I find myself asking this question regularly - what do I want? What’s the end goal?
I found myself asking this question a couple of months ago when I was going through a period of transition, and the answer was, to be happy.
And today I will share four things that we should all do regularly, in order to be happier in the long run:
1) Get plenty of sleep:
I know what some of you might be thinking - we don’t need it and it’s a waste of time, but sleep fuels us - we feel fresher, well rested and happier and our day goes by so much better. Sleeping 7-8 hours a day is essential.
2 ) Exercise regularly:
It doesn’t have to be lifting weights at the gym- It can be any form of exercise you like. It could be a sport, it could be yoga or even a dance class. But use your body. Don’t let it get out of shape. Sometimes sore muscles are a good thing. Not only does exercise release endorphins, but it makes us feel (and look) better and even aids the quality of our sleep. Even if it doesn’t actually make us lose weight, it gives us a better sense of self and body image.
3) Meditate:
Meditating daily is a practice I took up about 5 months ago and it has brought about a significant difference in my daily outlook. By practising yoga and meditating regularly, I came to realise that our brains and hearts are interconnected- whatever our heart feels is conveyed to our brain. The only way we can actually purify our thoughts is by truly purifying our hearts. Meditation allows you to increase your happiness by detaching from your emotions, instead of becoming consumed by them.
4)Practice gratitude:
Most of us have a lot to be grateful for, but it's human nature to often forget the ways in which we are blessed. In today’s society, we are always seeing the glass as half empty. How do we start seeing it as half full? Here’s a little exercise which everyone should try, particularly in times when they are feeling upset: share 3 good things that happened every day with a close friend or even with your partner. There was a quote I once read, which really stuck with me:
“Everyday may not be good but theres something good in everyday!”