Close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Focus on being in the moment and you’ll feel all of your worries melt away. Be patient: this takes practice. You can also meditate or do yoga to help yourself focus on the present moment instead of worrying about what the future may bring.
Even if you’ve had a horrible day, try to think of three little things that made it worthwhile. Maybe it was the unexpected kind email from an old friend, a great conversation with your neighbor, or the amazing new coffee you had with your breakfast.
Making a habit of reflecting will help you think rationally when a problem arises and will keep you from being blind-sided by problems that are lurking in your life.
You will always be able to find someone who is happier, healthier, richer, prettier, and just more together than you are. But why look? Remember that, even if you’re really jealous of your friend’s relationship, she might be really jealous of your awesome career. There are always reasons to be jealous of others, and reasons for others to be jealous of you. But if you drop comparing completely, you’ll only be doing yourself a favour. If you only go on Facebook to see who is getting engaged, who just got an awesome new job, or who just went on a vacation of a lifetime, then it’s time to disconnect. Social media can make you feel like whatever you have just isn’t enough.
Sure, sharing your problems with a good friend can help you work them out. But being upset and complaining to everyone in earshot about it is guaranteed to make you feel worse.
Some suffering will make you appreciate the good parts of your life and will make you even more grateful for what you have. Talking to friends about your sadness can also make you feel like you have more control over your life, which will make you a happier person.
Sure, a new wardrobe will make you feel better in the short run. But in the long run, you’ll still be the same person, just with nicer clothes.
It takes practice to develop compassion for others. The more time you spend with other people, the quicker you can do this.
Being happier now, according to one study, is also a stronger indicator of how happy you’ll be in the future. So, making the choice to be happy affects you beyond the present moment. [6] X Research source Studies also show that happier people have less health problems. This decision can affect your physical well-being, too. [7] X Research source
Sure, one school of thought is that you shouldn’t go to bed mad. But another is that, if you stop mentioning every little thing that sets you off, that you won’t be mad to begin with.
Look around you – do you really need to have so many pairs of shoes? Two types of iPods? Three calendars hanging above your desk? Any time you can eliminate something, go for it. De-cluttering is another form of simplifying your life. Go through your workspace and your home and rid all surfaces and drawers of the things you don’t really need. You’ll be able to breathe more easily and will be happier with what you do have.
As The Rolling Stones once said, “You can’t always get what you want/but if you try sometimes/you get what you need. . . " These are words to live by. Don’t obsess over having the nicest or most amazing things, and focus on being happy with what you do have. And guess what? You can always find a better version of something, whether it’s a new Apple device or a new car. Striving for perfection will exhaust you and will make you perpetually unhappy.
Stop making excuses. No one is too busy to have some sort of social life. Try to really connect with people at least twice a week. If you have a significant other, don’t take him or her for granted. Take the time to make truly meaningful memories and to have real conversations with the one you love.
Treating yourself like you are worth the extra time and care will make you feel better about your own life. Don’t let a friend’s last-minute plans take away your “me time. " Guard your alone time like it’s time you were planning on spending with Brad Pitt.
If you’re miserable because you feel completely uninspired or unappreciated in your current job, then ask for a raise, find something new, or consider switching career paths completely. If a terrible relationship, whether it’s your love life or your complicated relationship with a close friend, is standing in your way, then it may be time to cut ties. If you’re seriously overweight and it’s keeping you from doing the things you want to do, then it may be time to find a healthier routine for yourself.
Helping other people will also make you less focused on yourself and all of the things you don’t have.
It’s okay to recognize that you have flaws and that you aren’t perfect. Working to address as many of these flaws as you can, though, can make you feel even better about yourself.
One of the reasons people can feel unhappy with their lives is because they’re sick of doing the same old thing. Doing at least one completely new thing a week can help you to keep a fresh perspective.
Failing once in a while reminds you that you don’t have to be good at everything you try, and this will undoubtedly make you more content.
If you spend all of your time with people who are nagging and looking for reasons to be upset with their lives, you’ll be much more likely to come up with some reasons to be unhappy, too!
Whenever you open your mouth to say something bad about a person, ask yourself if you can say something positive about that person – or nothing at all – instead.
Try to work out for at least 30 minutes a day, or one hour every other day, to make yourself feel happier and healthier.
You don’t have to have a big confrontation to have an adult conversation about the things that are upsetting you. At the same time, you should let go of resentment. Don’t be angry about the things people have done to hurt or upset you in the past. If you’ve already dealt with them, then work on moving on.
This won’t happen overnight, of course. But you should make finding a purpose one of your life’s goals.
