Life moves so quickly in the modern day that we can all find it hard to pause, take a breathe and evaluate our situation. However, the importance of reflecting on our lives is incredibly important, especially if we are struggling with happiness. With that in mind, we are going to take a look at some of the changes to your lifestyle you might want to make so that you are on a path to getting the most out of your life.
Health
The logical first place to start is with your health. If you’re not feeling fit and well then there is a good chance you aren’t starting from a place of happiness. There are several ways that you can address your health, one of which is by checking in with your local GP for a checkup and general catch up. The same applies to visiting your dentist, opticians and hearing specialists – ensure you have a full medical report every couple of years to give you peace of mind and so that you can act quickly on any issues that require addressing.
However, health doesn’t start and end at the doctor’s surgery. In fact, you should be taking the time to improve your body’s fitness through exercise and diet. That can mean many things to a lot of people, but the key is to ensure you are getting in at least the minimum 150 minutes of aerobic exercise recommended by medical science and three days of strength exercise. For those of you unsure what those refer to, here is a short breakdown:
- Aerobic
This type of exercise refers to cardiovascular conditioning and is any type of workout that is usually known by the term ‘cardio.’ These exercises include:
- Swimming
- Running
- Walking
- Cycling
The idea, as you can probably gather from the exercise listed, is to get your body moving and your heart rate pumping. So, find space in your schedule to do one or more of those for at least three hours a week.
- Strength
When we say strength training, we don’t mean heavy weights and bulging biceps. No, in this instance you should be looking at resistance based workouts that focus on muscular contraction with the intention of building strength and anaerobic endurance. For example:
- Push Ups
- Squats
- Lunges
- Planking
That is a good framework for you to get started with your exercise plan, but your workout will only meet its true potential if you have a diet to match. That is where thinking about what you are eating comes in. Now, we aren’t going to recommend some fad diet when discussing the importance of food, instead we are looking at the six essential nutritional food groups. These are the food groups that your body needs, and as part of a balanced diet you will feel healthier and better for having them:
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fats
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Water
Use applications like MyFitnessPal to log your intake of the above groups to help you find a balance that meets your health goals.
Career
Another major factor in achieving happiness is our career. Having a healthy work-life balance can be much easier said than done, and often one of the issues isn’t that we are spending too much time at work, it is that the work isn’t satisfying. So let’s take a look at some of the ways you can change that problem to increase your happiness.
- Education
If you are set in your career but would like to improve your position, then one of the best things you can do is develop your education in your field of expertise. You can do this by attending a college or university, or by making the most of digital tools. This can apply to anyone who is looking to get more out of their work, a nurse might look at improving their career prospects by moving from RN to BSN online in a course that requires less time than others.
You might not need a full degree change, you might just want to explore options from the likes of Google and LinkedIn that give you that chance to enhance your skills through small qualifications that can demonstrate to your manager your initiative and drive.
- Career Change
Another aspect of improving your happiness through your career is by changing it altogether. These might seem like a drastic option, but for some people that will be exactly what they need. Take the time to think about what makes you happy and what skills you have that can take you into that field of work. One of the great things about the 21st century is that we are all blessed with so many options from writing blogs at home to working in the third sector helping charitable outfits.
