The secret to truly enjoying life lies in making small changes to our everyday lives. Treating yourself with compassion, taking care of your mental and physical health, and connecting with others are just some of the ways you can live a happier and more fulfilling life. We’ve compiled an extensive list of tips and advice from professionals about what you can do to make the most of every single day and truly enjoy your life.
This article is based off an interview with our senior home care specialist, Justin Barnes, co-owner of Presidio Home Care
Prioritize yourself.
Put yourself and your happiness first. This article is all about enjoying your life and not anyone else’s. Therefore, it’s important for you to make yourself and your happiness a top priority as you go about your daily life. When you make a decision, choose the things that will make you happiest. Prioritize taking care of yourself and don’t neglect your passions and interests. When you put yourself first, you’ll feel more happy, fulfilled, and energized.
Avoid comparing yourself to others and focus solely on your goals and achievements.
Spend some time alone when you feel like you need to recharge. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break and being by yourself every now and then.
Allow yourself to indulge in the small things that make you happy, such as reading a book, drinking a cup of tea, or going for a short walk each day.
Be kind to yourself.
Love yourself and show yourself compassion. When you love yourself, you begin to start viewing yourself and your life through a much more positive lens. And when you treat yourself with compassion, you’re more likely to feel happy and achieve success in many different areas of your life.
Use positive affirmations show yourself kindness. Tell yourself things like, “I’m a good person,” “I’m strong,” and “I deserve to be loved.”
Forgive yourself for past mistakes. Being forgiving toward yourself can help lower feelings of stress, anger, and hurt.
Celebrate the small wins.
Reward yourself for making progress and continuing to grow. Rather than only praising yourself for your tangible successes, make sure to celebrate even the smallest signs of progress and growth. Giving yourself an encouraging pat on the back every now and then will keep you motivated and invigorated to do your best and live a great life.
For example, buy yourself a treat whenever you cross something off your to-do list.
Or, be sure to reward yourself with small breaks throughout the work day.
Text your friends and share your excitement when you finish a book or learn something new
Invest in yourself.
Invest your time and resources into improving yourself. Investing in yourself and working to improve your skills is one way to show yourself love and care. Put effort toward things that matter to you and work on developing your strengths to help boost your confidence. When you invest time in developing your strengths, you’ll be happier and truly enjoy the work and activities you do.
For example, find a tutor or coach who can help you get better at certain skills, such as playing an instrument, cooking, or writing.
If you have the necessary funds, don’t be afraid to splurge on more expensive tools and devices that’ll help you, such as getting nicer art supplies for drawing or a better computer for doing work.
One of the most precious resources you can invest in yourself is your time. Make time for the things that you truly love and do your best to maintain a work-life balance.
Speak your mind.
Be honest about your wants and needs. Rather than bottling up all of your thoughts and keeping them to yourself, let others know when you need something. Doing so can really help you to become more confident and feel like you have control over your life. When you live life on your own terms, you’ll be happier and overall more content.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Chances are there will be plenty of people ready to support you.
Set boundaries with friends, family members, a significant other, and other people in your life to ensure other people understand your limits.
State your opinion and honest thoughts but remain respectful and listen to others as well.
Meet new people.
Get out and make new friends who make you happy. Making an effort to go out and meet new people can bring a lot of excitement and diversity to your life. Oftentimes, it’s the people you spend time with who truly make life enjoyable and fun, especially if they’re happy people who share some of your interests.
Here are some suggestions about how you can expand your social circle:
Have your friends introduce you to people they know.
Go out with your friends to a party or a large group get-together.
Talk to new people at your work.
Join online communities to make friends from all around the world.
Participate in a volunteer group to meet people in your community
Travel to new places.
Experience a change of scenery and new adventures. Whether it’s to a new city, state, or country, traveling, for many people, is a guaranteed way to bring some excitement and joy to your life.
If you’ve got the time and budget, take a trip alone or with friends and family and see what the world has to offer. For example:
Spend a weekend in a new city with a friend.
Travel with your family to see the national parks.
Go on a cruise that will dock in a foreign country.
Study abroad in a different country.
Plan a romantic getaway with your significant other.
Do something you’ve never done before.
Seek out new and fun experiences. Life is so much more enjoyable when you’re constantly experiencing new things and making new discoveries. There’s an infinite amount of possibilities and opportunities to experience, so why not invest some time in trying even just a few of them?
If you’re looking for excitement, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and say yes to new things. For example:
Go to a new restaurant that serves food you’ve never tried before.
Explore a new part of your city you’ve never been to.
Participate in a marathon.
Visit an amusement park.
Try a sport you’ve never played before.
Go on a treasure hunt.
Keep learning new things.
Learn new skills and hobbies to help yourself grow. Even if you’ve finished school, there are countless opportunities to learn new things and expand your worldview and knowledge. When you learn new things, you boost your self-confidence and foster a deeper interest in and curiosity about the world around you. Take classes, participate in seminars, or watch and read interesting things on the internet to learn new things every day.
Sign up for a class to learn to play an instrument.
Check out a book at the library about world history.
Teach yourself to speak a foreign language.
Play trivia with your friends to learn new interesting facts.
Get a part-time job doing something you’ve never tried, such as a barista or baker.
Make a bucket list.
Create goals for yourself to stay motivated. Life is more enjoyable when you have things to look forward to and goals you want to achieve. A bucket list or goal list can help you feel a sense of purpose and keep you motivated to face each new day with a positive mindset. Fill your bucket list with a mix of realistic goals and big dreams. After all, you never know what life will bring!
Set SMART goals to help motivate yourself and keep track of your progress. These goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. For example:
Specific: I’m going to write a short story.
Measurable: I’ll write 500-1,000 words a day for the next month.
Attainable: My hours at work have gone down so I have more time.
Relevant: I really enjoy reading and writing and have a good idea for a story.
Time-bound: I’ll start at the beginning of June and have the first draft done by the end of the month.
Some fun items to add to your bucket list include things like climbing a mountain, going skydiving, swimming with sharks, and going to a foreign country.
