Life has been really stressful lately with taking on more responsibilities at work as well as living in the city on an already tight budget. So, my work in progress is trying to make the most of my (small amount of) free time by doing things that will make me happy. Below are three key things that I can work towards to live a more balanced and healthy life.
1. Feeling good about myself!
Doing the above things definitely does lift my mood, but when I think about it, can 1-3 little enjoyable things make up for the remaining hours in a day that are not so enjoyable? I personally think it would be unrealistic to expect to be happy throughout the majority of the day, even though I do wish there was a little more of a balance. Although it sucks and we often complain about difficult things, it is the difficulties that make certain things seem special to us. It gives us something to look forward to.
1. Feeling good about myself!This includes:
a.) working out - sweating and getting adrenaline flowing creates endorphins which make us feel good about ourselves. Plus, we want to keep our bods tight and in shape!
b.) shopping - b/c when we wear a cute outfit we feel good about ourselves
2. Sleep! zzzzzzz
I hate feeling grumpy and lethargic because of sleep deprivation. I need to be alert at work, so if that requires me to make it into bed before midnight, so be it! I'll appreciate it the next morning.3. Enjoying the moments in life that may be overlooked or seem "minuscule" to some, but may be just the break you need to get through the rest of the day/week. For me this includes:
- Starbucks - I literally get a little excited every time I get a beverage there.
- Slurpees - Luckily, I have a 7-11 right across the street from work. Feeling like a little kid again while slurping a frosty slushie is totally acceptable despite all the sugary calories if it'll make me a little happy, if only for a few minutes
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.- Nature - One of my favorite things to do one day over the weekend is to go to the park. After being holed up in an office and apartment building all week, it's refreshing to see actual grass and trees. I love central park and the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
- Reading - Get away from the noise of a TV or ipod every once in a while and get lost in a story.
- Movies/TV - I love catching up on my favorite TV shows by watching episodes online. That way, I can watch it on my own time.
- Making no plans - Once in a while it's relaxing to make no plans at all and just do what you want to do whenever you get around to doing it. After abiding by deadlines all week and rushing to make it to appointments on time, it's nice to have at least one day to do everything at my leisure.
Doing the above things definitely does lift my mood, but when I think about it, can 1-3 little enjoyable things make up for the remaining hours in a day that are not so enjoyable? I personally think it would be unrealistic to expect to be happy throughout the majority of the day, even though I do wish there was a little more of a balance. Although it sucks and we often complain about difficult things, it is the difficulties that make certain things seem special to us. It gives us something to look forward to.So tell me, what makes you happy? What gets you through a hard day?
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