11 Things You Need to do to Enjoy Life More ...

1. Spend Time with People

One of the first things you need to do to enjoy life more is spend time with people that uplift you and enhance your life. Laughing, communicating and just exchanging ideas and passions with one another is a great way to start living life to the fullest. You’ll enjoy life more when you spend it with other people. If you have a hard time with this, pick one or two people and start there. You don’t have to hang out in huge crowds to get the benefits of being with other people.

2. Cook Your Own Food

This might sound silly, but truly, preparing your own food is very healing. It nourishes you and by cooking it yourself, it’s a great way to eat more healthy, and feel good about what you’re eating. It’s also a wonderful way to reduce stress. If you don’t know how to cook, it’s very simple! Feel free to check out my blog The Soulful Spoon if you need recipe tips, or find my favorite blogs there that have some great recipes too. I started out cooking at 18 with no teacher or experience, and it immediately gave me a great way to nourish myself, learn new things and reduce stress. It also saves you the risk of eating out for each meal, which contributes to obesity, heart disease and is expensive!

3. Move Daily

You don’t have to take up a serious exercise regimen to get the benefits of moving. Yes, exercise is great, and preferable, but if you just move daily, you’ll see huge benefits. Go for a walk around the block on your lunch break, or do 15 minutes of yoga in the morning. If you can fit in a workout, do that too! Moving throughout the day is a great way to enhance your life. People who are sedentary most of the day have been proven to weigh more, suffer depression, and also rarely enjoy their life that much.

4. Turn off the TV

I like television in small doses, but watching too much actually depresses me. After a while, it starts to contribute to lower brain activity, a drop in serotonin, and even contributes to overeating. It also keeps you from being out in nature, which is one of the best ways to enjoy your life more. Turn off the television and go for a walk! I understand we all don’t love to read and write like I do, but find some kind of hobby or artistic practice you can do instead. Why? It uses a part of your talents, whether you think you have any or not. TV requires nothing more than watching. Start participating more in life, instead of just watching a screen about other people.

5. Get a Hold of Your Finances

You can’t be truly at peace when your finances are a mess. I know, because I’ve been there. To start enjoying your life more, get a budget, stick to it, and start making sacrifices if you have to, in order to make your budget work. You wouldn’t believe the peace that comes with getting control over this area in your life. If you need help budgeting, I recommend Mint.com, which allows you to take a look at your budget and will send you alerts, and help you keep up with your weekly expenses, bank account and more. At the end of the week, you’ll get a “progress report” that tells you how to improve, or stick with what you’re doing.

6. Reconcile Your Relationships

If you have any relationships that you have yet to reconcile with people you’ve had arguments with, one of the best things you can do is reconcile with them. Reconciling with people that have even hurt you is a great idea to heal your personal wounds, not just for the other person’s benefit. You don’t have to apologize if you’re the one that got hurt, but contact the person and let them know that you’re regretful things didn’t work out for whatever reason and that you wish them well, and mean it. Grudges only hurt you, not the other person.

7. Get a Good Morning Routine

Did you know that people who have morning routines they are most satisfied with are some of the happiest people out there? It’s true. Getting up early can help greatly with this, as it gives you more time to do a few things before you start your workday. When I started obtaining a great morning routine, it made me so much happier because I had the first moments of the day, all to myself. I felt more at peace, more organized and more ready to take on the day. My routine is nothing fancy, but I get up each day a few hours before I start work. First I tidy up any messes around the house to clear clutter, then I make breakfast, have coffee and eat while checking emails and writing my thoughts or a blog post for the day. Then, I get up and walk, do yoga and maybe some weights. After that, I shower and take on my day of work! Nothing fancy, but it gives me a great time to think, move and experience the quiet before the busy workday starts. Get up and make it happen! You won’t regret it!

8. Eat Whole Foods

I know I’m a health nut and all, but truly, eating whole foods can enhance your life. Processed foods, junk foods, drugs, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, smoking and overdosing on caffeine have been proven to contribute to depression and disease. Eat clean, whole foods and not fake foods. Your brain and body both work better with these foods than with anything else.

9. Find a Spiritual Practice

I’m not telling you to develop a certain religion, but people who have some type of spiritual practice or affiliation are better able to connect with their souls and get in touch with their spirit, which exists with each of us. Most people who take time for a spiritual practice are more peaceful and more able to deal with the things that life brings our way.

10. Scale Back

Did you know scaling back on material things can actually make you happier? I used to think I could shop my way to being happy, until I lost everything. It was then when I realized the most simple things made me the most happy. Scale back your life and you’ll soon realize that you’re not only able to handle your finances better, but you won’t constantly feel the need to find happiness through material things.

11. Help Other People

Lastly, the most important piece of the happiness for life puzzle is to help other people. We were all put here to help one another, not just for each other, but also for ourselves. Helping others allows you to give a part of yourself to someone else’s life you normally wouldn’t be able to do. To see another person’s life change because of you is one of the most healing, humbling experiences you’ll ever have.

I love finding inspiration from others as ways to enhance our lives. If you have any tips for me, please feel free to share them!