Enjoying life is often thought to be a mindset, the result
of reflection, action and gratitude. And while most of us lack sufficient free
time to escape to some mountaintop temple to follow our bliss, the best way to
find happiness is to make practical, everyday changes. Coupled with conscious
choices to appreciate the people in your life and making space to do the things
you're best at, small changes to your life soon add up to greater enjoyment in
life.
Get a pet. Owning a pet provides love, companionship, and hours of
entertainment. Pet ownership has health benefits, too, such as reducing your
blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, increasing your feelings of
well-being and connectedness, and teaching you lessons in empathy and
nurturing.
- For extra warm and fuzzy feelings, consider rescuing a pet from your local shelter.
Develop an interest in music. Listening to music taps into your brain’s imagination and
sense of self-identity, boosts your self-esteem, and lessens feelings of
isolation. Listening to music feels empowering. Put on your favorite album – or
that one you keep meaning to dive into, turn up the volume, and cut out all
other distractions so that you can really experience the wonders of the music.
- In some cases, music has been shown to help people coping with dementia, giving them a greater sense of empowerment. Music therapy is also useful in people suffering from anxiety and depression.
Start the day with a
smile. Your facial expression is
traditionally thought of as a window into how you feel, but it's also thought
that your facial expression can influence your mood. Therefore, be sure
to smile freely, to ensure that your mood is upbeat. You might even want to
greet yourself in the mirror with a smile first thing in the morning, that
happy face may be just enough to keep that mood flowing all day long.
Take a break. A decent break doesn’t mean zoning out
to the TV or going down the internet rabbit hole. It means setting some time
aside and making it special. As a thank-you to yourself, give yourself a
vacation or “staycation”, a change of scenery – even if it just means having a
picnic in your backyard or building a fort with your kids in the living room.
Taking a break that is different from the ordinary and lets you "hang
loose" can do wonders for your sense of fun, escape, and fulfillment.
Spend time with interesting people. It is well known that people with a wide circle of friends
tend to live longer. Of course, birds of a feather flock together, and it’s
also been shown that your friends’ behavior can actually have a big impact on
yours. Make sure you hang around with positive, interesting people to inspire
yourself to live a richer life.
- Are you putting off getting in touch with an old friend? Make that call today! If you can’t reach the person by phone, set some time aside to write a long email, or go old-school and pen a letter.
- Do you feel like you are being dragged down by an unhealthy friendship? Enabling your friend’s bad behavior doesn’t do either of you any good. Do some soul-searching and decide whether to resolve things with a heart-to-heart or to simply end the relationship.
- Are you having trouble meeting new people? Get outside your comfort zone by going to new places, striking up conversations with strangers, taking on a new hobby, or even joining a social activity group on something.
