1. Make your bed
It sounds simple, but start each day as you mean to go on by making your bed.
This sage advice was given in an address to the graduates of the University of Texas in 2014 by Admiral William H McRaven: “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.”
So, start small. Maintaining an honoured sanctuary is also wonderful for our wellbeing.
2. Sing!
Put your favorite song on while you’re in the shower. Preferably something upbeat. And sing along! Whether you can hold a tune or not, release those good endorphins and smile or giggle at yourself.
Even if just in the privacy of your bathroom, you can practice the admirable art of not taking things so seriously.
3. Don’t save clothes or jewellery for ‘best’
Wear your favourite things often and enjoy them. It’s such a shame that the items we spend most money on often see the least amount of use. Get that cost per wear right down!
Live each day like it’s your last – it’s a cliché, but when it comes to your wardrobe, flaunt it! Your confident choices and radiance will be infectious to everyone around you. And you’ll feel like a film star.
4. Smile often
Research shows the act of smiling, even if we don’t particularly feel like it in the moment, can trigger happier feelings within. Something worth fostering.
5. Prep your food
Prepare a delicious breakfast bircher bowl of muesli, yoghurt and fruit (we like grated apple and raisins with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar) or a light lunch salad the night before while you listen to a podcast or watch something fun on your phone. It’s a gift to your future self and healthier than a ready-made snack to boot.
6. Make a playlist
Make a kickass soundtrack for your day for the way in to work, a walk into town or your running circuit.
Many melomaniacs would agree: a good playlist is an art form in its own right! Spend some time enjoying the process of curating the perfect upbeat selection of bangers. All killer no filler.
7. Take your energy up a notch
This is a neat little rule to remember: if you’re lacking motivation, move a little more. So, if you’re sitting, stand up. If you’re walking, jog. Anytime you’re feeling blah, try to crank your activity up one notch and see if you can carry that extra dynamism through to your emotional state too.
8. Cover your tablecloth in confetti
Celebrate the every day with bright party-styled tableware
Project by Zoe Bateman
You will need:
- Plain tablecloth or sheet
- Matching sewing thread
- YUPO paper
- Craft knife
- Cutting mat
- Fabric scissors
- Paint brushes
- Paint palette
- Acrylic paint in yellow, pink, purple, green and blue
- Textile medium
- DK yarn in yellow
- Card
1. If you’re using a sheet or larger tablecloth for the project, make sure to hem the edges first so it fits the intended table. If not, start with Step 3.
To hem, cut the fabric to the right size for the table, then fold the edges to the wrong side by about 2cm (3⁄4"). Pin along each folded edge, as shown.
2. Use a sewing machine and matching sewing thread to sew along the pinned edges. Use a 1.5cm (5/8") seam allowance and remove the pins as you go.
3. To make the stencil, use the free templates on gathered.how to cut out the different terrazzo shapes.
Next, arrange the cut out shapes on the YUPO paper, or on a piece of thick card, making sure to space the shapes out evenly. Draw around each one with a pencil.
4. Cut out the shapes using a craft knife and cutting mat. Although YUPO paper is fairly tough, be careful not to tear it when cutting, as this will affect the stencil.
5. Mix the first colour using the acrylic paint as it is, or by mixing multiple colours together to create your desired shade. When you’re happy with the colour, add the textile medium. Add one part textile medium to one part paint and mix together thoroughly, stirring for about 30 seconds to make sure they’re fully combined.
6. Lay the tablecloth out on a flat surface. You may want to place newspaper underneath it to protect the surface.
Place the stencil on top of the tablecloth and use a paintbrush to paint the first colour on through one of the shapes. Brush from the outside in so the paint doesn’t go under the edge of the stencil, and don’t use too much paint at once.
Once the first shape is filled, move the stencil to another spot and paint the shape again. Continue repeating this process until the first shape is evenly distributed across the tablecloth.
7. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 for each of the other paint colours, moving the stencil around and painting until the tablecloth is covered. Use the main image as a guide.
8. Leave the tablecloth to dry for 24 hours before heat setting the paint. This isn’t an essential step, but if it isn’t heat set, the paint will come off when the tablecloth is washed.
