Sometimes I get so busy that it seems my life is controlling me instead of the other way around. When that happens, I have to stop and take a step back, evaluate how I got to that point, and make some changes to bring balance into my life. I’ve been in a bit of a funk as of late, brought on by a number of factors. And I found myself feeling ho-hum. I assessed the causes, but that wasn’t enough to pull me out. I had to take determined steps to look past my doldrums and get back to enjoying life. And in doing so, I came up with five ways to be happy with my life right now. They may seem like commonsense, but I know from experience, there’s real truth here. 1. Make yourself a priority. That doesn’t mean you need to be self-centered or conceited. It just means you need to be sure you don’t slough off things you enjoy. If you like to read, make time to fit that into your daily life. If you enjoy watching movies or spending time with friends, or whatever it may be, don’t let that slip for more than a day. You need that activity to recharge your batteries and keep going. 2. Exercise. Fitting fitness into your busy schedule is imperative if you want to have a healthy outlook on life. It doesn’t have to be the same exercise every day, but make sure you get up and move. Set a goal and reach for it. Maybe you want to walk 6,000 steps a day, go to the gym three times a week, walk the dog, you get the idea. Sticking with that goal is important to your livelihood. 3. Eat good foods. Sure, you could take that to mean, “Eat foods you consider good.” But in reality, you need to eat foods with high nutritional value. Many of us are emotional eaters, and our go-to food soothers tend not to be too healthy. Opt for lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains instead — and you’ll be surprised at how those healthier choices improve your attitude. 4. Get enough sleep. Various studies say you need a certain amount of hours of sleep each night. You know your body and what it operates best on. Try to get that amount. I tend to operate best with about eight hours of sleep, but most nights I get six. As long as I don’t go below six, I’m usually pretty good. Tiredness is the antithesis of a clear mind, and you can’t afford to be foggy if you don’t want to fall into a funk. 5. Do something for others. To really get out of my gloom, I had to get my focus off myself and onto helping those around me. When I busy myself with aiding someone in need or helping to better someone’s life, I can’t think about myself and my problems. And you know what? When that happens, suddenly my issues don’t seem as big as they once did.
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Lana GatesChristian, wife, mother of 5, breast cancer survivor, marathon finisher, writer and editor, author of "Help! I'm a Science Project" Archives
November 2018
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