By Tazmin Suleiman
What if I told you that you could be happier? Right now?
Without buying anything, going anywhere, or anything changing. Would you be interested?
Here are 10 tips, and the great thing is you can do them all yourself, you don’t need anyone’s help.
1. Spend some time self-reflecting:
What actually makes you happy. Although this sounds as obvious, when was the last time you did this?
Reflecting on that experiences, events and people elevate our energy and deplete it, gives is the knowledge of what we should be doing more of and less off. And by adjusting how much time we spend in either camp will impact how happy we feel.
Write down 5 things/people in your life that are energy gains or energy drains.
2. Speak to yourself nicely:
We converse with ourselves all the time, and unfortunately it is usually negatively, and often untrue. This inner chatter then impacts how we feel about ourselves and the world and influences strongly how we live our lives.
By changing our narrative, our mood will change straight away.
Check in with yourself several times each day to hear what you are saying to yourself. If it is negative, replace it with a kinder, more encouraging statement.
3. Be present:
During our day we are often doing one thing and thinking about another. Something as wonderful as sharing a meal with the family can have the value sucked out of it by thinking of the past or worrying about the future.
By being intentionally present, you will enjoy experiences more, and even mundane jobs can become enjoyable.
Next time you are doing something joyful, remove distractions and of you find your mind id drifting away, gently bring it back again.
4. Practice Gratitude:
Again, this can feel like another obvious suggestion, but we are all guilty of taking many elements of our lives for granted.
Acknowledging the blessings in our lives puts life into perspective and grounds us. I’m not saying don’t strive for more but start from a place of being grateful for what you have.
Imagine you would wake up tomorrow with nothing, except what you write down on a gratitude list. What would you write on it?
5. Be conscious of what you can and can’t control:
How much of your time do you spend worrying about things that you can do nothing about? Or the past?
This is all zapping your energy, and for what? Next time you are in this situation, ask yourself, can I do anything about this? If not, walk away. Or as my sister-in-law says, “don’t worry Worry until Worry worries you.
If a situation is out of your control, take it out of your mind.
6. Let go of the past:
Most of us are guilty of holding onto grudges, things people have done or said that have hurt our feelings. This pain becomes a burden that weighs us done, shackles that we put on ourselves.
By letting go of the past, you let yourself off the hook. You will feel lighter, and more of your life will be filled with what is going to make a difference to you.
When thinking of past pain, ask yourself, is holding onto this serving me?
7. Practice self-care:
Self-care isn’t selfish, it is a necessary part of recharging so you can serve those around you. And it is definitely more than a bubble bath.
Look at what you are eating, drinking & the media you are consuming. Are you spending time outdoors, exercising, creating and socialising? Create a self-care menu filled with activities that recharge you.
Self-care isn’t selfish – it is necessary to recharge.
8. Change the lens:
By seeing yourself and others in the best possible way, and thinking the best possible thoughts, will go a long way to change your day to day experiences.
Start by writing a list of good qualities of yourself and those you live with.
9. Are you spending time working on your goals?
Fill some of our day working towards the goals that are important to you. This could be as little as 5 minutes, but it will make you feel that you are in the driving seat, that you are making progress.
Of all the things you want to do, what 1 thing will make the most difference in your life? How can you work towards that?
10. Have personal integrity:
When you commit to being there for someone else, do you let them down? Do you push it down the priority list? Probably not. When why do it for things that are important to you?
By keeping the promises you make to yourself, you grow to trust yourself more. This, coupled with progress in important areas, improves your self-esteem.
Make what is important to you, important to you.
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