Happiness On Demand

Hello Reader,

I hope you’ll be happy to hear that I’m doing much better already.

Three weeks ago, I was a complete mental wreck, not being able to get out of bed during the weekend.

On a happiness scale of 1 to 10, that weekend was a 0. The most depressing days of my life since my brother passed away in 2012.

This weekend, three weeks later, has already been a solid 5 out of 10.

Not the happiest time of my life, but definitely not the worst either.

I have good reasons for feeling better that I’d like to explain in this newsletter.

• First, I’m going to share my insights for context.
• Second, I’ll describe in detail two techniques that have helped me improve my mental well-being quickly in the past weeks.

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First things first. Obviously, no one can be happy all the time. That’s not how being human works. We feel different emotions, and that’s ok.

Our emotions are actually there to help us navigate life.

They are signals, not unwanted reactions.

Everything we feel can be traced down to two “sponsoring” emotions: Love and fear. Derivatives of those are envy, anger, and grief. Together, those form the five basic human emotions: love, fear, anger, envy, and grief. They are all completely normal and part of the human experience.

Problems arise when we can’t move through our emotions in a healthy way and get stuck on them.

My philosophy is that happiness is the default state of being.

Even if we do feel grief, anger, envy, or fear from time to time, we should be able to move back to happiness (at the bottom of it, this is love, if you wish to dig deeper into the constructs of the universe) relatively quickly.

So when we get stuck on our emotions, not being able to return to the default state of happiness, something is off.

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When I first started journaling about my depression, I wrote that I didn’t know what caused it.

But the truth is, I did know quite well what caused it. Well, more like FELT it.

I just didn’t want to admit it.

Once again, I wasn’t listening to my emotions.

Emotions are truth-tellers.

They’re like signposts pointing us toward what’s really going on inside of us.

But I completely ignored or repressed mine. Logically, my life looked fine: I had a home, food, sleep, and exercise. My logical mind kept telling me, “There’s nothing wrong.”

But emotionally, I felt otherwise.

I pushed my emotions down, partly because I didn’t have the energy to deal with them, and partly because I didn’t feel I had a safe space to express them.

Over time, they piled up like water behind a dam.

When I finally moved into my new home, a place where I felt safe to relax, the “dam” broke. I cried for almost two days straight, pausing only to sleep (for 14 hours straight).

It was messy and exhausting, but also healing: Like how a fever feels awful yet helps the body recover, my breakdown was my mind’s way of releasing everything I’d bottled up.

It hurt like hell, but it was necessary.

Now I see how important it is to actually listen to my emotions.

And yes, I really do plan to pay attention to them from now on. Believe me, I don't want to go through what I've experienced ever again.

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2 Techniques to Support Healing from Depression

After releasing the major blockages in my emotions, breaking the emotional dam, if you will, I could finally start healing and getting back to normal.

Here are the techniques that I have used every single day for the past three weeks (with only a couple of exceptions) that have helped me move from anxiety and depression towards happiness.

1. Creative Journaling

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I call the first technique “creative journaling” because it’s a creative outlet for me. The point is to find a creative outlet for your emotions. Creativity is in human nature, both as a way to align with our spirit,

but also a way to literally "press out" feelings inside of us.

I've experienced the power of expression through journaling. After pouring 2,000 words of emotions into my journal in one day, I felt lighter and clearer, almost as if those feelings had been pressed out of me.

Fun fact: That is literally true, since the word express comes from the Latin exprimere—“to press out.”

When we write, speak, paint, draw, or create in any way, we give emotions a natural release instead of letting them pile up inside.

This is why journaling, therapy, or even just talking to someone can feel so healing: expression literally moves emotions out of the system, freeing up space for clarity and peace.

Creative journaling is also very easy. Anyone can do it.

You don’t need to be a writer like me to access the therapeutic effects of journaling. Just grab a pen and paper and start writing.

And that’s really the magic.

No prompts, no thought beforehand.

Just start writing and see what comes out.

You’ll be surprised by the results, I can guarantee. Maybe not the first time you write, but after a week or two, you’ll probably be blown away by what your mind can create out of nowhere.

If you don’t like writing by hand, that’s ok. Use your computer or any digital device. You may even try speech-to-text software and speak your mind. The point is to press out, express, emotions and thoughts in your mind onto a piece of paper.

You can also try a different creative outlet if you just don’t find joy in writing. You could compose a song, paint a painting, draw a picture, gather stones, and arrange them into a circle. Anything that lets your creative juices flow and allows your emotions to be expressed.

I do prefer the creative way of doing things and not using any prompts, but if you feel like writing and can’t get started, answer these questions: 1. What has happened today? 2. Why does that matter?

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A Guide to Creative Journaling

Creative journaling is less about being a “good writer” and more about giving your emotions a healthy outlet. It’s about expression: literally pressing out what’s inside of you, so you can feel lighter, clearer, and more at peace. Here’s how to get started:

Step 1: Choose Your Medium

• Grab a notebook and pen, open a blank document, or even use speech-to-text software.
• Don’t worry about format—what matters is finding a way to get your thoughts out.

Step 2: Let Go of Rules

• No prompts. No planning. No censoring.
• Simply start writing whatever comes to mind, even if it feels messy, random, or trivial.

Step 3: Keep Going

• Write until you feel like you’ve “pressed out” what’s inside—whether that’s a few lines or a few thousand words.
• Don’t aim for polished or perfect. Aim for honesty.

