Loyalty

Customers love receiving something for nothing! They also love gifts for engaging in social media or other contests. 

Be selective and strategic when offering discounts or gifts. The right incentives or thank-you gifts at the right time can help you keep loyal customers longer. 

It’s essential to avoid creating a customer base that only purchases when there’s a discount or free offer. You don’t want customers who are solely motivated by what you give them.

However, with genuinely loyal customers and fans, a gift or reward goes a long way if it has perceived value. Rewards don’t have to be expensive. Prioritize thoughtful rewards over expensive gimmicks to keep customers. 

Consider things like an exclusive discount, free shipping for VIP customers, or special occasion gifts. Give according to the season. Branded corporate Christmas gifts for your best customers not only makes them feel special, it’s good advertising for your brand. 

Say, “Thank You”

If you can’t offer gifts, that’s okay! Start with what you can do. 

Thanking your customers might seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook. You can get caught up in chasing sales, shipping orders, and working on other aspects of your business. You might think you thanked your customers without really doing it.

The words “thank you” go a long way toward happy customers. If you’re wondering how to keep customers in one of the simplest, more cost-effective ways, being thankful for their purchase is simple and meaningful.

They won’t know it if you don’t tell them, but it’s important to do it right. Thanking customers—personally and individually—without asking for another purchase in your thank-you message is a powerful way to engage with customers. 

Feeling appreciated helps customers come back for more. 

Be the Expert

If you sell something or provide a service, be the expert. Customers are more likely to buy from companies that know what they’re doing. 

People don’t always know what they need. When you can provide options or the solution they need, they’ll remember that you’re an expert.

Being the go-to expert can lead to more customer referrals, too.

Happy Customer Keep Coming Back!

If you’re losing customers or your business survives on one-off purchases, try focusing on what you can do to make happy customers. 

It might not be about anything you’re doing wrong. It could be a matter of what more you can do right.

The more happy customers you have, the better success you’ll have for your business. Be sure to check out some of our articles about marketing and promoting your business to build your customer base. 

Breathe Easy Busy Bodies: How to Stay Healthy and Happy When You’re Super Busy

In a 2017 poll, only 33% of Americans said they felt “happy.” Now, happiness is a difficult thing to define, much less quantify. But the poll results do tell us something about the state of our psyches.

We are overworked, underpaid, and stressed to the max. If you’re looking for ways to stay healthy and happy in these super busy times, look no further. 

Make the Time for Sleep

We all know that sleep is important in determining our quality of life, yet it’s the thing we decide to skimp on first. Maybe it’s because we don’t know just how important sleep is. 

Sleep is a major determinant in your moods on a day-to-day basis. Sleep deprivation can lead to greater feelings of anger, sadness, and anxiousness. So try to make time to sleep, even if that means sacrificing in other areas. 

Meditation

The scientific jury is still out somewhat, in what exactly the physiological benefits of mediation are, but so far, we know that they’re good. Frequent meditators report feeling less stressed and happier. 

These days, you don’t even have to join a Buddhist monastery to find the time to meditate. With the help of smartphone apps like Headspace or Calm, you can find the time to meditate in short, 10-20 minute bursts.

It’s Okay to Say No

The common refrain “You have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyonce” is true, but Beyonce actually knows how to manage her commitments. Many of us don’t.

Even with way too much on our plate, many of us can’t seem to stop saying yes to new responsibilities. If people are constantly coming to you for favors and tasks, you have to know that it’s okay to say no to things. 

This will lead to less stress and more happiness. After all, it’s better to do a few things very well than it is to do a lot of things poorly.

Find and Maintain Intimacy

Life is hard, and you shouldn’t have to go it alone. Finding and maintaining intimacy, platonically or romantically, is a huge key to happiness in life. When sharing a kiss, a hug, or having sex with someone, our brains release oxytocin, otherwise known as the “feel good” chemical. 

It can be difficult to find time for friends or lovers with a busy work schedule, but time well-spent with these people in your life makes for a much happier one. If you need help finding ways to stay intimate with your partner, make sure to follow this advice. 

Need More Advice for Staying Happy While Super Busy?

Hopefully, this article has given you some coping mechanisms for managing your super busy lifestyle. You just have to remember to take a breath, smell the roses, and partake in some self-care. 

However, if you’d like more advice on how to stay healthy and happy in these trying times, be sure to check out the rest of our articles, like this one on how to reduce workplace headaches.