Thursday 6 February 2014

How To Have 100 Happy Days

My regular readers know how much I enjoy a good challenge.  After successfully completing my fifty-two challenges last year I was excited about the prospect of finding a few new and unusual 'projects' for this year.

In January I took part in Cancer Research's Dryathlete challenge.  I am looking at a number of personal challenges over the coming months which will help me to evolve at home and work.  All very worthwhile but where is the fun? 

I then stumbled across a Twitter revolution - the #100HappyDays challenge, now THIS was more like it. 

The concept is to take one photograph every day for a hundred days, of something that makes you happy.  You add the hashtag #100HappyDays and post your photo on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram (or on all three if you are that talented with social media!)

There is a website where you can sign up http://100HappyDays.com or you can just get going on one of the platforms mentioned above.

As I have an unhealthy obsession with Twitter this is where I have posted my 100HappyDays pictures.  At the time of writing this post I am up to Day 34.

The surprising thing about this challenge is that 71% of people who sign up to this fail to complete the hundred days.  Why?  Apparently they don't have the time!

Question - Do you have time to be happy?

It takes me approximately thirty seconds to take a photo, click on 'send to twitter', write up my caption (this is limited to 140 characters on twitter) add the hashtag #100HappyDays and send - Done!  How hard is that?

Day 15 #100HappyDays Holidays
are booked - Barcelona Baby!
So what kind of photographs have made it on to my 100HappyDays list? 

There has been a very large hot chocolate, the first snowdrops in my garden, a completed manuscript printed out and ready to edit, my friends amazing sparkly UGGs, a message from my children left on the fridge door, new stationery, homemade chicken pie and many, many more...




There are a number of benefits to completing this challenge.  First of all, I am having lots of fun and isn't that what being happy is all about?  The 100HappyDays site lists the following benefits that have been noted by fellow participants:-
  • You are in a better mood more often
  • You begin to receive more compliments because you are actively happy
  • You become more optimistic
  • You start to notice what makes you happy
The last one is really important, it makes you question your day to day life and look for those glimmers of happiness that we may normally miss.

I attended a family funeral the other day and although we did share laughter as well as tears, I found myself pondering on the drive home, what my HappyDays picture could be.  As it so happened, my copy of Writing Magazine was on the doormat when I got home and I was featured in the Members News section - hey presto, Day 33 #100HappyDays photo completed!

This challenge is open all year so you don't have to sign up on a specific month or day. 

Why not start today, log on to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram and start your own Happy Days challenge.  Don't do social media?  Then why not email yourself a photograph every day and collate them in a special folder on your computer, or text a friend and become Happy Day Buddies!

However you decide to take part, do it with a smile :-)

Have you joined the #100HappyDays challenge?  How are you getting on?

What made you happy today?










19 comments:

  1. I've started doing something similar this year (I did it last year, albeit sporadically): I write 3 Good Things every day. It's a gratitude exercise I came across in some books on positive psychology, though I interpret it as being 3 things that make me happy and/or that make me grateful. I write them in the page-a-day planner I use to record my progress with New Year's resolutions and other goals. I have depression and anxiety, so some days it's difficult to think of 3 things straightaway, but I have managed to do it every day so far. Some of the things get repeated (especially cuddles from my puppy!) and many sound stupid (like a risotto for dinner), but every one has brought a tiny piece of pleasure to my day. I think it helps me to put things into perspective and I'm happier than I otherwise would be :-)

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    1. Thank you for sharing Hayley, I love your idea as it is so accessible. Being able to find positives on a down day can be very therapeutic and I often suggest keeping a gratitude journal for those of my clients who also suffer with depression and anxiety. Every happy thought makes a huge difference - even if it is risotto for dinner (yum!) :-)

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  2. Hi Shelley:) I just want you to know that I have nominated you for a blogger award called The Sunshine Award. You can read about it here: http://mrsjonestakesaleapeoffaith.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/day-240-sunshine-blogger-award.html

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    1. WOW! Thank you so much for your kind nomination, I am very honoured. Your blog is outstanding and worthy of your awards - congratulations! Two in a week is very impressive! Motivating other people is the name of my game and to be recognised for this is the icing on the cake (well I am up against some wonderful food buffs!) Huge thanks from a fellow NaNoer, hurrah ;-)

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  3. Found this through your nomination from Inger - so glad I did! This is such a fantastic idea - I will definitely be joining in.

    You officially have a new follower lol :)

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    1. Hello Zenobia, thank you and welcome! I'm so glad you like the idea, it certainly gets you thinking in a 'happy' frame of mind! I am so pleased you decided to follow, we do have quite a bit of fun here ;-)

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  4. A great post, Shelley, and we can never have enough of challenges like the 100Happy Days - who doesn't like a bit more sunshine in their lives - especially if all it takes is a click!

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    1. Thank you Teagan, yes I am all for smiley, happy moments and even better when they fit in with our busy schedules. We do need to take more time to find those special sunshine moments don't we :-)

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  5. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing your happiness around! :)

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    1. Thanks Norah, it's normally the simplest things that work so well! Happy thoughts coming your way :-)

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  6. What a great idea! I've signed up to do it too, starting today. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

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    1. That's great Maria, welcome to the happiness revolution! Enjoy :-)

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  7. I have found that the 100 Happy Days challenge makes me get up and make happy things happen instead of whinging about how rubbish my day has been (& I'm having a fairly crappy time right now as my dad has been hospitalised since December). So I will go for a walk or call a friend to meet up, start a jigsaw, anything to pick myself up. It's taught me to be proactive about my happiness!
    Here are my happy days so far: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drakaina/sets/72157640732164415/

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    1. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and I do hope your Dad's health improves soon. I totally agree with your ideas, thinking happy thoughts can turn a bad day in to a more positive experience. Keep up with your proactive happiness! :-)

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  8. Hello me and my friends are trying to do the challenge but we do not want to put in social media.. How does the via e-mail works?

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    1. Hi Lucia, thank you for your comment. I have a few friends who don't like posting photos on their social media site. The 100 Happy Days challenge is predominantly designed for social sites, but I recommended to my own friends that they send their daily photos via email to each other, they can still add a caption in the body of the mailing such as 'Day 4 - fun day at the beach with Bob and Sue!' Each friend can open a new folder in their inbox and store the emailed photo. After 100 days you could have fun making a PowerPoint slide show or making an online photo book using a company such as Blurb.com, this can be done privately so only you and your friends would see the finished project. Hope that helps! Have fun and stay happy ;-)

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    2. hi,Shelly! I got the same question as Lucia. Because the 100happydays website mentioned:"SIMPLY SEND YOUR PICTURES TO MYHAPPYDAY (AT) 100HAPPYDAYS.COM TO AVOID ANY PUBLICITY"
      I'm going to start the challenge today, but I still don't know how to send it to them...T_T

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  9. One of my friends did this and she got a lot out of it. Been thinking of trying myself! Thanks for the creative nudge, ha!

    Lorna x

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  10. I did this in 2014, and gave on day 22 because I met my husband..... it definitely brings good karma!!

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