To heat set, simply iron on a medium heat with no steam – this will ruin the paint – focusing on one area at a time. Press each painted area for around three to five minutes to make sure it’s fully bonded to the fabric.
9. To make the decorative tassels, wrap the yarn around a piece of card approximately 20cm (77/8") in length. Keep wrapping until you have enough yarn for the thickness of tassel you’d like. The more yarn you wrap around, the chunkier the finished tassel will be.
10. Cut along one end of the bundle, as shown, holding it securely at the opposite end to keep the strands of yarn in place. This will create a bundle of yarn that’s folded at one end and loose at the other end.
11. Cut another length of yarn and wrap it around the bundle roughly 2cm (3⁄4") down from the folded end. Tie it securely to keep the bundle in place, then let the ends hang down with the other strands.
12. Sew the finished tassel onto one corner of the tablecloth. Repeat Steps 9-12 three more times to add a tassel to each corner of the tablecloth. Trim the ends to neaten.
9. Get yourself some flowers
Don’t wait for someone else to send you a bouquet, choose one for yourself. You could even set up a monthly or fortnightly subscription to a floristry service to keep the happy mail coming.
Fresh blooms smell great, look amazing and remind us of the beauty of the world we live in. You could regularly pick a bunch from your garden if you’re able or choose a bunch at the supermarket to brighten up your errands for just a couple of quid.
10. Connect with nature
Factor in some time as often as you can to walk barefoot on grass or sand – physically connecting to Mother Nature.
Multiple studies have shown that spending time in, or even just looking at, nature naturally decreases stress hormones. It’s a great way to recharge your batteries and realign with what’s important; to feel grounded and thankful.
11. Make a plan
Getting stuck in a rut of doing the same thing every day or feeling a bit aimless in life generally can make us miserable. Sit down and really think about what you want and make a plan. Small steps make it manageable rather than overwhelming.
Let’s say you really want to travel to South America. Detail how you’ll save up to buy your ticket each month and maybe research taking Spanish or Portuguese lessons in the meantime. Start even sooner by making yourself arepas or ceviche for dinner tonight. It’s all about the journey after all.
12. Dance!
Dare to dance to the beat of your own drum. As the saying goes, ‘dance like no-one is watching’. We’re talking kitchen discos and blasting the speakers when you’re tidying.
Think of it less as exercise and more fun. Learning to find enjoyment moving your body is a life lesson in itself but it unlocks so much joy.
Struggling to sleep?
Enjoy better sleep with our article on the science-backed hack that will fix your insomnia.
13. Treat yourself
Do nice things for yourself often – treat yourself like you would your best friend. This can take so many forms, from booking your place on an art class you’ve always wanted to try to taking the afternoon off to have a long bath. It often feels silly or selfish but it’s sometimes essential to put ourselves first – fill your cup.
14. Write it down
Whether you keep a gratitude journal or a diary or you like to write poetry or lyrics, putting your thoughts into words is a skill that’s both good for your brain and your soul.
Wellness experts often refer to ‘releasing emotions on the page’, unburdening yourself of your worries or concerns, so they aren’t rolling around in your head all day.
Maybe you like to write good, old-fashioned letters and cards to friends and family. Putting pen to paper makes us happy for many reasons.
15. Make a colourful cushion cover
Enjoy the sense of achievement that making your own happy furnishings can bring
Project by Ruth Hughes
You will need:
- Linen fabric: 35x35cm, beige x2
- Yarns and threads in a variety of colours and weights
- Embroidery hoop: 25cm diameter
- Polyester stuffing
- Sewing machine with standard foot
- Machine cotton: beige
- Basic embroidery kit
1. Before you start, decide on the fabric and the colour scheme. The base fabric needs to be strong enough to support the thicker yarns. Select yarns and threads in a variety of textures and thicknesses.
Once you are happy with your chosen selection, position one piece of fabric centrally in your embroidery hoop. Pull the fabric taut and then secure it in place.
2. Using the main image as a guide, sketch out your own abstract design, making sure its roughly a square shape and allows room around the edge to sew your cushion together. You can draw this directly onto your fabric using an erasable pen. The abstract nature of this design means you can play around with it as much as you’d like.
