- September 20, 2018
- Psychology of Personality
- Yulia Shishkina
A good job, wealth and prosperity are undoubtedly an important part of life. But in the pursuit of well-being, people sometimes forget about what it is for. Time is running out, but you still haven’t learned how to spend it enjoying life? In such a situation, it is worth reconsidering your views and trying out a few simple ways to help maintain positive thinking and the right attitude every day.
Enjoy the little things
Waking up in the morning on an ordinary weekday, people do not always tend to feel happiness. It seems that today there will be nothing special, and therefore there is nothing to be happy about. But if you set yourself up for a good mood only on holidays or important dates, the rest of the time will be boring, which will lead to apathy.
Every little thing that you enjoy must be valued and treated as if you would not trade it for anything. Enjoying life means appreciating all its moments. To achieve this effect, it is important to pay due attention to detail. Cook yourself a delicious breakfast by trying new recipes with unusual ingredients. Enjoy even eating. Notice the little joys from every little thing.
How to live at the moment?
To achieve a healthy balance, try to remember the following:
- Think about the past in small doses and make sure that you are focusing on the past for some reason (for example, to relive a pleasant experience, identify where you went wrong, or figure out the key to past success).
- Think about the future in small doses and make sure you are focusing on the future in a healthy way without worrying about yourself (e.g. don't waste time worrying about the future, think about the future long enough to prepare for it and then move on).
- Stay in the present moment most of your time.
Learn new things
Enjoy life, but do not forget that, in addition to relaxation and entertainment, a person needs to constantly develop. This is not done to surprise everyone you know with your erudition, but to maintain interest in life and the desire to become better.
You don't have to re-read the entire school curriculum or solve equations. Learn what interests you. Sign up for courses and do something that interests you. You will not only broaden your horizons, but also become a more interesting conversationalist, more successful, and will be able to manage your life yourself. Enjoy the opportunity to realize yourself in any field, while learning with pleasure.
If you are unable to attend additional courses, you can do so by finding information on the Internet. Create your own training program and follow it, gradually implementing all your plans.
Using the present moment to stop worrying
Speaking of anxiety, being aware of the present moment is a great way to reduce your anxiety levels.
Follow these six steps to become more present and free from anxiety:
- Develop mindfulness: Stop thinking about your work.
- Practice Enjoyment: Avoid worrying about the future by fully experiencing the present.
- Focus on your breathing: Allow mindfulness to make you more peaceful and smooth your interactions with others.
- Find your flow: Make the most of your time.
- Improve your ability to accept: move towards what's bothering you instead of denying or running away from it.
- Increase your engagement: Notice new things to improve your awareness.
Find your hobby
Sometimes adults spend too much time working. They are successfully moving up the career ladder, have a good income, but at the same time they still wonder how to learn to enjoy life. But because while carrying out everyday errands, a person forgets to devote time to his hobbies.
Find something you like. Remember how you attended school clubs as a child, and how interesting they were. Bring these feelings back into your life. This could be handicrafts, drawing, singing or just anything that is interesting. You shouldn’t be ashamed of the fact that you want to live, just as you shouldn’t be ashamed of life and do what you like. There are associations of interests in which adults can belong. There you can not only master your hobby in comfortable conditions, but also find new like-minded people or friends.
Slow down by doing less
Regardless, the first thing you need to do is slow down by doing less. Focus on what's really important and leave the rest for later.
You also need to eat more slowly and not swallow after chewing your food, because this way you won't enjoy your food and experience the taste and texture. You don't enjoy food when you eat quickly.
Likewise, drive slower and appreciate nature and your surroundings rather than constantly rushing.
Spend more family time rather than just talking to your kids and family.
Simply put, just put your heart and mind into action when you do something. Feel the difference between automatic life and slow, conscious life!
Laugh and smile
When work is busy and home is full of tasks and responsibilities, a person tends to be serious and focused. Balance and calmness are not bad traits at all, but you shouldn’t try to keep everything under control.
