5 Simple Ways To Live Your Life Easier (That You Don’t Even Notice)
Everyday, there are so many obstacles we have to deal with: finding a job, paying mortgages, taking care of our babies, or making excuses to not coming to a friend’s party… And I know, it can be so overwhelming that you just want to give everything up. I myself have experienced some of the most difficult times in my life so far when I literally had no job, no money, and my family lives 10,000 km away. Fortunately, I discovered these 5 simple practices that actually changed my way of thinking and balance my life ever since.
- DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY
That sounds really hypocritical but the truth is most of the time, we suffer because we are worrying too much. There was a time I had a serious mental meltdown just because I was so anxious to find a job in Finland. But as my spiritual buddy wisely said “What is the reason to worry about the things you can affect? And what if you can’t do anything change the situation, what is the reason to worry again?”. We are frightened of uncertainty, of the feeling that we can’t control things, like things will happen in future, so that’s why we are often nervous of what will come the next day. That’s the basic human instinct. But, as things always change, nothing neither bad nor good will last forever. Therefore, instead of twisting your hair over changes, you should put your time and efforts doing things that really matter. My buddy (he’s so wise, I know) also said “If you are too anxious about something, i.e finding a job, just pretend that you already achieved this and start working accordingly”. Great advice, right?
2. TRY TO DEVELOP A GOOD HABIT
Yes, I know we all love procrastination. I know the feeling of lying all day in bed, surfing the web, eating crisps, and at the end of the day, you are proud of doing absolutely nothing. However, in order to put your life together and reduce stress, it’s great to make a good routine habits. You can start with simple things like: cooking and eating 3 full meals a day, taking shower regularly ( I know some people skip their shower daily), waking up early in the morning… Then, you can begin with going to the gym, playing sports, or going jogging. It’s important to create a good lifestyle so that you take care of yourself, clear your mind, and feel like you have achieved something in the end of the day. Anytime I feel down, I just go to the gym and after 1 hour or so, I always feel pretty awesome of myself. Creating a habit also helps you to start organizing your own life and alleviate procrastination.
3. LOVE EVERYTHING UNCONDITIONALLY
We talked about the impermanent nature of things in the last blog. We all know things are constantly changing and they are changing fast. Thus, the person you meet today may be not the same person you think you know. A lot of couples go through the period of time I call “image deterioration” in which they don’t see their partners as the person they felt in love with in the beginning anymore. That’s because we tend to judge others by the perception we already had in the past but not knowing that person, as anything else, are changing constantly. In order to live life to the fullest, it is essential to see things at the present moment and to accept everything as the way it is. Thus, to truly love is to embrace the changes.
4. LEARN TO MEDITATE
Meditation is not just a mystical practice for Buddhist monks or spiritual gurus. In fact, everyone can achieve a certain level of meditation in which they can be fully aware of the surroundings and not be drifted away by thoughts. The simplest way (or most common way) is to concentrate on your breathing. Next time when you practice meditation, try to find a place as quiet as possible, then sit in the lotus or half-lotus posture and totally focus on the inhale breaths that come into your stomach and the exhale breaths that come out of your nostrils. Also try to focus on your senses by listening, observing, and touching. It can be uncomfortable at first when your legs are totally numb, but giving times, you will actually enjoy it when you feel totally relaxed and your mind is clear like a still lake.
5. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, LIVE YOUR LIFE IN MINDFUL
This last practice is also the most difficult one. In the process of releasing your mind and body from stress and depression, mindful living is the key. Only when you are mindful, you can see the impermanent nature of things and learn to let yourself away from anger, hatred, and pains. Mindful living means that you are fully aware of everything, in everywhere, and at every time. Personally, I am also in the process of practicing mindful living by avoiding looking at my phone constantly, living only in the present moment, being aware of my presence, and appreciating my life in every second. The train thought is also the result of my mindful living practice where I notice everything in my daily life and share them with you. To conclude, I don’t want to put any big words here, but remember, the only way to release you from pains is to live mindfully at the present moment as much as possible.
That’s all, folks. There are 5 things that helped me to balance my life and I hope that you find somethings that are useful for you too. If you like my post, please leave a comment below. Thank you very much.
Helsinki, Finland
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Originally published at thetrainthought.wordpress.com on June 5, 2015.
