I’m sure that we are all somewhat familiar with some variation of the infamous quote: “Stop waiting for Friday, for summer, for someone to fall in love with you, for life. Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for it and make the most of the moment you’re in now.” And as cheesy as it may be, that is a quote that I live my life by. It is very easy to be unhappy with your current state of life and go on autopilot mode to get through your day. However, a happy life is not obtained by constantly waiting and wishing for nicer weather, or for school to be over, or even for thinking “once I lose 10 more pounds life will be good!” The way happiness occurs is simply living your life by enjoying everything possible in the current moment. Now, by no means am I writing this article to pretend that I am the most optimistic and positive person out there. In fact, I tend to think very negatively about situations and myself, which is why I wanted to share a few tips I have found that help me bring as much positivity into my life as possible.
Tip 1: Put the phone down
In this day in age, living your daily life with a phone in your hand is practically second nature but I have found that constantly scrolling through Instagram and Twitter makes it nearly impossible to truly live in the moment and enjoy the world around you. Obviously leaving your house all day without a way for others to contact you is not ideal or practical, but the idea of not having a screen to distract you from going out to eat, reading a book, taking a hike or other similar activities will help you clear your mind and be able to take in everything that’s going on around you.
Tip 2: Stop “saving it for a rainy day” and do it now
Whether or not your form of saving it for a rainy day is keeping that fancy bottle of wine in the back of the fridge or letting a lush bath bomb expire in your closet, keep in mind that you will only get so many rainy days! Drink that wine WHILE you take your amazingly scented bath. You really only get this life one time so everyone deserves to indulge and treat themselves to what they really want.
Tip 3: Take care of yourself and be conscious of what you put in your body
When I say this, I don’t mean you have to do hours of workouts and only eat salads in order to be happy. Taking care of yourself simply means that you have to listen to your body and give it what it needs. Hitting the gym isn’t your thing? Not a problem! You’re addicted to Doritos? Not a problem either! As long as you get your body moving a little everyday and include more fruit and veggies into your diet, your body and mindset will thank you.
Tip 4: Make it a goal to say 10 positive things a day
If you go through each day complaining about all the small things, you will find it hard to find joy in most aspects of your day to day life. By speaking ten positive thoughts you have a day out loud, you are putting more positive energy into the world. Because the energy you put out into the world is the same energy you receive, you’ll be glad you told that stranger you liked their shoes.
Tip 5: Call your loved ones
Last but not least, talk to your family as often as you can! There is no better form of positivity than hearing how excited that family member you don’t see everyday is when they answer your call. They will bring you enough joy and positivity that you need, because family is one of the best support systems you could ask for!