April 2019: Happiness Project Recap

I say this every month, but it’s honestly crazy to think that we are already at the end of April! For those of you who are just catching up, April has been overall a whole lot better than March in terms of my happiness project. 🙂

For the year of 2019, I decided to embark on a 12-month long happiness project, inspired by author Gretchen Rubin. Each month follows a different theme. At the end of the month, I share my results and findings. January focused on boosting physical wellness, February focused on decluttering and creating outer order, and March focused on practicing mindfulness. You can click the links to follow along and find out how I did!

My April theme was a little different: Slow Down and Lighten Up. This goal was, in part, inspired by hygge, or the Danish concept of contentment through coziness and comfort. This month, I incorporated the following practices:

• Enjoy a cup of tea in the morning.
• Light candles or diffuse essential oils after work.
• Under-react to a problem.
• Take time to be silly.
• Laugh out loud.

So how did I do? 

While I fell short on some of my goals, I really enjoyed the month of April! I found myself in the practice of brewing a hot cup of tea to settle down and unwind. I really enjoyed the ritual of drinking my tea and doing a little reading at home or outside. When life was busier, I drank tea at my desk at work, but I tried to incorporate that as a calming tradition as much as possible and it really did stick. Prioritizing those few minutes to unwind and refocus was truly a lifesaver in a month that otherwise included its share of burnout. I also loved incorporating aroma into my day, whether I lit a candle in the evenings or diffused some lavender or peppermint.

The other three items were a little harder, especially #3. Under-reacting to a problem felt terribly counterintuitive, but on the days I did it, it really did help. This is something that will take some practice for me. Laughing out loud and taking time to be silly were not always high on my priority list, but when things got hard, looking at a funny Instagram page (hello, Obvious Plant!) or watching an episode of Family Guy definitely helped distract from the seriousness from it all and allowed me to take a step back.

This month’s practices were much needed, and I’d like to continue focusing on lightening up and slowing down throughout the remainder of the year. One great way to do that will be through May’s theme of making time for friends, which will consist of the following:

• Practice “reverse gossip.”
• Remember birthdays.
• Show up.
• Be generous.
• Bring people together.

What goals are you working toward? Are you doing a happiness project? Sound off in the comments below!