10 Tips to a Happier Life

I've always thought that happiness is not something you find outside, it really depends on us, whether we want to be happy or not. Happiness, of course, doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone, but what it is the same, is that all of us have the choice to be happy, we just have to be aware of that and do something about it. Of course we are humans and there will always be situations, relationships, life in general that won't make it any easier, but I think it all comes down to the way you look at them and how you take the different things that happens in your life. So today, I want to talk about those things that help me have a better look at the situation and also keep me balanced on my daily life.

1 Stop thinking too much.

 I have this one on 1st place because thinking and worrying too much is my biggest problem. Literally, I can spend hours thinking about the same thing over and over again, sometimes I'll start worrying about things that haven't even happen yet and that might not happen, and sometimes for that reason, I end up putting off things I want to do but I don't because I start thinking: "what if it doesn't work?", "what if it's not good enough?", and so on. So, I realized that if you stop worrying and thinking that much, you can definitely accomplish and learn much more.

2 Have enough sleep.

We underestimate the power of good sleep, and yes, your happiness can be affected for the lack of sleep, because you are not giving your body enough rest; if you are tired, if you are not sleeping well, you will be affected not only physically but emotionally, you'll get grumpier, you could feel sad and your energy levels will go down, so you won't be giving your best during your day. So make sure you have some good sleep (which is at least 7 to 8 hrs).

3 Eat balanced.

"A full stomach makes a happy heart". This one is as important as the previous one; eating balanced helps build your energy, it makes you feel AND look better, make sure you don’t skip any meal, starting with breakfast which is the most important meal of the day, and I always say that my breakfast define my day, so I make sure is not only balanced and nutritious but, of course, delicious.

(I have to confess, sometimes I go to bed thinking about what I will have for breakfast the next morning).

4 Be grateful.

This one I find it's really important, it doesn't have to be in a religious way, just be grateful for everything you have, be grateful for being alive, be grateful for the good and not so good things because you can learn from them. Being grateful you will be more likely to appreciate everything you have in life.

5 Exercise daily.

Now, this one was particularly hard for me because I don’t really like exercising, but I actually realized that there are so many ways you can exercise, you just have to find the right one for you. For me, at the moment, is doing Yoga and walking/running in a park. I think soon I'll start trying the gym, we'll see; but it really is about doing something that not only is good for your health but for your mind, exercise not only improves your mood, it reduces stress and it boosts your energy.

6 Have a hobby.

This one it's so important for me, I think you always need to have something to do, that isn't related to your work or studies, something you enjoy or relaxes you, it could be gardening, painting, sewing. Having a hobby helps balance your life and it help reduce stress, it creates a moment for yourself where you can take a break and just relax, it's good for socializing too, if you prefer doing things in groups.

7 Enjoy the moment.

We can't live in the past or spend our lives thinking in the future, because as cheese as it sounds, we can’t change the past and we can't predict the future, we must live day by day and enjoy every minute of it, trying to see the positive side of everything we go through.

8 Learn to say NO.

I'm still working on this. I don’t understand why it is so hard to say "no", maybe it's the fact that I don’t like disappointing people or that I always want to be helpful in some way, but I've learned that you can’t please everyone and that you can't sacrifice your own happiness for others. Say "yes" just if you really want to and don't be afraid of saying "no" when it needs to be said.

9 Do what makes you happy.

This is self-explanatory, do what makes YOU happy, you only have this life so don’t waist it by doing things you don’t want to. 

10 Be yourself.