Do you find that you’re not feeling as happy at the moment as you would like? Are there things in your life that perhaps aren’t going the way you would hope? If so, you’re not alone and many people also feel the same way. The important thing to keep in mind is that it doesn’t have to be this way and there are many ways to get around it. One of the first things you need to do is to think about why you might be feeling discontented. Could it be that your job isn’t as good as it once was and it’s getting you down? Is your personal life perhaps not as fun as it once was? Or is your social life lacking? If you can’t find a general cause, then there are still many things you can do to try and help yourself. Here we have put together some top tips to help you turn your life around.
Change up your job
One of the first things that you might need to evaluate when it comes to turning your life around is changing up your job. Remember the phrase “work to live, not live to work” and try to abide by this. So many of us have our lives negatively impacted by work which really isn’t good enough when it should be the thing to sustain our lifestyle rather than define it. If you find that you are dreading going to work every day and 5pm can’t roll around quick enough, then chances are your job isn’t making you happy. The good thing is, there are many ways you can switch this up. Sit down and think about new career paths you can take – perhaps tech sales jobs would be more up your street? Or if you are into marketing, why not look to switch to a writing or social media role? If you like your job but not the company, it could be time to look somewhere else. You might find you’re then back to loving what you do.
Take up a new hobby
If you are not content with your life, it might be that you don’t have enough to do. If this is the case, why not pick up a new hobby? If you find that every evening you sit down to watch the TV or spend hours flicking through your phone, it’s not very fulfilling and can lead to you feeling not very happy. There are many hobbies out there that you can pick up – why not look into taking up something such as painting, a book club or a new sport? If you feel uncomfortable going to a club or something alone, you could bring a friend or family member with you. This will help ease you in and can also be a great chance for you to catch up too! Some hobbies such as cooking can be great for improving your life overall as you will learn to cook much more interesting and healthy meals and can encourage you to eat better. It is also something you can either do at home or at a cookery class. You could look into becoming a wine connoisseur and doing a wine course, or perhaps you want to learn more about gin. Think about what you are interested in and try to find a hobby that is centred around this – the world is your oyster!
Speak to family or friends
Problems or feeling down can often be exacerbated when we keep them bottled up. To combat this, a good idea is to speak to family or friends about how you are feeling. They can help you to put things into perspective and to move forward positively in your life. You might find that you have built something in your head to be something it isn’t and once you tell someone about it it no longer feels quite so bad. If you work from home, it can be very isolating and you might not get the chance to speak to someone all day which can also lead to feelings of depression and loneliness. If this is the case, make an effort to speak to a friend or family member each day, either on the phone or meeting up with them in person. You could go for a walk, head to a class together, or facetime when you are relaxing in the evening. Reminding yourself you are surrounded by plenty of people that love and care for you is a great way to turn your life around and lift your spirits.
Start exercising
If you don’t exercise, you could find that your figure isn’t what you would like it to be and that you feel generally sluggish and unhappy in yourself. This is why it’s important to work out regularly – at least three times a week. If you are someone that runs for the hills at the thought of exercise, many people also feel this way. What’s good to do, is to find an exercise that you actually enjoy. Working out doesn’t mean you have to go for long runs or sweat it out in the gym. You could instead try something such as tennis, basketball or netball. Or perhaps you could try an exercise class such as circuit or body pump. Why not bring a friend or family member with you too? This can be a great way to keep you motivated and ensure you don’t give up!
Eat well
Speak to a medical professional
If you find that you are doing all you can and you are not feeling any better, it might be a good idea to speak to a medical professional. There are many mental health teams and psychologists who can help you get to the cause of your problems and help you to work through them. This might not be an easy journey, but once you have worked your way through it, you will wonder just why you didn’t do it sooner. Speak to your doctor or do some research online to find some professionals near you who can help you to sort out why you are feeling a certain way.
Make a five year plan
Sometimes we can feel down if we feel stuck in a rut and like we don’t know where our life is headed. While a plan that is set in stone might be very stressful, having nothing in front of you can be just as terrifying. It’s a good idea to sit down and think about your goals and what you want to achieve in life. This could be anything from where you want to be in your career to where you see yourself family-wise in five years. Once you have written down some loose goals, figure out a rough plan of how you can achieve them. By having direction it can help you to have purpose and structure to your day and make you feel motivated going forward. Try to make your goals realistic and don’t put too much pressure on yourself if you don’t achieve them. They’re there to guide you not to be a rigid structure.
Keep a journal
Even if you don’t like writing, journaling can be a very valuable tool in helping your mindset to shift. Try to write down all your thoughts whether they are negative or positive and make the journal your own. You could add in drawings, photos and postcards and any notes that you want to write down. Visualising your feelings can really help you to work through things and also be something that you can look at in the future and see how far you have come.
Head out for a pamper day
If you are feeling stressed, it might be that you just need a good old dose of TLC. Make some time in your schedule to have a pamper day or a “me” day. You could go to a spa where you have a really good relax and a massage, or just think of something that makes you happy. You could just take a day out to do something as simple as curl up with a good book and no distractions. Life can get in the way often and you might not be able to make time for the things that make you happy. This will offer you the chance to recharge and reset.
These are just a few things that you can do that can turn your life around from feeling negative to positive. Often people tend to lump their stresses into one and it can make it feel overwhelming and unmanageable. By breaking it down and slowly sorting out your life piece by piece you will find you feel a lot better. The above should help you to re-evaluate and improve your life in a variety of ways. What are some things you do when you are feeling like things aren’t going your way? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.