It is often believed that knowing how to enjoy life is as much a matter of attitude as the result of reflection, action and gratitude. Since most of us don't have the time to go seek our bliss in some secluded temple in the mountains, the best way to achieve happiness is to make small, concrete changes to our daily lives. Coupled with the conscious choice to appreciate the people around you and the commitment to dedicate yourself to the activities you are most proficient at, the small changes you make will soon lead you to fully enjoy your life.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Promote Emotional Wellbeing
Step 1. Bring a pet home
A pet allows you to receive love, takes away loneliness and guarantees hours of pure fun. Having an animal next to you also brings health benefits, for example reducing blood pressure and the risk of developing heart disease. In addition, it nourishes the feelings of well-being and connection with the world, while also providing you with some important lessons in empathy and training.
If you want to get an extra dose of affection, consider picking your pet in an abandoned animal shelter
Step 2. Develop an interest in music
Music has the ability to ignite the listener's imagination and self-concept, increasing their self-esteem and relieving feelings of loneliness. When we listen to music we feel stronger. Choose your favorite album or the one you like most to get carried away, turn up the volume and eliminate all kinds of distractions to have the possibility to fully enjoy the wonder of music.
In some cases, music has been shown to help people with dementia by making them feel more in control of their faculties. Music therapy is also very useful in the treatment of those suffering from anxiety or depression
Step 3. Start the day with a smile
Facial expression is usually seen as a window into one's feelings, but it is also believed to be able to influence our mood. Speaking of which, be sure to smile often to keep yourself cheerful and upbeat. First, greet each morning with a smile as you look in the mirror, the sight of that happy expression may be enough to keep you positive throughout the day. Finding time to do a few more exercises will help you feel even better.
Step 4. Take a break
For a break to be fruitful, it is important not to simply get absorbed in something else, for example from TV or the internet. Taking a break means planning some free time and working hard to make it special. Consider it a thank you to yourself and treat yourself to a vacation, a break, or even a simple change of scenery, like a picnic in the backyard or building a fort with your kids in the living room. Taking a break that allows you to get away from the ordinary and relax will help you feel more satisfied and carefree, giving you pleasant moments of escape.
Step 5. Surround yourself with interesting people
It is known that people who have a large number of friends tend to live longer. Of course, like is attracted to each other, so it is equally evident that the behavior of the people around you can greatly influence your life. So choose to hang out with positive and interesting people who can inspire you to live a fuller and more fulfilling life.
- Have you been putting off reconnecting with an old friend for too long? Call him today! If you can't reach him by phone, take the time to write him a long e-mail or, if you prefer "old school", a long letter.
- Do you feel like you are being held back by a toxic friendship? Stop submitting to the negative behavior of the person in question can only do you good. Look inside yourself and decide whether to speak to her frankly or simply end your relationship.
- Does finding new friends seem difficult to you? Get out of your comfort zone by starting to frequent new places, experimenting with a new hobby, engaging in conversations with strangers or using the services of a social network such as Meetup, whose purpose is to make it easier for groups of people to meet. people in various locations around the world.
Part 2 of 3: Promote Mental Wellbeing
Step 1. Relieve stress
There is no need for a doctor to tell you that severe stress is dangerous to your health, but you may not know that even a moderate-intensity mood disorder caused by stress, such as sub-clinical depression, can seriously damage your health. immune system. In fact, it is not so much the intensity, but the duration of the stressful period that weakens the immune system the most. To effectively combat stress, you must first recognize its presence and stop wanting to fight it alone. Find ways to let off steam and constructively restore your balance. Sports, exercise, hobbies, and friends are all great tools that will help you reduce your stress levels. You may also try guided imagery, yoga, or tai chi, but if mood disorders are severe, it is advisable to seek help from a doctor or experienced therapist.
Step 2. If you are unable to avoid stressful situations, learn to handle them better
Do you have the ability to change the cause of the stress? Then do it. In many cases, however, the stress will be linked to work, family or financial circumstances that are difficult to modify, for example due to the impossibility of changing jobs in a short time; in such situations it will therefore be necessary to learn how to manage it better.
- To be able to manage stress caused by work or family, try to set boundaries and be more assertive about your needs. To do this, you will need to learn to say "no" to those tasks that risk overloading you, be able to give yourself time regularly and avoid answering business calls when you are relaxing in the company of friends and family, or vice versa.
- Alternatively, you can learn how to effectively manage the stress that comes with the workplace by striving to work smarter rather than longer, which involves breaking down larger projects into smaller units and delegating when needed. Also make sure you use the resources at your disposal, including courses and seminars organized by the company you work for, in order to counteract those behaviors that can negatively affect your health and well-being.
