How to Live a Happier and Healthier Life

So you want to live a happier and healthier life, yes? Don't we all? Happiness is something everyone craves and the only person stopping us from pursuing that happiness is ourselves.

Start by making a To Do List

I love To Do Lists. It is really the issue of accountability that is important. Whether you have a list on your phone or you write it on paper, what really matters is that you make the list and then DO IT. For this reason it is arguably better to make the list on paper (or in a journal) and then carry it physically on you so that you're constantly reminded of the list of things you need to do because it is physically in your pocket next to your cellphone.

Next...

What should you put on your To Do List?

Basic Stuff

Start with the basics. Chores. Shopping. Throwing out trash. Gardening. Your personal 'feng shui' is off when you have a cloud of crap in your brain telling you that you need to do chores and other stuff that needs doing. Do it. Get it done so you can stop worrying about it. Less stress for you if you just get all that stuff done and out of the way so you can enjoy doing other things that actually make you feel happy.

Exercises or Physical Activities

Exercises that you want to be doing. Or activities you want to do that you just haven't found time for. Maybe it is time for you to finally that that bicycle mechanic class you've been wanting to do or maybe you want to take up archery and need archery lessons. So regardless of what exercise, sport or physical activity you are thinking of, you should put it on the list. Yoga? Sure, why not. Weightlifting? Add it. Whatever floats your boat and gets you outside exercising. (Or exercising indoors if you don't like going outside during the winter.)

Healthy Food

Going shopping for healthy food is a good idea, but you might also need to learn how to make it in the first place. So you might want to include "Watch YouTube videos about making healthy food" on your To Do List.

Meditation

Whether you choose to meditate in the woods, an open field, at the beach, or listening to a sound bath in your living room. What are sound baths? They're a meditative practice/experience wherein a person is "bathed in sound waves". These waves are produced by various sources, including healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes, rattles, tuning forks, and even the human voice itself.

Reading

Cannot find enough time to read books? Maybe it is time to dust off your library card and get some audiobooks from the library. It is way less stressful to read an audiobook and is pure happiness in comparison to the stress of trying to read late at night when your eyes start to feel droopy. When I am super tired I just put on an audiobook, turn off the lights, close my eyes and listen to the story. If I fall asleep during a chapter, oh well, at least I fell asleep. I do recommend using the settings on your phone / CD player / etc so that it only plays one chapter at a time. Listening to an audiobook the whole night is disruptive to your sleep, so you really just want to listen to 1 chapter at a time in case you fall asleep.

Take Care of your Health

Go visit your doctor. Get a complete physical. Ask about whatever physical problems you've been having with your health. If there's something specific, like hearing loss, maybe go see an audiologist instead of a regular doctor and get your hearing tested. Or your eyes tested if it something to do with your eyes. You will feel better and happier if you take care of your body and learn to recognize warning signs when there is something wrong that is bothering you.

Rethink Your Career

You don't need to quit your job if you don't want to, but you should at least think about it if it is making you unhappy. Not everyone likes their jobs. Most people hate them, but there is a percentage of people who love their careers and have no intention of changing it. If your job isn't bringing you peace and harmony, and is a source of the opposite feelings, you might want to think about changing careers to something less stressful - or even something enjoyable. Eg. You could become an archery instructor, a yoga instructor, a bicycle mechanic, etc. You could discover something new about yourself and become a professional bird watcher (and photographer) who makes calendars, writes books about birdwatching, appear in nature documentaries, etc. Follow your passion long enough and you will usually find a way to make money off of it.

Give Back To Your Community

Another excellent way to give back to your fellow humans (and local wildlife) is to start giving back to your community. Whether you choose to clean up trash, promote peace overseas, empower the lives of others with charity work, or just make an effort to make every day more fulfilling then you will gain happiness from the experience (and probably make a few friends along the way).

Being a good person isn't painful. It is a joyful experience.