When was the last time you laughed out of pure happiness or practice more simple living? How about the last time you took a deep breath in and relished the simple feeling of being alive…
In life’s busyness, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and routine. We’re so busy being productive and getting a million things done, we forget about the joy life has to offer.
If you’re looking for ways to feel happier and nurture joy in your day to day life, here are 12 things you can do to discover simple pleasures and enjoy life more.
Simplify
Simplifying your life will have a hugely positive impact on your mood and general mental state. The concept of simple living is powerful and can extend into all areas of your life.
You can simplify your possessions, your daily routine, your digital life, your budget, your shopping habits.
Clutter and disorder hide in all corners of our homes and lives. Start freeing up space and liberating yourself from objects, memories and habits that have lost their purpose. (If you need some help with that, try out my free decluttering resources here.)
You’ll usher in a new experience of life with more time to think, to experience and to just be.
Smile
Smiling has a measurable effect on our bodies. Studies show that smiling reduces feelings of stress, can lower your blood pressure and make you feel generally more positive.
While it may seem trivial, a simple habit of smiling more often, more consciously, signals an intention to change or influence your experience of the world.
Allow yourself to find, even look for, moments to reward with a smile – a gift to yourself, and to the world around you.
Relax
Make time in your schedule to do things that allow you to slow down and practice simple living. For some, relaxing is doing nothing at all. For others it may be reading, walking in nature, or listening to music.
Identify pockets of time during your day to intentionally tune out the outside world, and allow your body to find rest and your mind to find ease.
Socialize
Nurture friendships with people that build you up. Think about joining a dinner club or a hiking group. Spend time with supportive family and have fun experiences with friends – you’ll feel inspired, energized and connected.
Explore
At first glance, this could mean literally exploring the world or your surroundings. And by all means, go! Find interesting new places in your neighbourhood. Discover a tucked away park and have a picnic; take a drive to somewhere you’ve never been before.
Or keep it a little closer and go inward. Are there hobbies you’d like to try out? Are there thoughts and ideas you want to delve deeper into?
Explore what motivates you, what inspires you. Rediscover your intuition and your sense of purpose with journaling and self-reflection.
Life has so much to explore and discover if we agree to take that journey.
Give
Sometimes the best way to put your life into perspective is to take the focus off yourself and put it on to others.
Volunteer in community projects, help out in times of crisis, spend time with the elderly who have no family.
Even in our own families, there is a need for kindness, for a helping hand or a supportive word.
It doesn’t only make you feel happier – giving benefits your overall health and helps you feel connected to people and the greater community.
Invest In Yourself
Never stop learning. Learning new things keeps our minds alert and prevents us from getting stuck in a rut of thinking of doing things the same old way without real thought or meaning.
Make time simple living in your routine for self care. While you might not have time for a whole day at the spa, minimalist self care encompasses many meaningful activities that nurture your soul and feed your body and mind.
Investing in yourself is never a waste of time. You’ll feel rejuvenated and energized with fresh ideas and renewed purpose.
Celebrate
Celebrate little victories and big wins. Appreciate the sun rising. Feel gratitude for winter, even when the cold gets numbing. Celebrate new life. Celebrate simply, with a smile, while you hold gratitude in your heart.
Celebration and gratitude walk hand in hand, and when you practice looking, you’ll be surprised at how much there is to celebrate.
Speak Up
Hoarding unresolved feelings, frustration, anger, disappointment leads to a very unhappy experience of life.
While you don’t need to shout it out in the town square, speak your truth when you need to. If something makes you unhappy, talk about it to someone who will listen. If you have thoughts you need to express, find a safe space and do so.
Whether it’s in words or writing, allow yourself to work through emotions, through opinions – to say what you need to say!
You’ll feel so much lighter as you give yourself a voice and allow it to sing.
Eat Well
What we eat has a big impact on how we feel. While there are general rules to healthy nutrition, we’ll each have certain foods that make us feel great and others that don’t go down very well.
Do some research or visit a nutritionist. Find out what foods work best for you and how to fuel your body so you have energy and vitality throughout your day.
Giving your body the nutrition it needs can allow you to thrive in a way you never expected. It’s so much easier to feel joy and appreciation for life when your body is nourished and healthy.
Move Your Body
Modern life often involves a LOT of sitting. Not only does movement do your body good, but doing exercise of any kind freshens up your mind, and in turn, your perspective.
Whatever form of exercise you choose to pursue, you’ll inevitably benefit from some good endorphins, a healthy body and an appreciation for what your body can do.
Find Silence
Our minds are often cluttered beyond measure. We’re unable to differentiate what’s important from what’s just noise. We end up feeling stuck and overwhelmed. So how do we find silence?
Spend time alone. Try waking up early and enjoying some time just to yourself. Turn off the news for a few days or do a social media fast. Spend some time in nature where you’re surrounded only by the sound of the wind and the birds. Simple living is exactly that, simple.
Embrace these moments of silence where you’re able to reset, reconnect, breathe, and renew your mind.
Simple living pleasures are all around us. Sometimes in plain sight, sometimes a little hidden – there are sweet moments of happiness and beauty and fulfillment waiting to be uncovered … if we take the time to slow down, simplify, nurture, and live with meaning.
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