*This is a summarized version.We all know the components of a good lifestyle.A good lifestyle is the combination of healthy food, exercise and happy relationships.I assume that you already know about these components and therefore, I will not cover them in this article.This article answers these questions:Assuming you have a good and balanced life, eating healthy food, working out regularly, happy in your relationship, and financially stable, what can you do to enhance your life?What are the things that can make a difference in your lifestyle?Of course, this subject is very personal, in the sense that what may be important to one person, may not be significant to another person.Elements of a good lifestyle also differ among men & women, singles & married, poor& rich… etc.However, I will explain the main elements that can be considered as “universally” accepted. Lifestyle tools that almost all people will benefit from.Tips for a Better Lifestyle1-Don’t Take Life Very Seriously:Some people are serious about life because they believe that life is very serious. They assume that being serious will lead to happiness or success.I realize that mistakes and failures can be serious, but that does not mean we take life too seriously. Too much serious focus on life means we will miss the fun of life. Life is much more than work or money. Taking things too seriously can drive you to madness. Serious thinking can lead you to be stressed out. You can be serious at work, but at your free time develop humor and sense of fun. Adopt an attitude of cheerfulness and optimism. Act childish sometimes. Learn to laugh and enjoy watching funny movies. Surround yourself with funny people. It is time that you lighten up about life.Remember life is a journey, and if that journey is serious and boring, then you would want that journey to be short. Have fun and enjoy the journey. Do whatever you want to make it entertaining and joyful. Make this journey entertaining by adding humor to it.As Mark Twain said once “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”2-Focus Only on the Present:It is amazing that most people do not live in the present. Some are overwhelmed by their past, and others are day- dreaming about their future plans. Some people try to run away from their problems by not living in the present.Live in this very moment and enjoy it. Program yourself to not stay in the past. Get rid of any past memories. You feel cheerful and alive when you live in the present moment. The future is always a mystery. You can create plans for the future, but you need to experience the present in order to achieve those plans. Remember that living in the past means you are not mentally or emotionally free. Living in the future means you are dreaming. Happiness is based on the present. One fact to realize is that your past will not determine your future. The present is your link between the past and future. The only and best way to live your life is to live it at this moment.3- Travel:Travel at least once a year and go to remote places. Get outside your local environment. Traveling has many benefits. When you travel you break your routine and replenishes your energy, mental, physical and emotional energy. Travel can also be an opportunity to acquire new skills, learn about new cultures and meet new people.Travel is about variety, adventure and having fun. Your life needs fun. It also needs diversity in terms of new people, new geography and new experiences.If you have enough money, you can take tours around the world, something similar to Four Seasons Around the World Tour, which costs $115,000 per person. These extravagant tours use private jets and all 5-star resorts.Stay at 5-star hotels and pamper yourself. Stay at The royal suite of Burj Al Arab of Dubai which has a small cinema and a library. Visit museums like the Louvre of Paris or see the ancient ruins of Athens or Rome. Take a luxury cruise like the Silversea cruise which is offering a $1.500,000 cruise package for two on the Silver Whisper, taking in 28 countries over a period of 115 days. You deserve to reward yourself once in a while. If you don’t have that kind of money, you can travel to national reserves and enjoy the serenity of nature. Travel destinations and options are virtually unlimited.4-Find a Good Friend:Substantial research supports the importance of true friends in our lives. A true friend is essential for a happier life. A true friend will confront you about your life problems such as drinking problem. A good friend will correct you when you are wrong.Your best friend is best to be from the same gender. If you are a woman, it is better that your close friend is a woman like you. A Man’s best friend is also a man. You may have a spouse/partner and he/she is very close to you. However, you need a close friend that is not your partner. What I suggest here is a friend that is not connected to you sexually. A close friend, from the same gender, whom you can share with your secrets. A good friend can give you the needed support, even support for your relationship with your partner. This is why it is important-but not necessary- that your close friend is from the same gender.One scholar, Carlin Flora, in her book, Friendfluence, demonstrates with many examples the real essence of true friendship. She claims with evidence that true friends are the keys for happiness.5- Check Your Habits:Check your habits and make sure you get rid of those bad habits and adopt the good ones.A-Get Rid of Bad Habits:Some