Life is tough and we can’t deny the fact that we have to struggle to survive our every day. Stresses may lead us to suffer the blues and at some point we may even feel depressed.
On the other hand, some of the stresses we suffer are sometimes brought up with our own thoughts and insecurities. Here are a few simple ways to keep your sanity and live life in a happier way:
- NEVER compare yourself to others
Comparing yourself to others may make you feel insecure, which may lead to inadequacy and lesser chance to succeed. Enhance your talents and skills and make a friendly competition with your own self. This means aspiring to do better everyday than what you have done in the past.
“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always, there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself…” – Max Ehrmann, “Desiderata”
- Before you get jealous or envy others, think of these:
1. You are blessed with good things and you have your own struggles.
2. Others are blessed with good things and they have their own struggles.
3. Everyone is blessed with wonderful things and love ones and yet, they will always have difficulties in life to remain human.
4. Everyone is blessed with their own goodness and imperfections to compliment with each other, that is why NO ONE, including YOU can really have it all.
5. Nothing will keep you from needing others no matter what and who you are, and no matter what you achieve in life.
- Realize that you are in charge of your own happiness and NEVER expect others to make you happy all the time.
Some people may make you feel good sometimes, and they truly make you happy. But never expect them to make you happy all the time. Know that there are really times in your life when you have to find ways to be happy without relying on others.
“Happiness is a matter of choice… it is up for us to choose to appreciate the good things that we have everyday and emphasize the good we own than focusing on the bad. This will make us happy…” – DjBryle Works, “Life’s Battles and Splendor”
- Make chances for your self to have cheerful thoughts.
In the middle of our busy day, it would be great to find at least 5 to 10 minutes to think happy thoughts and cheer ourselves up. Cheerful thoughts make our life easier to handle and put back the smile on our face on a busy day.
Thinking cheerfully may include thinking how your kids or spouse showed you their love the other day or remembering how you did something naughty once in your life that made you really feel good.
- Keep your real friends and dump the fakes.
No matter how old you become, you will always need real friends to pour out all the hurts you feel inside, and sharing your happiness with them reminds you that you are never alone.
You may not be able to communicate with your friends as often as you used to when you were younger, it is good to spend some time once in a while to communicate with them through the web, or use your handy phone. You can even send snail mail to your good friends and remind them how wonderful and blessed you feel for having them. This will not only make your friends happy but you will also feel good after. Communicating with real friends is a good way to de- stressand enhances the release of your feel good hormones.
- Never let a day pass by without showing some love to your love ones. Hug and kiss them for at least once a day or as much as you can. If your love ones are far from you, let the wonders of technology give its full benefit on you. Maximize the use of the internet and your handy phones. These simple gestures are stress relievers and keep you sane.
- Feel good and look good. Eat a well balanced meal and exercise regularly. Take care of yourself so that you will never run out of energy to enjoy life.
- Stop forcing yourself into the life of people who can not accept you for who you are.
- Before getting rude to anyone, think twice. For always, others are having their own struggles as much as you do.
- Keep in mind that others can hurt you as long and as much as you allow them.
- Learn to forgive and forget hurtful wrongdoings of others and yourself.
- Find time to relax and sit a while or spend quality time with your friends and love ones.
- Last, but definitely the most powerful way to keep you sane is to never cease communicating with God through prayers. Pray as much as you can… pray when you feel the urge to talk to HIM. And keep in mind that no matter what happens in your own little world of imperfection, you can never be alone in HIS loving arms.
These are just some of the few ways to keep your sanity. Things that are simple yet we often forget. One thing to keep in mind as we live life, “Life can be tough, but we can be tougher…”
