Do you remember when life wasn’t so serious?
Your days weren’t full of work and other people’s demands. You put yourself first and had time to enjoy life.
When did you forget how to have fun, how to appreciate what is around you?
As adults we get wrapped up in our day to day craziness and we don’t think we have time to let loose and have fun.
That would be irresponsible.
You have people depending on you.
You learned early on that life was a serious business and you had to focus and work hard to get anywhere.
All this seriousness is hijacking your happiness.
If you want to have fun and feel excited about life again, you’d need to make fun a priority — without the miserable self-imposed guilt trips.
But what if you made a decision to inject more fun into each day? How would it feel to smile more and enjoy life, while still getting everything done?
Little changes in your thinking and your habits can make a huge difference to how much you enjoy life. These six tips will help you stop taking life so seriously.
1. Make Decisions Easily
The more we debate with ourselves the more stressed we become.
Relax and learn to trust your instincts.
I can debate and delay making a decision and end up feeling seriously stressed.
‘Should I change my job?’ ‘Is he the right one?’ ‘Should I get more exercise, or eat less?’
That’s when I take a big breath and go with what feels right.
Your instincts have been with you since you were born. We need to dust them off and use them more. We have let our brains take over, when often our hearts know the answer.
Learn to listen to the most important organ in your body. You’ll make decisions with ease, and lighten your mental load.
2. Celebrate Your Flaws
We’re all a work in progress. Perfection is just an opinion and everyone’s opinions differ.
Don’t waste your good energy trying to live up to someone else’s ideals.
It’s much healthier to accept and appreciate what makes you different. We are all unique!
Life is a journey and we are all along for the ride. So appreciate your differences and flaws, and encourage others to let their individuality shine.
3. Do One Spontaneous Thing Each Day
Write your to-do-lists but leave gaps for something spontaneous. When that time comes get up and go and do something different.
Say ‘hello’ to people you don’t know. Walk outside and smile at everyone and everything. Do something unexpected and kind for someone else.
Write down ideas as they come to you so when you have a break you will have a range of fun, random things to try.
No excuses! Go and surprise someone today and maybe you’ll encourage them to be spontaneous too.
4. How To Stop Taking Life So Seriously
Puppies, kittens, cats and dogs do it all the time.
Whether they’re your own or someone else’s, take the time to watch how they play and explore. Every little thing is exciting to them, a leaf, an insect, a piece of clothing. Put yourself in that space and learn to look at life through their eyes.
They live in the moment and enjoy all the little things we are too preoccupied and stressed to see. They do not care if they don’t get the best gear from DogGear; they make the most out of life.
Don’t worry about tomorrow, just make the most of today.
5. Smile When You’re Feeling Low
Smiling lowers your heart rate and relaxes your body. It can even temporarily lower blood pressure.
The endorphins created by smiling will overpower your stress hormones, make you feel happy and can even make you more productive.
Best of all, it’s contagious. So do your family and workmates a favour and spread the health benefits around.
Before you know it, you won’t be the only one taking life less seriously.
6. Eat More Of The Good Stuff
Eating well affects your mood. The right diet will make you feel happier, and when you are happy life doesn’t seem so serious. Try one or all of these three:
Nuts – like cashews and walnuts have protein, antioxidants, phosphorus and magnesium. Lack of magnesium can cause symptoms of depression.
Dark chocolate – is one of the biggest mood lifters. Taken in moderation, it has more antioxidant power than many other foods.
Coffee – is another great mood and focus booster, but don’t overdo it and leave the sugar out.
Fuel your body with the good stuff and keep it healthy. Feeling good just makes life better.
Imagine how your day will be.
You wake up with a sense of joy and excitement. Your world is a happier place, you smile at people and they smile back.
You hear the birdsong, you smell the flowers. There is no place for stress in your mind. You listen to your body and feed it well, you have fun and your work gets done. You have time to enjoy nature and the people around you.
Life is a wonderful journey if you approach it the right way. These tips will help you get back on track, to a less serious world where fun and laughter flow through every day.
