Love Your Life

When our day-to-day routine starts feeling more like a never-ending chore, it can be all too easy to forget that fresh and exciting lives require our active participation in order to become and stay that way. For the times when you’re feeling disenamored with your everyday routine, here are some simple methods for falling in love with life all over again.

Make Every Day Special.  Try committing to saying yes to yourself a little more each day. We all know that life drags, stagnates, and slumps, but often the reason for this is because we have closed ourselves off to it. When we say yes to something new, we commit to opening our lives back up to possibility, and we may just end up falling in love with wherever those possibilities take us. You can also try to spice up your routine by doing one small thing differently each week. Wear something you wouldn’t normally wear, try a different workout, or order a different coffee. Also, don’t fall into the trap of postponing your happiness by saving everything special for a future occasion. Unpack, use, display, and enjoy those special things you’ve been saving, today! Don’t wait for special occasions to live your life to the full – start making every day count.

Be Your Own Best Friend. We often see ourselves in the worst light, particularly when life isn’t going how we want it to. However, it’s important not to be hard on yourself and blame yourself just because you feel something in your life hasn’t worked out. Rather than focusing on harsh comparisons with others and all your perceived faults, regularly remind yourself of all the good qualities you have to offer and all the successes and achievements you have accomplished so far. Learn to appreciate the unique person that you are. Accept help from friends when they offer it. Accept compliments when they’re directed at you. Let yourself be loved in the small ways you don’t always allow yourself to be, and watch how much easier it becomes to accept your own love, too.

FIll Your Time With Things That Matter. We can often end up filling our time with the things we think we should be doing, rather than the things we want to be doing. Unfortunately, we may never quite get around to doing the things that make us happy. Set aside an hour or two a week to chart out personal goals and projects. Become your own life coach and make self-improvement the priority that it deserves to be. Many of our hours are also “lost” to lengthy commutes, uneventful lunch hours and mundane morning rituals. To get the most out of your day, try to make these hours count. For instance, use your journey to work and lunchtimes to read/listen to a good book, get in some exercise, or do something creative, such as drawing or writing. Also, make the most of your mornings as a valuable opportunity for a bit of ‘me time’. Get up early and journal, watch your favorite TV show, make an indulgent breakfast in bed, or swap your shower for a luxurious bubble bath. By spending this time doing something you love, you’re spending more of your day working on loving your life.

Know Your Limits. While taking on challenges and keeping busy with the right things can be a great way to enhance your life, taking on too much and being too busy can do just the opposite. Even if you are someone who thrives on pressure and enjoys taking on a lot of responsibility, everyone has their limits. Overextending will cause stress and anxiety. To enhance your happiness, know your limits and also learn how to say no, whether you need to delegate a task at work or turn down an invitation to a social event.

February is the month of love, so how about falling in love with the life you are creating? Incorporating elements of fun, adventure, and positivity will help you feel more fulfilled by your daily life. Put these new ideas into your planner to ensure you actually do them and see how they begin to change your life.