Only five steps to a more positive outlook on life

There’s an Italian saying: Anno nuovo, vita nuova, which means: “A new year, a new life, and I guess this is true, because we start the year by building foundations for everything to come. Sometimes a new haircut is all we need, sometimes it’s cleaning out the closet, a magical face mask, positive thoughts or a deeper change we’ve been deciding to make. The beginning of a new year is the time to set new goals, write them down and pursue them so that come next December you will have been able to take a look back, and see how far you’ve actually come. Then, it’s going to be time for new goals, finer and more glamorous. To make sure everything starts out the way it’s supposed to, here are five small but significant steps to making 2017 a year of happiness and content.

Image source: Simple Reminders

Exercise

It doesn’t have to be an hour of fitness training a day, because we know that the tempo of life will make it impossible. You can still take a walk, go for an occasional swim or a run, exercise at home, if you have the willpower … either way, moving is beneficial for every aspect of your life, including your mind and soul, because of its calming effect; and you’re doing something for your body and health at the same time.

Watch what you eat

More fish and vegetables, less meat and pasta, keep a close eye on sugar, cigarettes, bread, try to keep a clear head, when you go to the store and get the desire to grab every imaginable candy and chocolate at the checkout. It’s all allowed within reasonable amounts, just don’t overdo it. If you constantly have food cravings, it can be a sign of exhaustion or perhaps you’re overloaded in your professional or personal life. Try to analyse your actions for a period of time, and you will get a clearer picture quickly enough.

Laugh a lot

We generally don’t spend enough time laughing. Laughter is an important part of health. Laughing as though we were children can have a therapeutic effect, especially when we do so without reservations, and at the most silly things. It’s a technique you can also use in a stressful situation. Because after all, every situation is supposed to have a comical side. Find it and leave it behind as soon as you can to keep it from burdening you.

Image source: Positive life

Take time for yourself

For me, this is a necessity, I simply have to take some time just for myself, to do things I do for myself, like writing a journal, reading, watching a good movie or taking a walk in the woods. No extraordinary sounds to bother me, all alone, so I can dive into my own world and stay there for a while. Take time for yourself every day, even if it seems impossible, know that you have the right to do this because this time belongs to you, especially if you’re a mother or a business woman.

Love yourself

When I think about my life and happiness, I always say that the most important thing is being happy with myself. There are other people, of course, that make my life fuller and better, but I am ultimately enough for myself, and that is the way it should be. If you don’t love yourself, you make it impossible for others to love you, because we are the origin where everything stems from, our heads, filled with doubts and decisions ‒so love yourself, even if you make mistakes and maybe help create a world others don’t understand.

Image source: quotetodays

Hug, my darlings.