In what might seem like monotonous days, how can we live comfortably and joyfully? Perhaps you can try scheduling your own happy elements, accumulating positivity from daily life, and enhancing your overall well-being.

Compliment Yourself Every Day – Today, I’m Doing Great!

We’ve all heard of the “gratitude journal” technique, where writing down a few things you're thankful for helps cultivate an appreciation for the good in life, turning satisfaction into a positive emotional force. But today, let’s not talk about gratitude journals. Instead, let’s focus on self-praise. Try to mention something you did well each day.

Whether it’s having breakfast early, completing a to-do list, summarizing a brilliant point in a meeting, or resisting the temptation of a late-night snack… these small daily moments can wield the magic of "praise." You can say it to yourself silently, write it in an app or a physical notebook—whatever works for you. You don’t need to feel “amazing” every time; starting with “I did pretty well” is good enough. Even if it seems like you “accomplished nothing” all day, it’s still okay. Just living earnestly in the moment deserves a good pat on the back. If one compliment isn’t enough, say a few more. The feeling of happiness will likely accumulate invisibly!

Turn “Visiting that Cool Coffee Shop” into a Happy To-Do List

Life often gets buried under societal expectations and the race against time, leaving our schedules filled with exams, meetings, and performance targets. Can life be richer? Try designing to-do items worth looking forward to! We often use planners, notebooks, or productivity apps to carve out more time in our limited schedules. Besides filling up with meetings, why not add fun plans like “go to that cool coffee shop” to your calendar? Whether it’s a break before work or an after-work activity, integrate “happy expectations” into your to-do list. After all, coffee is essential spiritual nourishment for office workers!

This kind of anticipation can also be replaced with actions like “take a new route home, successfully drink 3000cc of water, or watch an episode of an ongoing anime.” You don’t need to exert much effort to change habits. Just amplifying the sense of life with minimal energy expenditure without affecting your main schedule can make your days more three-dimensional and interesting. The key is to record it; making it tangible makes it more vivid. Through “happy to-do lists,” no matter how busy you are, there’s always something every week and every day done purely for your own joy.

From Psychological Contracts to Designing Emotional Scales – Aligning with Your Happiness Index

Emotions vary in intensity, and so does happiness. It’s hard to describe everyone’s state with a uniform standard, but you can design your own scale and find corresponding solutions. For instance, “a bit uncomfortable → quite unhappy → very angry” could be a 1 to 5 scale of negative energy. A 1-point remedy might be sleeping, playing video games, or eating delicious food; for a more serious 3 points, the healing power could come from a weekend movie ticket or sleeping in; if faced with a high-intensity 5-point challenge, then pre-allocate a big reward for yourself in the future—maybe a trip, an expensive model toy, or a rare experience. Imagine making a contract with your inner self, administering appropriate doses according to emotional levels, turning future happiness into present action. Especially when the joy promised to oneself is fulfilled, it becomes even more valuable.

Sometimes, reversing our thinking makes things more interesting. We don’t get up for today’s work but for that cup of coffee, the stroll past the corner park, or the fight for that upcoming trip. Feeling good about the little things keeps life going well. We all have the ability to detox daily and feel happy.

Tomorrow, start scheduling your joyful elements!