3 Simple Ways to Protect Your Happiness (Without Quitting Social Media)
Tomorrow is International Day of Happiness, a day that was established by the UN over a decade ago to recognise happiness as a fundamental human goal.
The latest World Happiness Report focuses on our use of social media. Not surprisingly it found that heavy use of social media equates to lower levels of happiness, particularly in under 25s. In English-speaking countries, wellbeing among under-25s has noticeably declined over the past decade, and social media is seen as a key factor.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, the report found that platforms that encourage connection and communication rather than comparison are linked to higher life satisfaction. They also found that an hour of usage a day is associated with better wellbeing than excessive use but also complete avoidance.
If you’re reading that and thinking that you probably are on social media more than that (who of us could honestly say we aren’t?) then here’s a few tips that may help.
Three simple ways to protect your happiness (especially online)
The International Day of Happiness campaign this year offers three practical shifts that make a real difference:
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Choose Be more intentional with your time and attention. Instead of automatically reaching for your phone, pause and ask yourself what you actually need in that moment. Sometimes it’s not scrolling—it’s rest, movement, or a break from stimulation.
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Connect Don’t let social media replace real connection. Happiness is built through meaningful relationships, not passive scrolling. A quick message, a phone call, or making plans in real life will always give you more than another 20 minutes online.
- Curate Shape your environment so it supports you. What you consume matters. Fill your feed with content that lifts you up, not drains you—and be mindful of how you show up for others too. Small shifts here can have a surprisingly big impact on how you feel.
And if you’d like something simple to follow, the Action for Happiness monthly calendar is a great place to start. It offers small, practical daily actions designed to boost your mood and strengthen connection—nothing major, just small things that help you build more happiness into everyday life.
