So many of us go through life troubled, worried, and anxious. We acquire this stress from school, work, relationships, family, finances; really almost every situation we are in each day.There are always thousands of things on our minds, making it feel impossible to be content or happy with ourselves and the lives we live. Whenever we stop and try to relax or not worry, it is remarkably hard. We bottle up our emotion, letting our sadness and tensions overcome, this prevents us from feeling happy or content. A small, controlled amount of stress and worry can be good, but most of the time, our feeling of incompetence is not needed and impacts us all in negative way.

1. Stop apologizing.

People throw around the phrase “I’m sorry” way too often. The majority of the time, our apology is meaningless as we do not even know what we are apologizing for, or do not feel sorry in the first place. The word sorry has become a filler word, a word we throw around when we have nothing better to say. It has taken the compassion out of conversation because of how much it is used. If you feel bad about something you did or the way you made a person feel, communicate that to them in an authentic, vulnerable way. It is okay to show humility. However, if “sorry” is your default word and you did nothing wrong in a given situation, it is not necessary to say.

2. Drink more water.

Water is the answer to all things. Not really, but it does have many benefits and humans should be drinking it often in order to maintain a good physical and mental health. Water reduces sugar intake and helps boost your metabolism. It clears acne and energizes your mind and muscles. On top of that, drinking healthy amounts of water has been proven to put people in better moods. Drink a cup of water each morning as soon as you get up, as well as with each meal and throughout the day; your body will thank you.

3. Let the love in.

We all cherish the multiple relationships we have with siblings, family, friends, mentors, and our partner. Essentially, a relationship should be about the care you have for one another. It should consist of respect, love and admiration. However, when the human ego gets in the way, things can become complicated. Often, we forget about the simple rule of loving and appreciating each other, because our ego wants us to be the one in control. We want to be the one that loves less, the one that puts in the least amount of effort and is accepting the love rather than giving it. If you get in a fight with your sister, your ego forgets about your relationship and is more concerned about making sure you’re not the one to apologize first. This can also happen with significant others when you feel weird about texting them, afraid that it shows you care too much. We need to get these petulant idea out of our heads. If you love someone, let them know. If you appreciate your parents, it’s not weird to tell them so. Kiss your friends on the cheek and hug them more. Look into the eyes of the person you love, and express how grateful you are to be with them, even if it’s conveyed simply through your stare.

4. Read more.

Reading is a wonderful, entertaining way to pass time while using your brain. It is like watching a movie with your mind. Reading can be calming and nice, and is something that needs to be done often to keep your brain functioning properly. I love reading fictional novels by Fitzgerald and Hemingway, while some of my friends are more into news articles by The New York Times. I also have my fantasy-loving friends who can tell me everything that happened in the Lord of the Rings, and my friends who can spend hours reading Buzzfeed articles. It does not matter what your read, it matters if you read. Reading will fill you with worldliness and intelligence, and is a good way to escape from the chaos of your life, at least for a little while.

5. Compliment, don’t compare.

It is okay, and also wonderful, to recognize other people’s beauty. However, recognizing that the new girl in your science class has perfect hair or nice skin doesn’t mean you have to hate how you look. We are all different, meaning we have different physical attributes or character traits that make us up. Don’t feel intimidated or envious when you see someone who is pretty. Do not compare yourself to them either. Know that we all have beautiful traits that make us who we are. Appreciate others, but appreciate yourself as well, it will give you a better disposition.

6. Fill your life with things that make you happy.

With all the stress in the world, we subconsciously tend to focus our attentions on the wrong things. We will spend the majority of our time working, studying for exams, paying bills, and trying to make other people like us. No matter how busy you feel you are, make time each day for something you love. If you enjoy exercise, go for a walk each day or make time for the gym. Make a cup of tea and read a little of that John Steinbeck book you’ve wanted to. Join a cooking class or scrapbook. Make time for the things that make you happy, because if there is one way to live life, it is happily.

7. Spend less time on social media, and more time outside.

This one is simple. Put the phone down and go outside. Take a walk on the beach, hike a mountain, swim in a lake, kayak, lie in the grass and just be. So much of the time, social media distracts us from the simplicity and beauty of life. Having some quiet time to just think, forgetting about how well your last Instagram post did or if your crush saw your Snapchat story is important. If you do this, you will start to realize what feels fulfilling versus what you do because you're bored, it will also give you perspective on the things that matter versus the things that do not.

We all have the opportunity to live a life full of peace and balance.