Now more than ever, living happily is a concept for which most of us are striving. What is the key to living a happy and authentic way of life?
Here are five ways you can make the necessary steps to achieving a settled and satisfactory every day.
1. Invest in Your Relationships
These don’t have to be romantic relationships!
Some of life’s most important relationships come in the form of friendships and family. Make deep and lasting connections with a small number of people close to you and try to have important conversations – remember birthdays and stay in each other’s lives.
In this digital age, we can often rely on technology to do the socialising for us and forget that face-to-face conversations over dinner or coffee can be revitalising for the soul.
2. Take Moments to Breathe
Life can sweep us up in its current; we often forget to live in the moment and look around us.
Take five minutes every day to just sit in the quiet and make a list of what you’re thankful for. You might even want to do a guided meditation or mindfulness programme to clear your head.
Being conscious of your breathing is proven to lower anxiety levels and reduce blood pressure. Mental health charities such as Mind have an abundance of resources on re-claiming your inner calm.
3. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
As it’s essential for physical and mental health, sleep is something that can really throw us off kilter if we don’t get enough of it.
If you’re struggling to get some good rest in the evening, maybe it’s time to assess your bed. If it’s needing a bit of tender loving care, or perhaps it’s past its best, investing in a new bed could (literally) change your life.
By consulting with specialists at companies like Archers Sleep Centre, you can pick up a bed that suits your body and how you sleep, allowing you to get those eight hours of rest that you need to keep your health in top condition.
4. Exercise More
Exercise, no matter how small, is proven to release endorphins in the brain – the so-called ‘happy hormone’ that lifts mood and reduces anxiety. If you’re not fitness orientated, just taking a short walk in the fresh air can make all the difference.
You may find that taking up a club-based sport, like tennis or football, can lead to you forming friendships and increasing your positive mood through socialisation too.
5. Get Organised
Cleaning and tidying your home is a proven way to help boost happiness. A study by Clorox showed that just an hour of cleaning and tidying was shown to boost happiness levels by a whopping 53%!
If you’re easily overwhelmed by cleaning, it might be easier to start in one room first and work clockwise, ticking off a to-do list as you go.
What helps you to lead a happy life? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!