And guess what? It does’nt cost a thing!
Most of us can quickly identify our personal satisfaction or dissatisfaction with something in this life. So from here, it gets easier to understand how you will determine what your quality of life will feel and look like. So if I asked you to rate your quality of life on a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten the highest, what would it be? If it’s less than five, it’s time to work on changing things now!
At some point in life, if not now, you may feel like something is lacking or want to improve your life. One person may say I need more money. Then, ask a person with money, and their response will likely be different. Naturally, everyone has had similar thoughts, and the reasons will differ from person to person on what can improve their life. Nonetheless, there are several things we all can do to improve our quality of life right now. And I’m going to share with you five easy-to-implement habits that can enhance your day-to-day and overall life.
1. Focus on Your Relationships
Life is ALL about relationships. We have our friends, family, partners, coworkers, neighbors, and even strangers we recognize and wave to at the gym or the café. It doesn’t matter how long or short they last; these relationships play key roles in our mental and emotional health.
Friends, family, and significant others can lift us up when we’re feeling down, and even a friendly greeting from your favorite barista can put a smile on your face. And let’s not forget those strangers who may have done acts of kindness or given words of wisdom out of nowhere and when you needed it most.
If you want to change something for the better in your life, spend more time maintaining and improving your healthy relationships. Be good to others, even if they’re not close friends, and go out of your way to ensure your friends and family know you love and appreciate them. Life is too short not to express your love and appreciation to those you care about.
2. Exercise Regularly
Listen, I know for some people, this may not be your “thing,” I get it. But everyone knows that exercise, at least in some form regularly, is crucial to one’s health. Exercise benefits more than just your physical health; it helps your mental and emotional health as well. And this is one area we can’t afford to dismiss so easily.
Frequent and consistent exercise can improve your sleep and mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and even boost your energy levels. If you don’t already have a regular exercise routine, try starting one today. You can go for a long walk, ride a bike, join a gym or a yoga studio, or join a recreational sports team. Find something you enjoy, and you’ll be improving your life by finding a healthy hobby.
3. Make Time for Yourself
This action right here is a “gold standard” MUST DO for everyone, especially people who are constantly taking care of others. If you’ve ever felt like YOUR life is passing by like a runaway freight train or that you have no time to relax at all, then you need to take a closer look at what’s happening in your life. Our time here on this earth is much more than productivity, work, and responsibilities.
Each week, if not each day, you should find some time for yourself. Do whatever you love to do, whether it’s going on a walk, taking a bath, reading a book, or cooking for yourself, taking a much-needed nap, or giving your mind and body a physical and mental break.
Your quality of life depends on countless things, and having meaning and purpose should be at the top of the list. But what I know for sure is that your life can always be improved by doing what you genuinely want to do.
4. Practice Gratitude (My Favorite)
It’s easy to get caught up thinking about the future and what you want to do and have. After all, I’m discussing ways that people can best align with theirs every day. However, taking care of the “right now” pre-paves the way to your “tomorrow. If you’re always worried about tomorrow, it’s harder to appreciate what you have right now.
To improve your quality of life right now, practice gratitude. Each morning or evening, think about where you are in life and what you have. Do you have a job, a home, a car, friends, and family? Are all of your needs taken care of? If so, you’re already living the quality of life that many people around the world dream of or have lost since Covid-19.
Be grateful for what you have and look at each day as a blessing. Each day is an opportunity for change, and practicing gratitude will improve your life dramatically. It is a powerful and positive state of mind that attracts and manifests more things to be grateful for.
5. Prioritize Sleep
There’s truly nothing like waking up in the morning fully rested and ready for the day. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen for a large portion of the population. Instead, many people get too few hours of sleep or get low-quality sleep, and in exchange, their quality of life is not as high as it could be.
The quality of sleep you get is directly related to your quality of life as it can impact mental, physical, and emotional health complications. People who don’t sleep well enough or long enough are more likely to experience higher stress levels in addition to physical aches, sleepiness, and more.
So, if you want an easy way to improve your quality of life, prioritize your sleep. Make a regular sleep schedule where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. To further help you sleep, consider putting away all technology at least an hour before you sleep. Yes, that’s right, you should NOT be sleeping with those devices IN YOUR bed!
The Bottom Line
Life is full of ups and downs. We go through phases of extreme highs feeling as though our life could never be better or that we are truly invincible. On the other hand, we also experience deep lows when everything seems wrong, or life gives us a reality check that we are fallible and not collectively conscientious enough. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are in life; if you follow the simple tips above, you can improve your quality of life starting today.
