Part of growing up is accepting more and more responsibilities, but if we aren't careful it becomes all too easy to slip into habits or a lifestyle that increases stress levels and feelings of dissatisfaction. Below are 10 things you can do to bring more happiness into your life.
1. Avoid comparing your life to others.
Everyone has different strengths and skill sets and lives their life according to different values and at different paces. Appreciate what you have and bring to the table. Working on your weaknesses is different from trying to become someone else (whose life you assume is better because of the grass is greener trap).
2. Live life true to yourself.
"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else's life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." -- Steve Jobs
3. Accept failure and mistakes as lessons you had to (and possibly were meant to) learn.
You are not lesser of a person because you've made mistakes. I repeat, you are not lesser of a person because you've made mistakes.
Failures, setbacks, or a mistakes are not the end but the beginning. They are learning opportunities that can help you create the successful, happy life you desire. You will make mistakes, you will have setbacks and failures, and you will face rejection and doubt. Learn from it and try again.
If you fall into the mentality of failure as the end of something, and as a reason to not try again then you run the risk of creating a self-fulfilling prophecy: By believing failure is an end and never trying again, all you do is ensure that that failure was the end of something. Failing only makes you stronger.
4. Evaluate your expectations and what you really want.
Sometimes “waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be.” – Alan Watts
Sometimes adjusting expectations can mean letting go of an ideal persona or life. Sometimes it can mean simply adjusting your expectations to be more reasonable.
You could be setting yourself up for failure by raising the bar to high all at once.
For example, if you want to loose weight but you set an unrealistic goal then you simply set yourself up for disappointment which leads to a loss of motivation. Instead, try making smaller, more reasonable goals (steps in a sense to your larger goals). Also, accept that your goals might take a while to reach, and accept that you may have set backs. If you do that, you may find yourself in fewer disheartening situations.
However, this does not mean settle for less than is reasonable. I'm not advocating settling for less than you can accomplish but rather being realistic (which is a fine line I know).
Also, part of adjusting your expectations to be more realistic is learning how to say no. With so many demands placed upon us, and with all of our own interests, it is easy to sign up for more responsibilities than we realistically have time for. Know your limits, and come to terms with the fact that its okay to have limits and to say no (or not right now).
5. Avoid toxic and negative people.
Surround yourself with people who support you and build you up, not people who try to hold you back or tear you down. (While you are at it, avoid fake people too. It's just a headache you don't need in your life.)
6. Exercise
A lot of people skip going to the gym because they are tired or lack energy, but exercise can release endorphin's that give you energy, reduce stress, and increase a sense of well-being.
7. Eat healthy (or healthier at least)
8. Get enough rest and make time to relax.
Continuous sleep deprivation leads to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression as well as places you at an increased risk of burnout especially when combined with a lack of relaxation time.
9. Make time to go outside.
(Sunlight has been proven to affect your mood.)
In the article "6 Scientific Ways Weather Affects Mood," researchers from a "2004 University of Michigan study found that people who spent at least 30 minutes outside during periods of pleasant weather reported improved mood, memory, and openness to new information and creative thoughts."
10. Remember the impact you can have on others.
Life is about more than just the contents of your wallet or the car you drive. While you should live your life true to yourself, and follow your own goals (instead of goals others push onto you), there are emotional benefits to helping others. Sometimes simply helping another can be enough to bring back a sense of joy or purpose to your life.
