HOW TO ENJOY LIFE
Get a pet. Owning a pet provides love, companionship, and hours of entertainment. Pet ownership has health benefits too, such as reducing your blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, increasing your feelings of well-being and connectedness, and teaching you lessons in empathy and nurturing.[1] For extra warm and fuzzy feelings, consider rescuing a pet from your local shelter.
Get into music. Listening to music taps into your brain’s imagination and sense of self-identity, boosts your self-esteem, and lessens feelings of isolation.[2] Listening to music feels empowering. Put on your favorite album––or that one you keep meaning to dive into, turn up the volume, and cut out all other distractions so that you can really experience the music.
Start the day with a smile. Your facial expression is traditionally thought of as a window into how you feel, but it's also thought that your facial expression can influence your mood.[4] Therefore, be sure to smile freely, to ensure that your mood is upbeat. You might even want to greet yourself in the mirror with a smile first thing in the morning––that happy face may be just enough to keep that mood flowing all day long.
Take a break. A decent break doesn’t mean zoning out to the TV or going down the internet rabbit hole. It means setting some time aside and making it special. As a thank-you to yourself, give yourself a vacation or “staycation”; a change of scenery––even if it just means having a picnic in your backyard or building a fort with your kids in the living room. Taking a break that is different from the ordinary and lets you "hang loose" can do wonders for your sense of fun, escape, and fulfillment.
Spend time with interesting people. It is well known that people with a wide circle of friends tend to live longer.[5] Of course, birds of a feather flock together, and it’s also been shown that your friends’ behavior can actually have a big impact on yours.[6] Make sure you hang around with positive, interesting people to inspire yourself to live a richer life.
Find a hobby. Whether you choose stamp collecting or kickboxing, hobbies and extracurricular activities are necessary in the pursuit to enjoy life. Hard routines are counterproductive to spontaneity and surprise––leave a little flexibility in your schedule so that it doesn't become routine and humdrum. Do your hobby or activity because you love it, and because it gets you "into the flow", and not for reasons such as keeping up with other people or conforming to unrealistic social standards.
Exercise. Exercising effects the release of endorphins, which transmit messages to the brain, translating into positive feelings.[10] Regular exercise not only combats depression, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness, but also bolsters your immune system. Even walking for exercise can increase your antibody and T-killer cell response.[8]
Get a pet. Owning a pet provides love, companionship, and hours of entertainment. Pet ownership has health benefits too, such as reducing your blood pressure and the risk of heart disease, increasing your feelings of well-being and connectedness, and teaching you lessons in empathy and nurturing.[1] For extra warm and fuzzy feelings, consider rescuing a pet from your local shelter.
Get into music. Listening to music taps into your brain’s imagination and sense of self-identity, boosts your self-esteem, and lessens feelings of isolation.[2] Listening to music feels empowering. Put on your favorite album––or that one you keep meaning to dive into, turn up the volume, and cut out all other distractions so that you can really experience the music.
Start the day with a smile. Your facial expression is traditionally thought of as a window into how you feel, but it's also thought that your facial expression can influence your mood.[4] Therefore, be sure to smile freely, to ensure that your mood is upbeat. You might even want to greet yourself in the mirror with a smile first thing in the morning––that happy face may be just enough to keep that mood flowing all day long.
Take a break. A decent break doesn’t mean zoning out to the TV or going down the internet rabbit hole. It means setting some time aside and making it special. As a thank-you to yourself, give yourself a vacation or “staycation”; a change of scenery––even if it just means having a picnic in your backyard or building a fort with your kids in the living room. Taking a break that is different from the ordinary and lets you "hang loose" can do wonders for your sense of fun, escape, and fulfillment.
Spend time with interesting people. It is well known that people with a wide circle of friends tend to live longer.[5] Of course, birds of a feather flock together, and it’s also been shown that your friends’ behavior can actually have a big impact on yours.[6] Make sure you hang around with positive, interesting people to inspire yourself to live a richer life.
Find a hobby. Whether you choose stamp collecting or kickboxing, hobbies and extracurricular activities are necessary in the pursuit to enjoy life. Hard routines are counterproductive to spontaneity and surprise––leave a little flexibility in your schedule so that it doesn't become routine and humdrum. Do your hobby or activity because you love it, and because it gets you "into the flow", and not for reasons such as keeping up with other people or conforming to unrealistic social standards.
Exercise. Exercising effects the release of endorphins, which transmit messages to the brain, translating into positive feelings.[10] Regular exercise not only combats depression, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness, but also bolsters your immune system. Even walking for exercise can increase your antibody and T-killer cell response.[8]
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