3. Start stitching just off the centre of the pattern, working the bigger, flatter areas first. Use vertical Satin Stitch to create some large squares, referring to the image below as a guide. Stitch all the large squares using the same yarn or thread.
4. Using some of your finer yarns, embroider any remaining squares and rectangles in Satin Stitch, using a mixture of horizontal and vertical stitches. Try to get a really sharp edge for these, as they’ll create a nice contrast to the other softer shapes and textured areas.
Make sure to keep the tension consistent to ensure the stitches sit neatly together. It’s important to start with Satin Stitch to create a nice base layer for our chunky textured stitches to build upon.
5. Next, take the softer, chunkier yarns and move on to filling any areas in between these squares with French Knots or Seed Stitch.
6. Use chunky yarn to work some long Straight Stitches over the top of the French Knots and across the large squares.
7. Using Straight Stitch and one of your chunkier yarns, create a fan shape at the bottom of the embroidery, then near the top of the embroidery.
8. Finally, work small, scattered Straight Stitches and French Knots to balance out the texture in the design.
9. Once the embroidery is finished, remove the fabric from the hoop. Weave in any loose ends at the back to secure them in place and trim away any excess lengths.
10. Place the second piece of fabric on top of the embroidered piece, right sides together, aligning the raw edges. Sew around all four edges with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving a 7.5cm gap for stuffing.
11. Carefully turn the cushion cover through to the right side. It may need a press with a cool iron to remove the indentation from the hoop. If so, be careful not to press over any of the embroidery or get the heat too close to the yarns as it could damage them.
12. Fill the cushion with stuffing, pushing it into the corners with a knitting needle or similar item. To finish, use matching sewing thread to hand-stitch the gap closed with invisible stitch (also known as Slip Stitch or Ladder Stitch) worked close together.
16. Cook your favourite meal
…or someone else’s! You might be lucky enough to know someone whose love language is food – embrace their energy to show yourself the same care. A little time and planning makes a special moment for everyone involved and brings so much cheer.
17. Organise your space
It can feel daunting but pick just one corner or one set of drawers and get to work decluttering and organising. You’ll feel SO GOOD afterwards. A clean room really lifts your spirits.
18. Take up a hobby
Invest in you! Big companies often spend money upskilling their staff in areas they’d like to progress in – do the same for yourself. It’ll broaden your horizons, help you meet more people and give you extra layers of enjoyment in life.
19. Spend time with a good book
Getting lost in a faraway fantasy world, investing in a beloved character or simply enjoying a good yarn is excellent escapism.
By encouraging your imagination to visualise different possibilities, you’re also giving your brain a thorough work out, and it’s all good practice for applying to the real world.
20. Catch up with loved ones
‘Spend more time with people you love’ – it’s one of the most common pieces of advice given from people reaching the ends of their lives for good reason.
For all the time we worry about money or stress about work, a lot of that energy could be used arranging more coffees and lunches and ambles in the countryside with friends and family. Pick one of your favourite people right now, text them and arrange a meet-up!
21. Grow something
People with allotments are happier. We don’t have proof of that but it must be true, right?! Investing time and energy into nurturing something not only gives you a sense of purpose and satisfaction but it keeps you going, continually checking on its progress. Tend to a plant and in turn, you also tend to yourself.
22. Do a good deed
The quickest way to feel a surge of happiness? Help a fellow being in need. Pay for the stressed mum’s coffee in the café, pass on your pay-and-display receipt to the next driver or offer to do a shop for an older neighbour.
Even smiling when you pass a stranger in the street or giving someone a compliment can vastly improve both their day and yours!
23. Cuddle up
Whether that’s a significant other or a lovely pet, have a thing to hug! Touch is so important to us humans. It calms our nervous system and slows our heartbeat.
And as skin is the largest organ in your body, a hug sends tons of touch sensations to our brains to release oxytocin, which makes us feel good and firms up emotional and social bonds while lowering anxiety and fear. Which equals happy!
