Sometimes it can seem like improving your life is an uphill
battle, or like digging your way out of a hole in the sand. Things seem to be
working more against you than in your favor. The problem, however, could be something very easily fixed. You may be thinking too
big.
There are actually a number of fairly small things that you
can do to change your outlook, improve your health and make your life better.
This post lists only five. Granted some of them take some commitment, but
try out a few of these and see if that uphill battle doesn’t get a little
easier.
1. Joining A
Social Group
This could be a club, a sports team, a Facebook group, a group centered around a common interest, or just a group of friends that goes out for drinks once a month. The important thing is having friends.
Having friends improves our self-confidence. It gives us a
network to help us deal with things like stress, or grief, and it even improves
the immune system. All of these things also have secondary benefits. For example, people with strong and healthy
social networks have been shown to be more likely to maintain a healthy bodyweight and to live
longer than those that don’t have that social support system.
2. Practicing Your Faith
For quite a while now, many experts have understood that
following a religious faith genuinely helps people in a number of ways. It
gives us a sense of purpose. It makes us feel like we’re part of something
larger than just ourselves. It encourages us to be understanding, forgiving, and
generous. It makes our lives better and it makes us better people.
Research consistently shows that finding meaning in life greatly increases our mental and physical health. Many of us benefit from the fellowship we find in our church community.3. Learn A New
Language
Learning a language like English, Spanish, French,
German, or Chinese, can be practical in a business setting, or just while
you’re walking around town. Learning any additional language, however, comes
with a number of benefits, including helping you to learn and remember other
things, and helping you to see things from new perspectives.
Some universities may let you audit classes on foreign
languages. Community centers may have classes in foreign language that are open
to the public. You may be able to find books on learning new languages at book
stores or thrift stores near you, or you could download any number of free or
cheap apps to learn another language on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
4. Change Jobs
If you hate your job and your company, you can read this as
“quit your job and start over,” but you don’t have to. If you worked hard to
get where you are and you like the work that you do, consider a lateral job
change in your own company.
See if you can work in a new department for a bit, even if
it’s just filling a position while someone is on vacation or while management
is looking for someone to fill a spot permanently. Changing jobs provides a nice
change of pace, it helps you to understand your own abilities and versatility,
and it helps you to understand what the world looks like from someone else’s
office.
5. Go To College
Even if you’ve already been there, or even if you can’t or
don’t want to stay for a four-year degree. College is a unique experience where
you get to meet new people in an institution specifically dedicated to learning
and looking at new ideas.
Even if you’ve already been to college, many find that the
experience is quite different when they return later in life, even if it’s just
to audit a class.
Some of the things listed in this post are a pretty big commitment. Other things on the list, however, are things that you could do pretty quickly and with little or no financial burden. Give one or all of them a try, and you'll soon find you are on your way to designing your perfect life.