Have you ever begrudgingly wondered how some people manage to make being happy look easy? You think, it’s probably genetic, luck, or they’re just too ignorant about life to worry incessantly like a real adult. Honestly, the reason it looks easy, is because it is much easier to be happy than most of us think. A lot of us have the tendency to think that happiness requires a giant shift in our lives. We either think we need a big fat bank account or to find ourselves on a mountaintop somewhere. We tend to make happiness this complicated unattainable thing that requires habits, routines, and balance. Honestly, it is so simple that it’s almost embarrassing. Here are 16 simple ways you can enjoy your life more, starting today!
1. Focus on you, yourself and I
You, take care of you and follow your bliss. People will have their opinions, demands and suggestions. They will share these demands, opinions and suggestions. They may argue their demands, opinions and suggestions. They will lovingly express their demands, opinions and suggestions. Ultimately, however, it’s you, and you alone, that will have to live with the decisions you make in your life. Focus on what makes you happy.
2. Create time to relax
Relax, take time to just hang out with yourself and clear your mind.
3. Avoid the news
It’s easy to get sucked into public drama, gossip, or world catastrophes = online and offline. Trust that if something important happens, you’ll know about it. Otherwise, save yourself energy and spend your time on something more worthwhile… Like watching butterflies flutter.
4. Nurture your positive relationships
Hang out with people who are positive, inspiring and wonderful. Avoid people who are full of drama and constantly complaining about their lives.
5. Meet new people
Making a consistent effort to meet new people helps us fulfill and introduce new ideas and perspectives. It keeps things fresh and exciting.
6. Explore new places
New places and cultures offer a different perspective on the world and add a healthy dose of inspiration and possibility to our lives.
7. Spend money on experiences, not possessions
It’s experiences, not possessions, that create memories and meaning.
8. Cut down your junk
Physical clutter equals mental clutter; reducing the amount of stuff around us fosters a calmer mental state, too.
9. Make time for gratitude and appreciation
Creating a routine of writing down three things we feel grateful for each day helps us focus more on what we’re grateful for in life.
10. Be deliberate in your choices
We’ve never had so many opportunities to create a lifestyle that we truly love, yet many of us still live life on autopilot. Be deliberate in your life choices: remember that it’s your life and no-one else’s.
11. Invest in yourself
The more self-aware and self-accepting we are, the happier we are. Make time to read personal development books, journal, and focus on being compassionate towards yourself.
12. Allow yourself to feel happy
Many of us find it challenging to enjoy a calm, “normal” life. Give yourself permission to enjoy a drama-free existence and focus on finding pleasure in your daily experiences.
13. Practice mindfulness
Noticing how we feel and what’s around us right now is an effective way of getting out of our heads, detaching from our worries, and returning to the experience of what it’s truly like to be alive.
14. Get outside
Feel the wind on your face, the sun on your skin, and enjoy a good dose of Vitamin D and fresh air.
15. Speak your mind
When we hold back our thoughts, opinions, and desires out of fear of displeasing others, we’re not being true to ourselves. Speak up and feel uncomfortable in the short-term and you’ll enjoy life more in the long-term.
16. Record happy moments
Take photos, journal, draw—whatever you need to do to record happy moments and memories. Every time you remember an experience, you relive it, make the memories good. Enjoy.
Love you guys – Rafi
Klee Angelie
Artist Rafi Perez