It ain’t easy, eh? You know what I speak of – life. But even when times are tough, there are ways to feel better both long-term and right away.
Yup, you can be happier now, and build up happiness in the long term. Let’s take a look at how.
Ways to Feel Better in a Crazy World
Do Tai Chi or Yoga Every Day
I can’t stress this enough: physical exercise is 1000% percent necessary to feel better. Personally, I find that a Tai Chi or yoga routine is an excellent way to exercise every day, and, as a bonus, they work the mind, too!
I’ve taken up Tai Chi and find that it works best first thing in the morning, before breakfast or anything else. A 5 or 10 minute routine will give you a pretty good base workout (though you should also do other exercise) and energize and mentally relax you for the upcoming day.
And it may be hard at first, but stick with it. After about 30 days or so, you’ll really feel the benefits and start to look forward to it.
Take Walks and Field Trips
One of the best ways to feel better is to get out of the house and safely see people and nature often. That’s why I recommend that you take walks, jogs, and other “field trips” almost every day.
You can visit anywhere you like; I find that artsy neighborhoods work well because the people and art stimulate you visually and socially.
Meditate
The great thing about mediation is that it trains your mind. It kind of separates you from your emotions so that you perceive them, but they don’t take over you. It’s an effect that starts off slowly and builds up over time as you meditate more and more.
I meditate at least 5 minutes each day, and recommend both Headspace and Calm. Headspace is a bit more structured, while Calm is more user-friendly and approachable, in my view.
Listen to Music
Listening to music is one of those classic ways to feel better. Especially uplifting, happy music. Incredible how it can turn a sour mood into a sweet one quickly, right?
In my view, the easiest way to set this up is to subscribe to a music streaming service that will set up custom radio stations for you from a song that you choose. I use Pandora because it’s cheap and works great; its algorithm seems to know exactly what I want to listen to!
Join Online Chat Groups
This is one that I discovered recently. My stock trading group has an online chat room that is active most of the day when the stock market is open. I can enter or leave as I wish, and participate or not. I find that popping in from time to time is helpful not just to learn about trading, but also to get some social interaction and see and hear other people.
So one way to feel better -especially if you’re at home all day- is to take something you’re passionate about, and see if there’s a free or paid chat room that you can join. Having a community of like-minded people will provide you with some much-needed social interaction and friendship, plus you’ll get much better in whatever you’re pursuing.
Talk to Friends and Family
No person is an island, as they say. You need social interaction, even if it’s with technology and even if you’re at home all day. So talk to people that you know well, in addition to broader online social groups.
Group chats and video calls are all good ideas.
Watch Funny Stuff on the Internet
Is there a quicker pick-me-up than watching funny YouTube videos or looking at a hilarious Reddit thread? I suggest watching some funny internet content at least once a day. We all need to laugh!
Practice Gratitude
To me, gratitude does not mean you can’t ever complain. Rather, it’s a way to highlight the good in your life, to see the glass half-full.
There are many ways to practice gratitude, like a gratitude journal and whatnot. I suggest (and use) just a simple reminder each day (I put mine in my calendar). When you get that alert, think of one thing, person, or circumstance you feel grateful for. Trust me, it’ll instantly make you feel much, much better!
Summing Up the Ways to Feel Better
Life is tough, but you can make it better. With these techniques, we focus on the things we can change, rather than get frustrated with those we can’t. Start today 🙂
What are your favorite ways to feel better?
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