Everyone wants to be happy, but sadly not many people are. Luckily, there are a few very simple ways we can change aspects of our daily lives to remedy the problem. It all has to do with perspective. How are you viewing your life?
As a species, humans are always adapting to everyday activity. One of the keys to keeping life fresh and interesting is to change up how you live it.
Once you become aware, you’ll quickly come to find that not only will you feel better mentally, but you’ll also give off better vibes and attract happiness to you.
It’s easier said than done! It took me a long, long time to understand, but trust the process and you’ll find it possible. All you have to do is be concious and commit to trying.
Life is a series of experiences that you should learn from and adapt to. The more you expose yourself to, the more you’re able to learn from, adapt to and optimize. If you’re not aware of this fact, you may need to change your perspective. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Try a New Experience Every Day
I wrote previously on how investing in experiences will make you a happier person. As humans, we’re constantly bored. But why?
We have a plethora of activities and gadgets we use on a daily basis, yet after a while they all seem to become monotonous. Humans functioned for thousands of years without cell phones, the internet or the luxury of easy transportation. Despite all of these pleasantries, we have an innate knack for getting too comfortable with our surroundings. Even if you’re incredibly wealthy, the big house and yacht you own will lose some of its appeal over time, because it becomes commonplace.
The best way to avoid the monotony and keep life fresh is to try new things. New York Time’s best selling author Chris Guillebeau notes that it’s well worth your while to change your routine.
Is there a hiking trail you heard about but haven’t explored yet? Stop reading this and go for a hike.
Maybe you own a boat, but you keep going to the same place. Try a new island, reef or fishing spot. Better yet, go waking boarding! Do something from a different perspective everyday, no matter how small of an adjustment it might be.
You’re not only new creating neurlogical connections by doing this, but these subtle changes, subconsciously are creating new memories you’ll draw from for the rest of your life.
Eat Healthier, Different Dishes A Few Times a Week
This relates to the above. Stop eating the same foods everyday. Try a new restaurant or cook a new dish. \ Better yet, cook for someone other than yourself if you haven’t in a while. This is a fresh activity for your mind, and the positive effect is amplified further if what you end up eating is somewhat healthy.
Study’s have shown that consuming excess amounts of sugar and preservatives put unnecessary strain on your liver — which can make you lethargic. Give your body a break and give it something easy to digest. All of this also gives your mind a break, and you’ll have more energy.
Rearrange Your Living Space
As simple as it sounds, move some furniture around! Change the way you place the decor around your living space. When you wake up in the morning or come home from work, you’ll feel refreshed to see something different in your comfort zone.
Help Someone Who Needs It
Helping others, in both big and small ways is amazingly gratifying. What’s important to remember here is that you should want to help someone. Don’t do it for yourself to feel better, that will happen automatically. Look into local charitble organizations that help feed the needy. Consider getting involved with helping the disabled. Even simply submitting small donations to causes you feel passionate about will not only make the world a better place, but also make you feel better.
Travel
Travel makes you smarter, more worldly and more accepting of other people and cultures. Get out there and grow your mind. Travel is the one of the only things you can buy that really makes you richer.
Support Those You Care About
There’s nothing better than being told by someone how much you mean to them. Take this a step further and support them on pursuing whatever goal they might be looking to achieve. This essentially creates a circle of happiness. You’re making them feel better, which will only encourage them to treat you better and support your goals. If you find that’s not the case, don’t invest anymore time in them.
Invest in people who make you feel good, and cut the fat. It might not happen overnight, but what you’re doing is enhancing the roots of any worthwhile relationship, and the fruits will pay off for both sides for the rest of your life.
Be Thankful for What You Have Right Now
Don’t dwell on what you don’t have or want. We’re naturally wired to crave more, but most of the time this feeling of “more” isn’t necessary.
Spend some time each day thinking about all the great things you have going for you and the people who already love you. You’d be surprised. Spend a few minutes per day thinking on this, and all of a sudden your life will feel more fulfilled.
Try writing down 1 thing you’re thankful for before you go to bed every night, and then when you wake up and take a look at it. You’ll start the day with a better mindset.
Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
The world is full of mental clutter, stress and unnecessary thoughts. I know this from experience, being a chronic sufferer of obsessive compulsive disorder since I was about 12. Over the years, I’ve learned that all we really have is right now is this moment.
Things that have occured in the past don’t have to define you, and things in the future are not certain. You are not your mind. Instead, try living and breathing what’s infront of your face right now. After all, right now is the only reality that truly exists.
Once you come to practice and understand this concept, you’ll feel the biggest weight lift off of your shoulders. To help get you there, try lighting a candle, sit on the floor, cross your legs and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths — count to 5 and inhale, hold your breath for a couple of seconds, then exhale for another 5.
Try to not let the thoughts of the day or the worries of tomorrow enter your mind. Focus on the moment and breathe for 5 minutes a night. Over time, enhance the length of your meditation.
Stretch
I’ve always been a strong believer in that a happy body helps contribute to a happy mind. If we allow our body to become tight and constrained, this overtime will also rub off on your mind.
Stretch your muscles, get a massage, do whatever you can to relax the tension in your body. Even though we may not always be mentally aware of muscle knots and tightness on a conscious level — your subconscious and central nervous systems are ALWAYS aware.
Take some weight off of your subconscious by releasing tight muscles. A good analogy for this is thinking about the RAM (memory) a computer has. If it’s full, tight and loaded with junk, your computer slows down. Think of your mind as your body’s RAM. Free up some space by relaxing your body.
Maintain an Attitude of Gratitude
“The Secret” is a controversial yet common sense concept that is worth exploring. A documentary and book that focuses on several concepts that society as a whole often fails to think about.
It boils down to one basic idea, which Carl Sagan introduced a couple decades back. We are all made of the same stuff, of “star stuff.” We are all part of the same universe. “The Secret” is the idea that we are all intimately connected to the universe. What will be, will be.
If our thoughts are negative, we’re more likely to have negative experiences. Instead, try maintaining an attitude of gratitude. Put out good vibes on a daily basis, and watch the universe reward you with positive outcomes and a happier mind.
Additional images courtesy FittoLive, Getty Images, Pinterest, Meditation Yoga Daily News