Find Your Happy Place
How many times have you worried about stuff that never materialize? Think about all of the things you’ve conjured up in your mind that brought on stress and then go back and remember how many of those worries actually came to pass.
Reflecting back on your life is a great way to recognize that the petty things we worry about every day rarely matter in the long run.
After years of considering this, I’ve curated a few things that remind me that life’s too short to be stressed and worrisome.
1-Find Your Peaceful Place
When I get stressed, I find a quiet spot where I can sit, close my eyes, and calm my thoughts. In short order, my thoughts turn from worry to imagining myself sitting on a beach with a pina colada in my hand. It normally only takes about 10 minutes of quiet reflection to renew my positive focus for the day.
2-Look for Positive People
Negative people can wreak havoc on your stress level, as they tend to bring drama to every situation. I surround myself with positive people. People I admire, those that are happy and content. How do you find them?
- Smile and say hello to regularly and strike up conversations
- Ask questions and intently listen to their answers
- Be genuinely happy when friends succeed and help them celebrate
By following these tips, you will naturally attract positive people and you can shed the negative ones.
3-Stop Rushing
Before I retired, I used to rush from meeting to meeting and from event to event. With a lot more time on my hands, I’ve found that I can slow down. There is no need to speed in my car, rush dinner with a friend, or cram my schedule so tight that I have no breathing room. I wish I had learned this earlier.
4-Spoil Yourself with Daily Exercise
It’s well known that exercise increases endorphins — the happy juice. Many of us don’t exercise because we don’t find exercise fun. You can easily fix that by experimenting with different activities. Try walking, cycling, swimming, weight lifting, taking a group class, yoga, hiking or karate. Until 3 years ago, I never thought I would enjoy cycling. I now cycle 3 days a week and can’t wait until I get on the bike again.
5-Concentrate on What You can Control
Some things are outside of our control. When I was working in a large company, people regularly complained about management, company direction, and company politics.
I learned quickly that I could not control management decisions or the direct strategy of our company. Instead, I focused on things I could control. Being a better business unit, building leadership skills of my employees, and delivering more than promised.
This works in business and in our personal lives. Focus on things we can control and remove the stress and worry of things we can’t.
About the Author
Steve Miller built a software company, sold it and retired early. Steve enjoys blogging about lifestyle freedom, financial independence, and technology. If you like this blog, subscribe here to get an email each time he posts.
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