Relax and allow yourself to have some fun. Try to laugh heartily at simple jokes or watch a comedy with friends. Smile at yourself every time you approach the mirror, and before you know it, you will soon be happy just to see your reflection.
Sometimes you need to be more focused and maintain a confident appearance. But when the matter is not serious, give yourself a little freedom and don’t be afraid to seem frivolous.
Be more active
The positive effect of exercise on mood is a scientifically proven fact. Don't ignore it if you want to live an enjoyable life and stay in good shape.
Your body is a tool that you use every second. That's why it's so important to keep him in good shape. Sign up for a gym, swimming, or train at home. It all depends on your desire. Don't torture yourself with stress if you don't want to. Just be more active in your daily activities. Go for a walk or run more often in the evenings. It won't take much time or effort, but it will make you more mobile, allow you to breathe fresh air and stay healthy.
Fight depression with exercise
Science has long proven why physical exercise is necessary in our daily lives.
Research cited in The Happiness Advantage also confirms the importance of exercise for happiness. In this study, patients with depression were divided into three groups. People in the first group were treated with medications, those in the second with exercise, and the third group were returned to normal life by combining medications with exercise.
After six months, patients in all three groups were examined for relapses. And this is what the results were. Of those who took medication alone, 38% became depressed again. In the group that received combination therapy, the relapse rate was slightly lower - 31%. The group treated with exercise alone showed the best results: relapses occurred in only 9% of people.
This study clearly shows that exercise is the best way to combat depression.
Here is another study by KM Appleton. 6 × 40 mins exercise improves body image, even though body weight and shape do not change / Journal of Health Psychology, which also proves that people who take care of their bodies and are in good physical shape feel happier.
The benefits of physical exercise are undeniable. So why wait? Start training today. Start small and make it a habit to exercise every day.
Do not hurry
In the modern world, life has a very fast pace, especially in large and noisy cities. People are constantly in a hurry, they want to do everything and try it as quickly as possible. Instead of constantly running towards achieving big goals, think about how to learn to enjoy life here and now.
If you want to get a beautiful, toned body, you don’t need to torture yourself with hours of training. Take your time and exercise for your own pleasure, and the result will come, although it may not happen immediately, but you will not feel tired every day. Enjoy life at any moment, even if you have great difficulty achieving your goal.
The same principle works with other things. Break the task into several parts. Let them do them a little slower, but this will not affect your well-being. Be happy every moment and don't waste your time chasing quick results.
Tip #2: Start thinking positively
You need to completely get rid of negative thoughts and start thinking positively in order to reconsider your life and get only pleasure from it. After all, if you constantly think positively, you can begin to make further plans for life, which, over time, you can gradually implement. Thus, you can learn to enjoy absolutely every day of your life and live for your pleasure.
Chat and make friends
In order not to feel lonely, you need to have strong relationships with other people. Give your friendships more attention and find some free time to meet up with your friends.
When a person frequently interacts with someone who has a positive outlook on the world, he begins to adopt good habits. Make friends with people who inspire positive emotions and share your plans and dreams with them. This way you will begin to motivate yourself and feel supported by your loved ones. Be happy around your friends and tell them about it so they can feel your positive energy too.
For example, if a friend does not want to change his views and is constantly in a bad mood, and you cannot ignore him, you should think about whether communication with him is necessary. Other people shouldn't stop you from enjoying life. Living in the present means letting go of old habits and connections if they prevent you from becoming happier and become a burden.
Control your stress levels
Experiences and emotional turmoil are not only unpleasant, but also harmful to health. Therefore, it is very important to ensure that you do not have too much stress in your life.
Avoid communicating with conflicting people and try in every possible way to isolate yourself from negativity. Don't watch TV programs that make you emotional. Replace stress with positive emotions and relaxation. To do this, you can try meditation or, for example, aromatherapy.
Pay close attention to your health and emotional state. If you feel stressed, talk to your loved ones about it or seek help from a psychologist. Take care of yourself as you would the person you love most.
