Five Simple Rule to Live a Happier Life
Maria Karrar Hussain
If we understand these few simple things; we can live in much happier life.
– Connect your children more, stead of your phone
You are right in the middle of finding the perfect Instagram filter. You captured the perfect shot, and you’re hash tagging the hack out of it and uploading it to social Media. Your little three year-old, who’s just given you a perfect smile for the picture, runs over and wants you to look at the dead Ant with missing legs. You know what happens next, right? You shrug them off and tell them you are busy. No one is perfect, so let’s not beat ourselves up here. However, sometimes happiness is found in the simplest of things, and spending two minutes talking about where the Ant’s other legs might be. Or where its Mommy & Daddy may have gone, could make your soul smile. Trying to be more present with our children can make us Happier. Children see the world from a different perspective than us, they notice things, clouds, nature, dead ants with missing legs, and we all need a bit more of that in our lives.
– Don’t go to bed or wake up with your phone
We have now become so surgically attached to our phones that we check them as soon as we wake. Our ancestors would wake with the sun; now we wake with the blue light from our phones. Take a few moments to wake up naturally. Hug your partner, cuddle your kids, love your parents, open the blinds and watch the worlds wake up. Give yourself some time until you start connecting with the outside world, if only for a few minutes. Try and leave your phone out of the bedroom; it’s difficult, but worth a try, and you might find that you fall asleep quicker and sleep better!
– Go for a walk in Nature
It’s so important that we take some time most days to switch off and walk in nature. Don’t put pressure on yourself to go for a long walk or hike, just start small. If walking is new to you, just try a few minutes a couple of times a week; aim to do this without your phone or music device. Listen to the birds and the tress, and let your senses awaken. We are so connected to our phones these days that we aren’t giving ourselves any free time to “just be.”
Whenever you can, kick off your shoes and walk barefoot. There is something so enriching and calming about walking barefoot; something so enriching and calming about walking barefoot; some call it “ earthing” when we walk barefoot on the earth, we can be recharged by the planet. Make sure that you look up; we are all so used to looking down at our phones that we forget to look above us. Watch the clouds, notice the birds, and stare at the stars; your inner child will thankyou for it.
– Don’t compare yourself to others
In a world where social media can make other people’s lives look perfect, we need to remember that its often fake; just like the movies, its often not real life. Comparing yourself to others is the worst thing that you can do for your self-esteem. Take a moment to look at all your personal achievements, no, matter how small they may seem. We all have something, every single one of us. Spend less time looking at other people lives, and start to realize how great you are!
– Take a moment to breathe
We have become a society that does a million things at once. We can achieve so much while waiting for the kettle to boil. We answer emails and texts while in the bathroom. No one is beating you up for this, but we aren’t allowing ourselves any quiet time every single time we do this. Taking just ten slow breaths in and out can help us to achieve a calmer mindset. So, next time you want to try and fit in twenty things while the kettle boils, just take some time to stop and breathe instead. Or, next time you are at the traffic lights and you reach for your phone, stop and use this time to practice slow breathing. Try and get slow breathing into your daily routine!