Step 4: Stay Consistent

• Try journaling daily or a few times a week.
• The magic often shows up after repeated practice, not necessarily in the first session.

Step 5: Explore Other Creative Outlets

• If writing doesn’t feel right, try painting, drawing, singing, playing an instrument, or even arranging stones in patterns.
• The point is to express your emotions creatively, not to create a masterpiece.

Step 6: Notice the Release

• After journaling, pause and check in with yourself.
• Many people feel lighter, calmer, or clearer—because expression naturally moves emotions out of the system.

✨ That’s it. Creative journaling is simple, powerful, and available to everyone. The more you practice, the more surprising insights and healing you’ll discover.

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2. IVA: Imaginal Visual Alignment

This is one of my all-time favourite techniques for, well, anything, really.

It can be used to instantly feel better, “manifest” outcomes in your life, or what I like to use it most for, aligning your body, mind, and spirit toward your desired dream life (a life where you are happy, fulfilled, and at peace).

Some call this meditation, others call it creative visualisation, but my version is a combination of different techniques and not truly meditation.

Meditation takes time, just like boiling water takes time - you can’t rush it or the desired effect won’t happen.

So, Imaginal (a term used by psychologists) Visual Alignment is not meditation. It’s a practice for aligning your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs (body, mind, and spirit) towards what you wish to achieve in life.

It’s a short and simple technique that has worked wonders for me, and now I can’t imagine starting my day without it.

Here’s how to do it:

Imaginal Visual Alignment (IVA) Practice

IVA is a simple yet powerful way to align your body, mind, and spirit with your desired outcome. It looks like a long list, but once you learn how to do it, the whole practice takes about 5 to 10 minutes from start to finish.

Preparation

1. Find Your Position

• Sit comfortably in a chair, on a sofa, or on a pillow on the floor.
• Keep your back straight but relaxed, chest slightly open.
• Rest your hands on your legs with palms facing upward.
• Take a moment to settle down so you don’t have to move your body anymore.
• Alternative: Lie on your back with feet shoulder-width apart and arms relaxed at your sides, palms facing upward.

👉 The most important thing is comfort and openness. The posture and positioning of hands and feet are suggestions, not critical for success.

2. Close Your Eyes & Breathe

• Take three slow, deep breaths:
  • Inhale deeply through your nose.
  • Hold for a moment.
  • Exhale fully through your mouth.
• With each exhale, release any tension.
• Then imagine yourself walking down ten steps, slowly counting from 10 to 1.

3. Connect with Source Energy

• Raise your awareness about 300 feet (100m) upward. Visualize a radiant silver-gold light above you.
• Imagine a silver cord connecting this light to the top of your head, filling you with its glow.
• Next, shift your awareness deep down to the earth’s glowing red core.
• Picture a cord from the earth’s core to the base of your spine, sending warm red light upward through your body.
• Allow yourself to feel both energies meeting and harmonizing within you.

Practice

4. Set the Stage

• Picture a theater stage in front of you. You are in the audience, observing.
• On the stage, see yourself in your current situation. The stage is dim, colors muted.
• Briefly notice the struggles that bother you most. Feel them lightly, just enough to acknowledge them.
• This “sets the scene” and signals your subconscious mind it’s time for change.

5. Clear the Stage

• Imagine the stage lights turning on—bright, pure white light.
• Let it wash away the old image until the stage is completely blank and glowing white.

6. Project Your Goal

• Now, bring your desired outcome to life on the stage.
• See yourself already living your goal. Make the scene vivid and bright. Imagine the people, the places, the things - everything you want.
• Step into the stage: hear the sounds, notice the details, breathe in the atmosphere. YOU are now experiencing everything in first person
• Use all your senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, even taste—to make it as real as possible.
• Most importantly, feel the emotions of already having what you want.
• You may play out multiple scenarios on the stage if, for example, you wish to see yourself in multiple locations, etc.

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​Ending

7. Stay as Long as You Like

• Remain in the scene as long as you wish, but even just 3–5 minutes is enough.
• There is no “right” or “wrong” timing—what matters is immersing yourself in the feeling and sensations.

8. Seal It with Gratitude

• When you’re ready to finish, shift into gratitude.
• Thank life, the universe, or your higher self, as if your vision has already come true.
• Release attachment by affirming:
  ​“Let this happen—or something even better—for the good of all. And so it is.”​
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• Slowly count from 5 down to 1, gently move your body, and open your eyes refreshed and energized.

Bonus: Connect with Happiness

• If you struggle to feel the emotions of your dream life, use a positive memory.
• After clearing the stage during step 5, recall a moment when you felt the exact emotion you want (e.g., joy, peace, confidence).
• Relive that memory with as much sensory detail as possible.
• Then carry that feeling into your visualization.

Bonus 2: Allow a Higher Power to Help

• If you feel lost or powerless, you can imagine a higher power, such as God, angels, or even loved ones who are no longer with you, being with you and supporting you throughout the visualization.
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That's a lot (again), and there's so much more to come.

That will have to wait for the next newsletter.

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Until next time,

​Think happy thoughts!

​- Atte

P.S. There's a pretty comprehensive blog post about dealing with emotions in a healthy and natural way on my website. It explains the 5 human emotions and offers helpful strategies to deal with them healthily. Give it a look!

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