There are times in our lives when we are forced to wonder to ourselves, Am I stuck? Have I lost my spark, my zeal for living? It is in times such as these, that we consider the terms of our happiness. It is particularly difficult if you are a mother, a partner, an employee or even employer. Your life is no longer simply your own. You have the gratification of so many others to consider in the daily tasks you undertake. If you have recently asked yourself these questions, if you are feeling that perhaps you have come adrift, here are some tips that might help you chart your own course back to a place of contentment.
Actively Pursue Joy
Have you ever thought of becoming a writer? Then start a blog and, when you are ready, begin with the first sentence of that novel. Never underestimate your individuality and what you have to offer by way of your innermost thoughts and aspirations. Or perhaps city-living is taking its toll on you. Join a hiking club, and escape the smog and relentless traffic. Find yourself at the pinnacle of a mountain top, breathing in the fresh air, taking in the beauty that surrounds you. Seize the moment and enrich your life with the things you have always wanted to do.
Learn to Silence Self-Criticism
We are all, at the very least, a little guilty of this. There is a tiny voice inside our heads that tells us we are no longer as capable or as bold or as beautiful as we once were. Remind yourself instead that you will always be capable, that you will always be beautiful, and that it is your choice to be bold or not. Take a class that does just this: reminds you what you are capable of. It might be samba lessons or tai chi. Don’t be scared of being a beginner. Celebrate yourself in these exercises. See them as a positive reinforcement that issues of age and body type are ultimately inconsequential. You are a dynamic human being with so much expression inside of you.
Give Technology a ‘Time-Out’
There is a little known condition called ‘FOMO’, or rather, the ‘Fear of Missing Out’. Social media plays on this, keeping us constantly in-the-know, constantly updated. With smart phones, iPads and a desktop in every office, we are bombarded daily with information and images, whether they be the latest headlines or photographs of a friend’s holiday in Majorca. When we interact readily on Facebook, or on Twitter, there is a sense of instant reward that comes with this, of task completion. However, it is short-lived. Rather, studies have shown that the relentless nature of social media can, in fact, add more anxiety to the already stressful lives we lead. So take a moment to leave the screen and spend an hour tending to the herbs in your garden, or comfortably positioned with a cup of tea and a good book. It will give you the time you need to decompress.
So never think that it is too late to live a full life, a reaffirming life. There is only now, the present, to be the person you’ve always dreamt of becoming.
Date Published: 08 July 2015