24. Crochet this happy family of kitchen jars
These little characters are guaranteed to raise a smile when you’re making a cuppa
Project by Anabela Felix
You will need:
- DMC Natura Just Cotton, 100% cotton, 50g/155m per ball, or similar 4 ply/fingering cotton in colours of your choice
- 2.5mm (UK 12, US C/2) crochet hook
- Glass jars
- Stitch marker
- Black and red Pilot Frixion erasable pens or any other pen that can write on glass
- Tapestry needle
Abbreviations (UK):
- st(s) stitch(es)
- ch chain
- ss slip stitch
- dc double crochet
- tr treble
- yrh yarn round hook dc2tog double crochet 2 together (insert hook in next st, yrh and draw loop through) twice, yrh and draw through all 3 loops on hook.
- Magic ring hold thread in your hand and wrap working yarn around forefinger twice to create ring, slip ring off your finger and insert hook to pick up first st, ch1, then work the necessary sts for round 1 and close the ring tightly by pulling the loose end.
Notes:
The lid and base of these jar cosies are worked in continuous rounds like a spiral. You may find it helpful to use a stitch marker at the beginning of each round.
The base is made from the bottom upwards and the lid is made from the top downwards. You can vary the height to suit your jar or design.
The instructions are the same for the lid and base. You can adjust the height of each by varying the number of rounds.
Round 1: Start with a magic ring. Make 6dc into the ring and close the ring tightly by pulling the loose end. Mark the first stitch of the next round with a removable stitch marker. Reposition the marker at the beginning of each round.
Round 2: 2dc in each st around [12dc]
Round 3: (1dc in next st, 2dc in next st) 6 times [18dc]
Round 4: (1dc in each of next 2sts, 2dc in next st) 6 times [24dc]
Round 5: (1dc in each of next 3sts, 2dc in next st) 6 times [30dc]
Round 6: (1dc in each of next 4sts, 2dc in next st) 6 times [36dc]
At this stage, your lid or base is starting to form a hexagonal shape.
Continue in this way, increasing the number of single dc between the increases until your crochet piece is about the same size as your jar base or lid.
Next round: On the following round, you will make a decrease where you’ve made an increase on the previous round. Make the same number of single dc as the last round and then dc2tog over the increase in the last round, continue until the end of the round.
Next round: 1dc in each st around. Repeat last round until you have your desired size, ss to join the last round. Break yarn and fasten off, weave in ends. You’re now ready to make cosies for all your jars.
Finishing:
Now comes the fun part – drawing faces on your jars! Frixion pens are great for this, as you can draw, erase and draw again if you’re not happy with your first try. Plus, you get to change the faces any time you wish.
Shell edging (optional):
You can add a shell edging to the top edge of the base as follows: *1dc in next st, miss 2 sts, 8tr in next st, miss 2 sts; repeat from * to end of round and ss to 1st dc to join.
Embellishments:
You can attach a fluffy pom pom, crocheted ball or a little tag to the lid if you like.
Ball:
Rounds 1 to 4 as for the jar cosies [24dc]
Rounds 5 and 6 1dc in each st around.
Round 7 (1dc in each of next 2 sts, dc2tog) 6 times [18dc]
Round 8 (1dc in next st, dc2tog) 6 times [12dc]
Stuff ball with a little scrap yarn. Round 9 dc2tog 6 times. Pull yarn through last st. Thread yarn through top of sts and pull tight, sew end through ball and onto lid.
Tag:
Made in one piece in the round. Ch7, 1dc in 2nd ch from hook and 1dc in each of next 4ch, 2dc in last ch, turn and work 1dc in each sts on the opposite side of the foundation ch. Break yarn, fasten off and sew to lid.
Now fill the jars with dried goods and line them up ready for action.
25. Fill your home with easy-care plants
What’s not to love about fresh air and lush green leaves? Plants instantly liven up interiors and improve the overall mood. Go for easy care species, such as monstera, rubber plants, succulents, spider plants or aloe. A little love goes a long way.
Find more happiness hacks with Gathered
Discover how spending more time outdoors connecting with nature can be the key to happiness and check out our article on the Scandinavian concept of "friluftsliv". Harness the healing powers of nature and live a happier and healthier life by creating your own outdoor adventures.
