I've been thinking about some steps that I've been taking that are helping me to find more happiness in my life. Here are 10 things that have helped me:
1. Be ok not being ok, for now...Realize that your situation is not permanent. You can make healthy changes and over time you will find yourself in a much better place. Change takes time. It will not happen instantaneously. Allow yourself time to go through the process.
2. Set goals- There are two steps in setting goals that you can use and both of them will help you pull through. The first step is to have an idea about something you would like to do. Dreaming about possibilities and not living in the mindset that you are stuck in your current situation can help pull you out of difficult times. The next step cannot be skipped or forgotten though if you would like your dreams to someday become a reality. The second step of goal setting is to set small, achievable goals that will help you reach your dream. If your dream is to be able to run a half marathon next year, your small achievable goals could be to select and stick to a training plan each day until the day of the race. If your dream is to go on a vacation, your small, achievable goals could include picking a place and putting aside a specific amount of money every month to save so that you can afford to go. Or if you don't have a job, that would be an important first step.
3. Spend quality time with people that you love. This will always lift your spirits.
4. Eat healthy foods- when your body is taken care of you will feel better physically, which will help improve your mental state.
5. Get enough sleep. This is also important to having a healthy mindset.
6. Spend time doing the things that you love. This may sound like common sense, but when you are going through something difficult it is easy to forget. Make time to go to the gym, or paint, or have a game night, or listen to music, or dance, or sing, or whatever it is that you love to do.
7. Count your blessings. No matter what your situation is, it could always be worse. Even if you feel like you've hit rock bottom in your personal life, there is always someone, maybe in another country or another part of the world whose situation is far worse than yours. When you are grateful for all that you do have, even if it isn't a lot at the time, you will feel more happiness in your life.
8. Exercise Daily- Getting enough exercise to release endorphins will help you feel happier as well.
9. Have a Morning Routine- Start your morning off right. When you wake up in the morning your attitude sets the tone for the whole day. Wake up with positive thoughts. List three things you are grateful for every morning. Pray. Thank God for the blessing it is to be alive. Don't ask him for anything until your evening prayers or a prayer later on.
10. Positive Self-Talk- Use positive mantras every day! Think them in the morning when you wake up. Post a picture of them in your bedroom. Put them as the background on your phone or computer (or somewhere where you will see them.) Think of what mantras are most meaningful to you and use those. I like to pick three.
