The person behind keeping an happiness jar is actually Elizabeth Gilbert - author of Eat, Pray, Love. Of course such an awesome idea would come from a person like her. Totally makes sense. I adore my happy jars - I start a new one every single year. What about you? Maybe you love the thought of it but need some happy jar ideas? I'm your girl.
At the end of every year, I open my little jars full of notes and every single scrap of paper I unfold fills me with joy. You see, I often think I have had a pretty crappy year.
But as it turns out, I don't! I smile a lot. I learn a lot. And I grow a lot. But I don’t realise this until I open my happy jars. Although, maybe I could call them "a year of joy" jar. Sounds about right.
Sometimes, if we look at a whole month or year, it can feel a bit rubbish.
Why? Because we are naturally inclined to focus on the negatives. But if we write all the small, positive, things down, we’ll see that we have much more to smile about than we thought.
Disclosure: If you purchase anything from links in this post or any other, I may receive some kind of affiliate commission. However, I only ever mention products I love and would recommend whether I was being compensated or not.
What is a happy jar?
Very simply, a happy jar is pretty much the same as keeping a journal, with two main differences:
- The point of a happy jar is that you only include happy thoughts of the day (or happy quotes, happy memories etc). Whereas, with a journal - unless it is specifically a happiness journal - you can write about anything you wish.
- The notes you put in your happy jars ought to be pretty short - one or two lines max. but you can write as much as you like in a journal.
How to make a happy jar?
Before we get to all my happy jar ideas, let's start at the beginning: how to make happy jar?
What you'll need:
- A large Jar
- Some small pieces of paper (I LOVE this option)
- Some pens or pencils
- Washi tape, ribbons and stickers (if you're that way inclined - I am)
Getting Started with your happiness jar
- To get started with a jar of happiness, you first need to choose a jar to keep your notes in. You can use anything - there are no rules. But if you want to do it properly, choose a jar you love the look of is the way to go. I use this 2 litre Kilner Jar,
- If you want to, spend a little time decorating your happy jars with washi tape, decoupage, or ribbon.
- I recommend setting up a week or more worth of paper ahead of time. The less work you have to do every time you want to write your happy thoughts of the day, the more likely to stick to the process. This origami paper is perfect because you don't need to cut it up.
- Keep your jars of notes. paper and pens in the same place some where you'll see it every day.
- If you can, write one or two happy thoughts of the day every day. Use my happy jar ideas below to guide you, if you're not sure what to write.
- Go beyond just writing little notes, and add in other mementos like tickets, quotes, letters or pictures.
(You could check out my post How To Make a Positivity Jar, too.)
In the past, I have written about a few things you could put in your jar. But, this time, I wanted to inspire you with a longer and more detailed list of happy jar ideas for things you could include!
I love this idea so much.
At the end of the year you get to open your beautiful jar full of notes. Not just any jar! A jar of happiness.
By the way some people call it a positivity jar, some a happy jar, some a happiness jar, or a positive thoughts jar. It doesn't matter what you call it. Let's look at some happy jar ideas! Get ready to be inspired to create a jar of happy thoughts!
25 Awesome Happy Jar Ideas
- 1Happy jar quotes: It is easy to stumble across positive and inspiring quotes. You might even already have favourite quotes that swim around your head every now and again. Writing down any quotes that inspire, or motivate, you will help them sink in. You can also think of them as lining your positivity jar with inspiration. This is one of my favourite happy jar ideas.
- 2Books you’ve read: Jotting down all the books you’ve read throughout the year. This will help remind you of all the wonderful journeys you’ve been on. You might even remind yourself of books you might like to read again.
- 3Happy moments: No matter who you are or what you do, you’ll have moments in your life that make you happy, joyful, giddy, or full of love. These are moments to treasure. One of the more perfect happy jar ideas, surely?
- 4Proud moments: Here's an important happy jar idea: feel proud of yourself. I know you have a lot to be proud of. Write down everything that makes you feel proud: Even if it’s only something small. And if you feel like it is too silly to include, I promise that it isn’t!
- 5Goals achieved: Write down all the things you accomplish each day. It doesn’t matter whether these goals are big or small. They are all worthy of inclusion in your positivity jar. Even if you’re celebrating one of those rare days that you’ve ticked everything off your to-do list. Rejoice!
