Tips for Enjoy Your Life

We need to cultivate a positive mindset, develop good habits, and fill our life with meaning. Still, there's probably no better skill to practice than learning how to enjoy life to the fullest, right?

Here are somethings you can do to enjoy life more.

1. Practice Gratitude

It's impossible to feel both grateful and unhappy at the same time. It's that simple. Try it and you'll see what I mean. No wonder many scientific studies have found that being grateful can improve self-esteem, reduce negative emotions like envy, and reduce the risk of major depression. Grateful people also tend to take better care of their health, exercise more, sleep better, and have lower levels of stress hormones. So, if you want to learn how to enjoy life, start practicing gratitude.

For example, you could start a gratitude journal or simply begin each day by writing down three things you're thankful for, such as, “Today, I am grateful for this nice cup of coffee in my hands, the book I’m reading that’s teaching me so much, and my adorable cat.”

2. Work on Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the act of being fully present and aware of where you are, who you're with, and what you're doing – without being distracted by thoughts, judgments, or emotions.  Or, as the spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle puts it, "Wherever you are, be there totally." When we learn how to enjoy the moment, we can become calm, focused, and happy. 

To practice mindfulness, start by removing things that distract you from your environment, like social media, TV, and music. Then, quieten your thoughts by not paying attention to them and instead, focus your attention on your breathing.

You could also practice mindfulness by learning to enjoy the simple things in life, such as:

Going for a walk in nature and observing the sights and sounds

Doing some exercise and feeling your body

Taking pleasure in the small things, like a cup of tea or a hot shower

3. Put Yourself First

It's hard to enjoy life every day if you never put your own needs first. If you want to feel content and peaceful, you need time to relax, have fun, be productive, explore new things, and develop healthy relationships.

So, the next time someone asks you to do something you don't want to do, consider saying no. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't be kind or help others. It just means that you need to take care of your own needs first. Protect your time and energy. You deserve it.

4. Be Kind to Yourself

We all make mistakes and miss the mark sometimes. Be kind to yourself in these moments. Whatever has happened has happened. There's nothing you can do about the past except to learn from it. This could be incredibly tough in the beginning, but it gets easier with practice. Look deeply, and you will discover that you deserve to be happy regardless of who you are, what you've done, or where you're going. You deserve to be happy just because you're alive. Give yourself permission to be happy and at peace in this moment.

5. Rest and Recuperate

It's pretty challenging to learn how to enjoy life to the fullest if you're tired, burnt out, or stressed. We all need time to rest and recuperate. However, there's so much happening in the modern era – we have to work, study, do housework, keep up with COVID-19, manage our finances, take care of family, and more.

"It's very important that we re-learn the art of resting and relaxing," writes Thích Nhất Hạnh. "Not only does it help prevent the onset of many illnesses that develop through chronic tension and worrying; it allows us to clear our minds, focus, and find creative solutions to problems."

So, make time to learn how to relax and enjoy life. For instance, you could take a quick nap, read a good book, go for a short walk, or even take a weekend trip somewhere quiet.