habits are very serious to the extent that they can be fatal. Smoking, alcoholism and drug addiction can be dangerous for your health & life.If you have millions of dollars but you are addicted to drugs, do you think you have a good lifestyle?If you are healthy and young, but chain-smoke 30-40 cigarettes/day, do you expect a healthy lifestyle?The big problem with habits is that you may not be able to get rid of them because they are addictive.Some bad habits can be a sign of suicidal behavior.Whatever bad habits you have, just remember that those habits can destroy your life.In spite of the difficulty of getting rid of a bad habit, it is important to know that they can be eliminated.You will need the right techniques and tools implemented by a qualified coach.B- Develop New Good Habits:Once you get rid of a bad habit, it is time that you substitute it with a positive habit.If you quit smoking, start a healthy habit instead, such as exercising or walking.Even if you don’t have a negative habit, you can adopt a new habit that is useful for your lifestyle.There are many types of habits that are useful for our lifestyle. Another good habit is to practice meditation daily. Meditation will slowly build your energy.6-Surround Yourself With Only Positive People:To live a positive life you need to get the sources of positivity. Emotions are electromagnetic energy. This energy is infectious. This means if you are around people that possess one type of energy, you are likely to get that type of energy from them and store it in your body.This explains why when you surround yourself with negative people you become negative as well.The first rule is therefore, to stay away from negative people and negative sources.Stay away from negative news and negative media.Be connected with only positive people.Positive persons will feed your thoughts with positivity.Positive people have the ability to be optimistic about life. Their positive emotions will enable them to enjoy a better lifestyle.Another remarkable behavior of positive people is that they never compare themselves with others. This behavior can lift their self-esteem.Remember that positive expectation leads to positive results.Even the aura of positive people is different.7- Find a Mentor/Life CoachLife will have its challenges and problems. Life journey is long.Some people when faced with problems try to solve those problems on their own. They resist the possibility for outside help, for many reasons.No matter how intelligent or experienced you are, some problems can not be solved by yourself.Why?Because when you have a problem, you tend to think inside the box. Your solutions are likely limited and irrelevant.This is the notion behind “Think Outside the Box.”It is not a shame to ask for advice. It is not a sign of inferiority.It is a fact that most successful persons have advisors, and they are not hesitant to seek advice from outside resources. Even the President of the USA can not function effectively without advisors.The best advisor is a mentor or a life coach.Your mentor might be a neighbor, relative, teacher, friend, co-worker, someone from your community, or a professional consultant. Mentors are good to have throughout your life.A mentor can motivate, inspire, guide you in the right direction, and help you through personal and work challenges.A life coach has many useful roles. Not only he/she can give you the right advice, but more importantly, they can find out what is right for you based on your personality and skills.A mentor can also develop your skills and provide specific guidance for your personal development.Life coaches or mentors have become important even for children. According to the National Mentoring Partnership, children and teenagers who have had a mentor do better in school, are less likely to be involved with drugs and alcohol, and are more likely to go to college.Life coaching has become very important for moderate and big companies worldwide.The rising importance of life coaching has made it one of the fastest growing professions in North America. According to the International Coach Federation, there are over 15,000 professional life coaches currently operating in North America in 2012.Because of higher demand, life coaching fees are increasing. The International Coach Federation found that, on average, life coaches charge $214 a session and make $47,900 annually.8- Make Some Time for Yourself:We need time for many things such as career, social activities, family, and sports. However, you also need to have time only for yourself.Try to spend some time alone every day. Spend your time alone doing something you enjoy, such as reading, taking a bath, or being outdoors. It’s a time to clear your head and be quiet with yourself.Solitude has many benefits. It allows you to rediscover yours. It is a good way to disconnect from others.As the famous poet Rumi once said, “A little while alone in your room will prove more valuable than anything else that could ever be given you.”Your life journey is no doubt in need of many things. It definitely deserves all the care and attention that will make it a better journey.Please be kind to yourself, and get the tools that make your lifestyle a better one.Do not be frugal on yourself.Whatever you spend on your lifestyle, one day you will notice the rewards of this spending, in terms of higher achievements and stronger happiness.I hope my tips are suitable for you.I hope I have contributed something useful for your life.Good Luck.
