The idea that you have to be coupled up in order to be happy is outdated, reductive, and frankly just untrue. It’s more than possible to feel fulfilled and content without a romantic partner if you just get rid of the expectations society puts on you and focus on yourself. Here’s how to create happiness right now and love more of your life. You deserve it!
- Learn to live in the moment. Many of us are guilty of spending all of our time worrying about the future. We obsess over what’s to come in three weeks or three months or even three years to the point that sometimes we forget to experience and enjoy the exact moment we’re in. While it’s good to have goals and ambitions for what you’d like to do and where you’d like to end up, it’s important to be here for today, as well.
- Make your time count. If you want to love your life, you need to make a life you love, you get me? How you make your time count is up to you – I can’t give you pointers because this will differ for everyone. Do things that make you feel fulfilled, that make your soul feel alive, that make you feel valuable in the world around you. Whether that’s volunteering, climbing mountains, learning how to crochet… whatever the case, do it.
- Discover and pursue your passions. We all need things in our lives outside of work and our adult responsibilities that let us unwind and tap into something that’s simply for our own pleasure. You can’t love your life if you don’t feel passionate about it. If you’re not sure what ignites that flame in your heart and soul, go out there and explore. It’s a big wide world and it’s waiting for you to dive in.
- Cultivate your platonic and familial relationships. Just because you’re not in a romantic relationship (or even if you are!) doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put an equal amount of time and energy into your connections with your friends and family members. Spend time with them, create memories together, be there to support and inspire one another. You’d be surprised what a big part this can play in helping you learn how to love your life.
- Get out of your head and into the world. It’s so easy to get caught up in your own head to the point that you forget to shut down those thoughts and get out there and live. When the anxiety hits or the loneliness or any other negative emotion, acknowledge it, of course, and then resolve to find a way through and out of those feelings. Guaranteed you’ll find something outside the four walls of your house.
- Practice gratitude. We don’t realize just how much we all have to be grateful for on a daily basis. Chances are you have a job, a roof over your head, and food on your table every night. That alone makes you so fortunate. Add to that all the other little gifts you possess but probably don’t think about – your health, your support network, your aforementioned passions and hobbies – and you are one lucky human. Acknowledge that and be thankful for it daily because you never know when it can be taken away.
- Move your body. It seems strange to say that exercising can make you love your life but it totally can. You don’t have to run a marathon or join the Tour de France here – even getting out every day for a long walk or taking a yoga class on YouTube at the end of a long day can go a long way in helping to balance your mind and bring you peace and contentedness.
- Always aim for improvement. If you’re not happy with anything happening in your life, it’s up to you to change it. You can always strive to improve yourself and your circumstances. It may not always be easy and sometimes it might even feel downright impossible, but damn, it’ll feel good when you accomplish it.