Step 3. Learn new lessons
Improving your knowledge through regular education can help you develop your self-confidence and interest in the world, but this is not the only solution or the one that fits everyone. Reading, traveling, attending courses and seminars that you consider stimulating and meeting people from different cultures will allow you to achieve the same results. Alternatively you can try the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses, in Italian known as "Large Scale Open Online Courses") which offer a very stimulating way to expand your knowledge and skills at your own pace. Last but not least, instead of trying to escape new experiences, let them engage you and be constantly curious and thirsty for knowledge. After all, you only have one life left!
Step 4. Choose a hobby
Whether you decide to collect stamps or engage in kickboxing, hobbies and extracurricular or extracurricular activities will allow you to effectively pursue the happiness you are looking for. Habits and routines are bitter enemies of enthusiasm and spontaneity, while a slightly flexible agenda will allow you to escape boredom and monotony. Indulge in your hobbies because they excite you and allow you to "get in the flow" and not for different reasons, such as being on the same level as other people or conforming to some unrealistic social standard.
Research has shown that participating in leisure activities can positively affect both mental and physical health and well-being. The benefits of practicing your hobby include a reduction in blood pressure, a lowering of cortisol levels, a lower body mass index, and a broader perception of one's physical abilities
Step 5. Read a good book
Spreading out on the couch with your legs up in the air to watch your favorite TV show can be a rather inviting way to end the day, but passively watching what's happening on the screen doesn't stimulate your imagination in any way, and it also triggers a sensation. of restlessness and indolence. For a change of pace, find a book that can overwhelm you page after page. If you don't consider yourself a reading lover, try to get your creativity going and look for something related to your hobbies: if you are a basketball fan you can choose to read Michael Jordan's autobiography, while if you are a motorcyclist you can opt for Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.
Take note of any steps or ideas you feel particularly close to. If you keep a notebook handy in the place where you usually read, ready to welcome new inspiration, you will soon be able to count on an extensive list of exciting ideas that will help you set meaningful goals for years to come
Step 6. Practice meditation
Meditation reduces stress levels and promotes a sense of calm and tranquility. Even a few minutes of daily meditation can promote a positive attitude and keep you objective and relaxed. To this end, it is important to meditate in a place free of distractions and to assume a correct body posture.
Part 3 of 3: Promote Physical Wellbeing
Step 1. Strengthen your immune system
When you are sick it is almost impossible to feel happy! Even a simple step, like taking a multivitamin supplement that contains vitamins C, E and A, selenium and beta-carotene can help you develop a stronger immune system.
An effective immune system allows you to better react to stress and physical illness. Other strategies that can help you strengthen your immune system certainly include exercising regularly, sleeping for an adequate number of hours each night, and eating healthily
Step 2. Exercise
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, substances that transmit messages to the brain that result in positive feelings. Exercising regularly not only helps fight anxiety, depression and the feeling of loneliness, it also helps to strengthen the immune system. Even simply walking you will therefore be able to improve the response of antibodies and Tc lymphocytes.
Step 3. Get quality sleep
Sleep is closely related to health, stress levels, body weight and quality of life. While you sleep, your body produces cells that can fight inflammation, infection and stress, so a lack of sleep puts you at greater risk of getting sick and increases the time it takes to heal.
Exercising is by far one of the best ways to sleep better at night.
Step 4. Play with the earth
Scientists have found that benevolent bacteria in the soil cause the brain to release serotonin (effectively replicating the effects of antidepressants). If you have a courtyard or terrace, dedicate to gardening and fill it with flowers, or create your own small garden in which to grow vegetables and aromatic herbs that can be used to prepare healthy and tasty recipes. Creating a small urban garden will allow you to bring a ray of sunshine into your life.
Of course, not all bacteria contained in the soil are benign. Wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands, especially if you know that the neighborhood cats (or yours) use your small plot to do their business. At the end of your gardening session, however, wash your hands thoroughly
Step 5. Eat healthily
Anyone can confirm that eating healthily (eating fresh, natural and unprocessed foods) brings countless health benefits. Furthermore, when you find the time to prepare your dishes yourself using fresh and healthy food, you receive a strong emotional boost: your recipes will be beautiful to look at, fragrant, tasty and, once you have acquired good cooking skills, preparing them will also be fun, and will allow you to take a creative break from your normal routine. In addition to being a great way to pamper yourself, being a chef will also help you save money. If you are a beginner, try your hand at some quick and easily executable recipes that, instead of making you feel in trouble, help you to raise your love for cooking. Keep this equation in mind: the fewer processed foods you ingest, the healthier you become, and don't forget that greater health automatically leads to greater happiness.
Advice
- While the guidelines in this article are scientifically based, remember that being able to enjoy life is a very personal thing. There is no scientific measure of happiness and each of us gives different meanings to the words joy and contentment. In summary, only you can choose to be happy or not, only you have control over this choice.
- Worrying is a waste of energy - learn to use that vitality to act instead of worrying. If the idea of doing anything scares you, take a break, then come back to the topic and address the situation that worries you. You will see that facing it you will feel much better than standing still.
- Train your imagination daily, think creatively and have fun.