- 6Ideas: Often have ideas that fill you with excitement? Write them down and put them in your jar full of notes. But make sure you note them down somewhere else, too. This way you can work on all your amazing idea, as well as write them down.
- 7Goals/dreams: In my 2018 positivity jar, I include a scrap of paper with my biggest goal written on it. I'm not doing this once. Oh no, no, no. I'm writing this down every single day because that way my brain is more likely to help me find a way to achieve it. Of course, I am also writing other goals and dreams, too. Write down your goals: make them real!
- 8Things you love: We're always finding new things we love. That chocolate bar you could eat every day, or the Thai food you had for lunch. Or even a soft old blanket that you still can't stop stroking. You feel positive about these things, right? So, definitely a perfect happy jar idea, right?
You could even create a a jar full of love notes - just a thought!
You might like these happiness books
- 9New music discovery: Heard a new song that makes you want to dance? Perhaps you’ve heard some lyrics that mean something to you, or the music motivates you. Write it down - along with why it is important to you - and pop it in that jar.
- 10Things you’re grateful for: Showing gratitude for the things we have can be beneficial. I recommend writing down at least one thing you’re thankful for.
- 11Positive affirmations: If you come across a positive affirmation that you feel you need to live by, memorise it and put it in your positivity jar. You can even make up your own. I often simply write down “I believe”.
- 12Things that made you smile: Anything. If something makes you laugh or smile, it is worth recording.
- 13Things to remember next year: Do you want to remind yourself not to make resolutions because everyone else is? Or do you want to tell yourself to remember not to make “Blue Monday" a thing? A pancake recipe for Shrove Tuesday? Whatever it is, include it! This is another of my favourite happy jar ideas!
You might like these happiness books
- 14Beautiful things you’ve seen: I’m sure we’ve all seen beautiful things that we are adamant we’ll commit to memory. But, alas, they float away. Write down all the beautiful things. Or, even better, include a photo.
- 15Movies you’ve watched: Just like books, you could include great films that you’ve loved throughout the year. You might like to watch them again in the future.
- 16Words of wisdom: Has someone given you some awesome advice? Or have you listened to a particularly inspirational speech or podcast? Include it in the jar so you can keep it in mind next year, too.
- 17People you’ve met: Everyone has a story and, occasionally they tell it without words. Keep a note of the people you meet. You might find they are more inspirational than you first thought.
- 18Habits you’re working on: Whether you’re trying to build or break a habit, record how well you’re doing. Do this for two reasons. 1) it’ll remind your future self that you CAN do it. 2) The more you write it down, the more you’ll be motivated to keep going.
- 19Fears you’ve conquered: We all have fears. Some are big; some are small. And some are easy to conquer, some are not. But they can all be conquered. Whenever you do something that scared you, get it written down. It is important to recognise these achievements and say, “check out what I did!"
- 20Stories: Each and everyday brings new stories. Make a note of any positive stories that stand out and include them in your positivity jar. They will make glorious reading next year.
You might like these happiness books
- 21Something you treated yourself to: The other day, I treated myself to a pile of books. This kind of thing makes me so happy that I wrote it down for my positivity jar immediately.
- 22A fantastic meal: Whether you nailed a tasty recipe or went for a wonderful meal (doubles up as something to show gratitude for).
- 23A fun trip: Have you been on a family day trip to the beach? Or been shopping with friends? Unless it was a total disaster, the tales and memories deserve a place in your jar.
- 24Compliments received: People don’t tend to be very good at accepting compliments. But if we can learn to accept them, they can make us feel awesome. Maybe they won’t sink in straight away, but take a note and let their love spread in your positivity jar. This happy jar idea can boost confidence, too.
- 25Starting or finishing a course/learning something: If you’re anything like me, the list of courses you’re taking, or things you want to learn, will be endless. Celebrate things like gaining knowledge, or taking the step towards learning, Wherever possible.
Other blog posts with happy jar ideas:
- HAPPY THINGS JAR + A FREE PRINTABLE!
- PRINTABLE DIY GRATITUDE JAR
- DIY MEMORY JAR TO CAPTURE THOSE SPECIAL MOMENTS – INCL. FREE PRINTABLES
Also check out: HAPPINESS JAR PROJECT on Pinterest for even more ideas
Disclosure: If you purchase anything from links in this post or any other, I may receive some kind of affiliate commission. However, I only ever mention products I love and would recommend whether I was being compensated or not.
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