Tag Archives: Lifestyle
What Is A Healthy Lifestyle
Have you ever noticed that your idea of having a healthy lifestyle isn’t often the same as someone else’s? It can mean very different things to different people, and that is healthy in itself. It can also be confusing.
The most obvious description of a healthy lifestyle is eating healthy foods and being aerobically active as a way of life. But seldom will two people make the same food choices and do the same activities. Ginny, for example eats raw foods and runs most days of the week. Margaret loves pasta and grilled food, and she has found that whole wheat pasta and lean meats are a healthy way of eating her favorite things. Her activities are kayaking, hiking, Tai Chi and gardening. Robert is an avid swimmer, dancer and hiker, and he eats a lot of complex carbohydrates. All of them are living healthy lifestyles, but they aren’t at all similar.
So how do you know if you are choosing healthy foods and activities? There are several ways of knowing.
One way to start is be informed about the basics of healthy nutrition and aerobic activity. The food pyramid is a good place to learn about nutrition, because it isn’t based on a rigid diet but on eating a variety of foods in moderation with healthy guidelines. Getting familiar with your target heart rate zones is a way to understand aerobic health. Heart rate charts are typically posted on the walls of gyms and easily found on the Internet, and they tell you know to gauge and determine your optimal activity intensity. The food pyramid and heart rate zones are tools that can guide you to make your own decisions about which foods and activity levels are best for you.
The next way is to pay attention to what your body is feeling. If you are hungry, eat. If you are full, stop. If you are exhausted, see what happens if you rest and what happens if you do a bit more. If you are in pain, get help if you don’t know what to do about it. If you are out of shape, start moving. When you pay attention to your own body, you will get clues about what is healthiest for you. Our tendency is to ignore the signals, but eventually you’ll learn that isn’t a good decision. As I know first hand, your physical symptoms will get worse until you finally pay attention and begin to make healthier lifestyle changes.
The third way is to ask a professional you trust for advice and who listens when you say something doesn’t feel right. Be aware that not all professionals are right or will do what is best for you. If your gut is telling you that you shouldn’t do something, don’t. I injured my back following the orders of a personal trainer, and a number of my clients have hurt themselves in similar ways.
A healthy lifestyle is also living with less physical and emotional stress. Getting a full night’s sleep, drinking enough water, limiting alcohol to moderate levels and getting a multi-vitamin can make a big difference in your stress level. How you choose to respond to situations is another key factor. You can sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic and be angry and anxious or calm and focused on something more pleasant. It is a choice, even if it doesn’t appear that way.
A great way to reduce stress is to take time out to just enjoy yourself and to do what feels good to you. I know this is hard to do, but everyone that finally does it discovers that it isn’t as selfish or difficult as they feared. They find out that they feel so much better and that this has a positive impact on everyone around them and their productivity. More seems to get done even though they took time out for themselves. It is paradoxical until you try it.
Having a healthy lifestyle is also pursuing your passion and your life’s purpose. The more aligned you are with your spiritual center; the more healthy you will feel. This becomes more obvious when you don’t feel excited about your life, lack passion or don’t have something to look forward to. I went through a dark time when I had a mid-life crisis and lost passion for my career. I struggled to reconnect with what really mattered to me and felt lost and anguished. I sprang back to life when I finally found my passion again. For those that don’t find their reason for being, they become prone to illness, depression, alcohol and drugs. They lose their health when they are out of touch with their heart and soul.
What aspect of your lifestyle isn’t healthy, and what choices will help you feel better this week?