Strategies to Enhance Your Quality of Life
Your life is a mish-mash of people, places and responsibilities to fulfill. Yet, in all this busyness, you want to etch out moments of pleasant times with family and friends, doing exactly what you want to do. You have a right to do these things and enjoy your life!
How can you achieve such a positive quality of life?
- Know what makes your heart sing. Be connected with your own feelings, wants and needs. What makes you feel truly happy? No matter what it is – listening to music, spending time with your kids or talking on the phone with a friend from college – make room for those things that fill your heart with joy.
- Spend time in nature as often as you can. It’s no secret that when you’re under pressure at work, escaping into nature will bring you back to feelings of peace and tranquility. A walk in the park, sitting on a bench gazing into a lake or trudging down your street feeling the snow beneath your boots will bring you back to what’s real.
- Pause and reflect each day. Stop yourself from the rush and hub-bub of life. Sit quietly and reflect on how you feel, how you’re spending your time that day and whether you’re happy with how your life is going.
- Learn something. Nothing enhances the quality of your life like gaining knowledge. Exposing yourself to new information will make you hunger for more intellectual stimulation. And intellectual stimulation enhances what you think, how you feel and how you live.
- Interact with another human on a genuine level. Sometimes at work, you go through the motions of being social. “Hello, how are you?… I’m fine.” Interacting on a genuine level means you “get real” with the other person. Tell them what’s actually on your mind today. How is your day truly going? Be real with someone every day.
- No matter what you do during the day, put all your effort into it. If you’re going to engage in a task, focus on it, think about it and complete it. Make an effort. Put your heart and soul into it. Also, strive for improvement in whatever you do.
- Live consciously each day. Stay connected with yourself daily. Ponder how you relate to your family members. Think about how you fulfill your role at work. Consider what you eat, drink and do each day. Live life with a purpose.
- Do what you want to do. Find time in each day to engage in activities that you want to do. Go for a walk. Work out at the gym. Read to your kids. Get your art tools out. Follow your heart and do something that pleases you.
- Make time for social activities. You’ll notice yourself feeling better about life whenever you attend social activities that you choose. Chat, laugh and have fun! Social activities round out your life and provide you with balance.
- Help your community. Are you familiar with what your community offers? Can you name 4 or 5 charities or community programs that you find helpful and worthwhile? If so, contact one or two of them and offer your assistance. Be a part of something bigger than yourself.
- You’ll be surprised at how satisfying it is to help others, no matter how you do it. If you haven’t yet acquainted yourself with your community’s offerings, make it a point to do so. Your life will be enriched.
As you can see, there are many elements to an enhanced quality of life. The good news is that you can work to improve just one of these areas at a time or as many as you want. Focus on living your life to the fullest. Discover the beauty of an enhanced quality of life.