Four steps to a Simple Happy Life
Obtaining your zen by simplifying your life is not an impossible endeavor.
Identifying causes of stress in your life is the first step in removing them. Often times our own physical environment, where we spend the most time, is the source of our greatest stress.
Financial strain from living outside of your means is one of the most prevalent examples. Evaluating what is truly important in your living arrangement is critical when purchasing a home or signing a lease agreement.
Is the upkeep of your home causing you to wonder why on earth you wanted that large home in the first place? For many people, continually paying for upkeep along with increasing property taxes is enough to cause major headaches as well as a strain on relationships. The constant projects and unanticipated repairs can turn homeownership into a nightmare. Do you really need all that space?
Your physical space can also be a source of chemical toxins; and it is essential that you work to remove those as well. Dust is a magnet to heavy metals. Cleaning regularly, changing furnace filters, removing carpets when possible avoiding fragrances, and using air purifiers including plants can have a profound effect on the level of toxins in your environment. These chemical toxins in your body can lead to numerous syndromes and sensitivities.
Gaining control is accomplished by removing those stressors. If you feel stuck in any situation, whether it is an over the top mortgage, bad relationship, a cruddy job, or financial hardship, it is hard to find inner peace. Getting out of those situations can be costly at times but ask yourself what you have to gain by finding a way out.
So here are some simple take aways.
Identify stressors and open your eyes to what your reactions are to your environment. Your number one priority should be to feel safe. But do you feel happy and healthy in your home?
Gain control by removing those stressors. This is often the hardest thing to do because it involves making changes. We as humans do not like change, we want things to be familiar even if we know it does not make us happy. Think of removing emotional stressors as you physically remove toxins from your home.
Take a chance! Apply for a new job! Talk to a realtor about selling your home and downsize! Or if you live in a small space, clear it out! Ask yourself if you need to make a change in your relationship.
Learn to live with less. There is one word that makes me cringe when I hear it and that is collection. It implies keeping things for the sake of getting more things like it! Whether it is baseball cards, stuffed animals, Precious Moments figurines or stamps, collections are unnecessary! They also take up space that we ultimately are paying for and contribute to clutter in our homes.
Cleaning and purging can have a profound impact on your mood.
That is not to say that having a few similar items displayed in a room is not pleasing to the eye and your overall mood. In fact having items that remind us of happy times is important but flooding your senses with stimuli can be overwhelming. And so is paying for more space just to store things. Instead, keep decorations to a minimum and rotate them to keep things fresh and do away with the storage units!
Appreciate what you do have. Having a gratitude jar has become a popular recommendation because it helps to keep things in perspective. It involves simply writing down each day something we are grateful for and placing it in a jar. By doing this daily, it becomes a habit. Reflecting back on those statements during down times can be uplifting because feeling grateful correlates with feeling happy.
After all isn’t that what we all want?
