It is easy to get caught up in life and not stop and savor the important moments. It is even easier to not realize that there are steps that can lead to a happier and healthier you.

It is not always about the big changes in life, like winning the lottery, but also the little, seemingly insignificant, things that will help achieve a more optimistic view on life and a better preparedness in tackling life situations.

Get rid, or limit time with, negative people
Realizing who is bringing you down in life may not be entirely easy yet this can help you tremendously. We feed off of other people, thus creating a circle of either healthy or unhealthy, positive or negative outlooks on life.It may not always be possible to cut out someone in life, for example your mother, but limiting time with that person, or preparing yourself for the negative can help. When you know you will be spending a couple of hours with your mother who degrades you and makes you feel worthless prepare yourself to take everything with a grain of salt. Make a list of what you expect her to say and write down the opposite next to it. Consult this list after seeing her.

Get a job that you enjoy
If impossible, a hobby. Having a job that you dread is known to cause depression and a feeling of just wanting to get through the next day as quickly as possible. Getting a job you enjoy is obviously the best thing for you but, let’s be real, this is not always possible.

One way to deal with this is to find something you enjoy doing at work. You may not like what you do, but there may be something, like lunch socialization, that you look forward to. Find this, and focus on it. Also, picking up a hobby or activity outside of work that you truly enjoy can help ease the tension of working somewhere you hate because you have something to look forward to once work is over.

Put money away
It doesn’t have to be a lot of money, even 10$ or 20$ a week can help. Having money set aside is always good for your health because one of the most stressful parts of life is not having enough. Although it would be ideal to put hundreds away each week in case of future emergencies or purchases, this may not always be possible. Even knowing that you are accumulating 10$ a month can help ease some stress.

Make “time away” with someone special
Stress and negativity can ruin the best things in life, for example, your marriage or your most cherished friendship. Sometimes we get caught up and forget to make time with the people who mean the most to us. Jobs and money will always be around to strive for while people are not so permanent. Do not regret not spending enough time with your mother or father in the future because you are too busy now. Also, this time can be a “de-stressor”, or a time to vent the stresses in life and get feedback from others. Take advantage.

Buy yourself something
It can be something small, like a box of your favorite cookies, or a good book that you’ve always wanted to read. Buying something for yourself, OR even others, is a good way to remind yourself to take care of yourself.

Tell someone you love them
Loving, and being loved back, helps maintain health and happiness. It reminds you that you are not alone and you have support.

Travel to see the world
See new places and cultures, maybe even incorporate some part of the way they live into your life. For example, a form of mediation or a new food that you truly enjoyed. Remind yourself that you control your life and that life does not control you.

Remember to play, laugh and smile
Children can be the best ways to remind ourselves how to live and be happy. Play with your children, relearn from them what you may have forgotten, that life is not only about getting through each day at a time.

It is difficult to find a moment to yourself in a world that is so fast paced and chaotic at times. It seems that no matter how hard you try, there is always something going wrong to stress you out. Taking time out for yourself is needed in order to slow yourself down and to remind yourself that you too are important.

To take care of yourself and to love yourself and those around you before you are looking back with regrets. Play, laugh and smile now because “now” is sometimes more important than tomorrow.

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photo by JonSpot