What if I told you that there is a way to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life? I want to give you the tools to get started on living a happier and healthier lifestyle. Here are sixteen ways to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
1. Start a gratitude journal
Gratitude journaling is one of the most popular self-help tactics around, and there's good reason for that too. Studies suggest gratitude journaling can lead to increased happiness, improved health, and even longer life. If you're looking to improve your mental and physical wellbeing holistically like never before, then you absolutely need to start a gratitude journal. Creating an outlet for you to bring your mind back to what truly matters daily- family and friends, not the news headlines.
2. Practice mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness is all about living in the present and fully connecting with your experiences. This mediation regime, which can be practiced anywhere at any time - even on a crowded subway train or as you’re going about your daily work routine – will leave you feeling remarkably less stressed after just 10 minutes of practice. You can become more mindful by taking a minute to sit back and take some deep breaths before charging into hectic tasks. And don't forget that mindfulness doesn't have to stop when the meditation ends; it's an attitude that should extend throughout the day!
For those who find it hard to practice meditation, float therapy is a great way to get started. The environment is set up to make meditation as easy as possible.
3. Take care of yourself - eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep
It's only natural to feel good when you take care of yourself. Eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep all contribute to an improved mood as well as a longer, more productive life. You don't need the energy drinks and caffeine to perk you up - grab some fruits for lunch or exercise outside in nature with an app like Headspace. It will make you come back refreshed every time!
4. Be mindful about your words - speak kindly to others and don't gossip
It would be best if you did not let your words out without thinking first. Before you say something to someone, take the time to think about how it may make them feel and decide if it is worth hurting their feelings just for an empty laugh. Words have power, and they can either lift people up or drag them down when used carelessly. Be mindful with what you say because we all live in a small world where speaking cruelly will come back like an age-old boomerang and hurt more than anyone expected.
5. Live in the present moment - be aware of what's happening around you
Do you notice the weight of the table in front of you, the texture of its surface? What about your feet as they meet the ground? Try taking a deep breath. Notice how that feels? With every new breath we take, our faces are washed with oxygen and cleansed with fresh air. Our bodies are constantly rebuilding themselves to be stronger than before - do you really think that each cell's main focus is to have the smallest lifespan possible?
When we're distracted, whether it be by work or school (or people), our minds become clouded with thoughts. When we pause to actively notice physical objects around us, this will carry over into an internally focused state. This creates more space for happiness.
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7. Spend time with people who are positive influences on you
It's actually effortless: other people's energy is all around us, and we pick up on the vibrations of energy emitted by others constantly.
It does not really matter which type of energies are being picked up--the emotional or the mental. What matters is that those energies can have a profound effect on our behavior, because it impacts what happens to be going on in our own head at any given time.
Exposure to negative emotions causes shifts in hormones and causes the immune system to release cytokines, which sit like pollutants in the body and cause inflammation.
8. Be grateful for what you have
It is important to be grateful for the things you are thankful for. Gratitude is something that you create. It's not a state of being; it's a conscious choice that often needs working at. I think one of the best ways to practice gratitude every day is to spend some time writing in your 'gratitude journal.' Write down three things each night before bedtime about what you are most grateful for and why they came into your life or meant so much to you, then put them in order from the greatest blessing on down. The first thing will remind you why everything else makes sense and give purpose and meaning to our lives despite how difficult they can sometimes be.
9. Get out of your comfort zone every once in a while
To get out of a comfort zone, you need to do something that scares you or that you don't feel comfortable doing. A few ways to accomplish this goal are by challenging yourself with deadlines in other areas that require self-discipline and having conversations with people about difficult topics.
Challenges can be anything from public speaking to learning how to code- the more uncomfortable it is, the better! All things inside your comfort zone stay true, while just outside of your comfort zone is where great growth can happen.
The most important part of this process is not giving up when it starts feeling uncomfortable. An easy way to keep pushing through discomfort into achievement is by fostering a 'growth mindset. A growth mindset is a belief that intelligence can be developed..'
10. Find something that makes you happy to do each day, even if it's just for five minutes
It's important to make time for things that bring you joy, such as watching movies or listening to music. While these are fun activities, it's also good to have a hobby that doesn't always involve other people.
It would be best if you tried to find something that you can do daily. It's good for your health, and it prevents you from being bored all the time, which is a common problem for people of all ages.
11. Meditate or pray at least once a day to help find peace and clarity in life
Saying prayers, meditating, and contemplating offer the benefits of peace and clarity in life. A prayer can be anything from a basic "thank-you for my food" to a thoughtful study on the nature of reality or from an old Eastern mantra to music or poetry. Prayer gives us union with all that is, teaches us how to see things clearly, reduces anxiety, and decreases our neediness for external answers in this ever-changing world. Meditation helps improve self-awareness by cultivating awareness of sensations arising at the present moment and promoting increased alertness through both attentional control and emotion regulation mechanisms that often seem elusive when confronted with daily obstacles such as long work hours or difficult tasks.
12. Get rid of clutter around your house
To clean a house, you need to start by gathering everything that belongs in a particular room. Then sort the items into "keep/throw away" piles and pick up just one category at a time. If you're not sure, divide the keep pile into smaller groups like these: things I know I'll use again; things I will never use; stuff that should be recycled. Once you finish cleaning one room, repeat the process until all rooms are cleaned up!
13. Spend more time with family and friends
Ideas for spending more time with friends and family include the following activities:
video chatting
calling and texting
take walks
go out to eat
play games
Often, when we set up a rigid schedule for ourselves, some things come up in life that throws us off track. It's good to allow more flexibility into our plans to keep going forward and not get frustrated if something comes up.
14. Stop comparing yourself to others
Many factors affect how you feel about your life. One of the most important is comparing yourself to others, especially on social media. But if you stop doing this, it can change your perspective and improve your mood!
15. Join a group or club that interests you
If you want to learn more about a topic, join the group that focuses on it. If you're unsure where to start, look for groups in your area and see what they do and how often they meet.
There are many groups and clubs in Bucks County that you can join. You could search for ones on social media or ask a friend who knows about these things. I'm sure there's something here for everyone!
16. Develop new skills through classes at the local community college or online courses on sites like Coursera
One way to learn new skills is through local community college classes. They are a great resource for improving your soft and hard skills.
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