Do you ever feel like you aren’t getting enough out of life? By doing a few simple things, you can brighten your days and make your life a more fulfilling place to be.
Get outside more often. It has been said that if you want to live a long life, you should spend as much time outdoors as you can, while doing things that are not too physically stressful. Taking a half-hour walk every day might help you avoid depression and decrease any anxiety you may be experiencing.
Trust your gut. Tune in to your own feelings, look at them and work on understanding where the pain is coming from. All the answers you need are there to be found inside you.
Make a new friend. You might think you have enough friends or you don’t have enough time for this, but you can always make room for a positive person in your life. You don’t need to go online to find friendship, either. A good approach is to spend more time with someone you may already know or see on a regular basis and would like to know better.
Get involved in your community. It’s hard to open a paper and not see the charity events going on close by. If you have the desire to help out, act on it. You will make a difference in the lives of others, and you will feel better for it.
Slow down. We rush so much of the time, and it’s understandable with all that’s going on around us. But if you relax for a moment here and there, just to take in your surroundings and your experience, it will make breathing easier and help you enjoy whatever you are doing much more.
Appreciate what you have. We all want things, and that’s good, but when not getting what you want makes you sad and angry, you may be asking for too much too soon. Look around at your life and appreciate the good stuff. Focus on what you have rather than what you lack.
Try a new activity. Take a class, go somewhere you’ve never been or create a new space in your home. Taking on hobbies and activities can be enjoyable, and it gives you the opportunity to meet new people and enjoy new things that will enrich your life.
Write your story. Many people are tracing their family histories online these days, and it’s a fun hobby. You can also research and write your own story. It may not become a hit movie, but it will give you a fresh perspective on your life and allow you to remember things you may have forgotten. If writing an autobiography seems too daunting, try keeping a journal. Then your story can write itself.
Make that apology. If there is someone in your life to whom you need to say “I’m sorry,” go ahead and do it. Letting go of resentments and owning up to your mistakes will give you more room to enjoy your time on this planet. It may also help you reconnect with a long-lost friend.
Plan some fun. Happiness comes from moving toward what you want, not from getting it, so you need to have new things to look forward to. With summer almost over, you can start planning for next year or your next vacation.
If you are sitting around and letting the world pass you by, it’s time to get up and start moving. Getting the most out of life is a matter of putting one foot in front of the other and making it happen.
Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D., is an award-winning psychotherapist and humanitarian. He is also a columnist, the author of 8 books, and a blogger for PsychologyToday.com with nearly 35 million readers. He is available for in-person & video consults world-wide, reach him at Barton@BartonGoldsmith.com
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