Using Yoga to Connect with the Present Moment
Yoga is a great way to connect with the present . There are many reasons why yoga is beneficial for mindfulness, but one of the main ones is, of course, paying attention to your breathing.
When we focus our attention on our breath, we have no choice but to be in the present.
To bring yourself back to the present in a moment of stress or when you feel overwhelmed by the past or future, you can try this breathing exercise from Yokeley:
Inhale and say to yourself, “I am inhaling,” exhale, saying, “I am exhaling.” On the next round of breathing, try to tell yourself: “I am here and now.”
The flow of yoga from one position to another is a great opportunity to develop the ability to stay in the present moment. Transitions mimic the changes we experience as we move from work to rest, cooking, cleaning, sleeping, and everything else in between.
Set your priorities
When a person pays too much attention to one aspect of life, he may miss other equally important things. And, perhaps, do something all the time that does not bring moral satisfaction. Therefore, you need to set your priorities correctly and decide for yourself what brings maximum benefit and enjoyment to life.
Make a list of the things that make you happy and the things you need to do to ensure a happy life. Anything not included on this list should be carefully considered. Honestly admit to yourself whether you need to waste time on things that deprive you of pleasure, and boldly delete everything unnecessary from your life. This way you will become more free, you will have more time for yourself and the fulfillment of your desires.
The next step is to identify the highest priority items on the list. Leave two to five points and write them separately. They are what you need to become even happier. Go towards your goals while enjoying life every day.
Don't put it off until later
The habit of constantly rescheduling starts with little things, such as the alarm clock when you set the time five minutes later in the morning with a sleepy hand, or with a dirty plate lying in the sink since the morning. It will be difficult at first, but once you learn to do everything at once, you will realize how much time and effort you wasted.
Instead of spending a whole weekend cleaning an apartment that was started on weekdays, take five minutes of time right now. Wash dishes immediately after eating or vacuum as soon as you feel the floor needs cleaning. Then things will not accumulate, and you can do something more interesting and enjoyable.
If you can’t complete all your responsibilities at once, make a to-do list for yourself. When you notice that it contains many unfulfilled items, get down to business. You don't have to live exactly on a schedule, but unnecessary chaos only draws too much attention to itself and you waste valuable time.
Be grateful for everything life gives you
Constantly complaining about how his fate is shaping up, a person not only sets himself up for negativity, but also attracts even more problems. Learn to accept everything that happens to you as a reason for joy and an opportunity to become better. Positive thinking is very important in order to provide yourself with only positive energy throughout the day.
Tell your loved ones how grateful you are to them for being by your side and supporting you in difficult times. But this should not be feigned and done only for appearances. You need to really feel all the simple happiness that you get from relationships with people around you.
Do not envy the achievements of others, but pay more attention to your own, even the smallest victories. The fact that someone has achieved more will not make your life worse.
Keep yourself a diary in which you will write down every day what makes you happy and what things you consider valuable at the moment. In times of low mood or apathy, look into it and remind yourself how much good there is in your life.
Enjoying every moment is not so difficult if you really believe in success. Just don’t stop halfway, always go to the end, achieve your goal and don’t hesitate. Don't expect help from others, take life into your own hands and never lose heart. The ability to find happiness in every day is something that is not taught at school or college. In this matter, you are the main teacher, and life experience is the most valuable lesson.
Why can it be difficult to live now?
Living in the present is so difficult because we are always encouraged to think about the future or dwell on our past. Advertisements, reminders, notifications, messages and warnings are all oriented towards the past or the future.
Our phones are incredible technologies that allow us to do so much more and do it much more efficiently than ever before, but we really need a break from our phones at least every now and then.
Other factors that contribute to our inability to live in the present include:
- We often correct the bad parts of our experiences by making our past more pleasant than it actually was.
- When we live in the present, we face a lot of uncertainty, which can cause anxiety.
Dealing with these factors can be difficult, but fortunately we are not slaves to our brain's tendencies. It is possible to overcome our destructive urges and make better choices.
