Life

Importance of Music in our Lives

July 22, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Music is an indivisible part of our life as it conveys what we cannot express through words. Music is creativity in the purest form for those who compose it, medicine for relaxing the minds of those who listen to it and treat to those who play/perform it. So, the perception of music varies from one individual to another. E.g., Rock music maybe music for teenagers but might be noise for elders.

Can you imagine life without music? Do you feel happy or relaxed or slide back into the memory lane when you listen to your favorite music? Because when we listen to the music that we like, our brain releases a chemical called Dopamine, which enhances our mood and fills us with emotion. Music impacts our nervous system by stimulating the functioning of the entire brain and how we feel during the moment. When two people listen to a song together, their minds sync in rhythm and share an emotional experience.

Music is enjoyed by everyone, which is apparent in the significant events of our lives. Music is like a drug that makes us addict, and a life without music would be incomplete. It plays a vital role besides being a source of entertainment and has many benefits in our life. Some of them are as mentioned below-

Enhances Creativity

Deep inside us, we all have this burning desire to create, and music fuels creativity. It improves the mind and lets your creative and imaginative juices flow. It gives wings to the brain and helps you think differently and makes you a better problem solver.

Improves Listening & Understanding-

Music improves focus and listening skills. When people listen to a song/music, they utilize their brains to understand lyrics or the message that the musician wants to convey through music, with or without the words (instrumental).

Regulates Emotion & Improves Mood

Music evokes and amplifies emotions. Not only it helps to communicate and cope with our emotions like love, fear, loneliness, anger, that makes us feel light and relaxed, but also leads to happiness and lifts our spirit. Your mood affects your choice of music, and the choice of music, in turn, affects your mood. When we listen to an upbeat song, we dance along; and when we hear a sad song, we can feel the emotions hidden in the lyrics, which might bring tears and instantly change our mood. Therefore, one should listen to full of energy songs when they feel low.

Reduces Stress

Music clears the head and heals our hearts. We can not only reduce stress by playing a musical instrument. But listening to slow tempo music or instrumental music tends to relax our minds and act as a stress buster.

Improves Memory

Music is an excellent tool for memorization because of the repetitive elements of rhythm and melody that help our brain form patterns that enhance memory. You must have observed that it is much easier to learn a song than remember news articles you recently read since our mind enjoys music, and it retains, whatever it enjoys. E.g., A person remembers happy moments of their life for a long time because the brain enjoyed them. That is why children are taught poems in the early years of their schooling.

Connects Us With Soul

Music is as crucial to the soul; as words are to the mind. Listening to music has proved to be a therapy for our soul. It is a spirit that never dies and brings peace and abolishes conflict. It provides a sense of balance in life.

Lessens Anxiety

Sometimes, it is the music only that can take your mind off anything else. Therefore, it helps to escape a situation, diverts you from the issue that is bothering you, reduces the uneasiness, and enables you to calm down.

Improves Exercise

Most of the workouts like Aerobics, Zumba are clubbed with music as the music increases mental and physical stimulation, syncs you with the beat to keep you motivated, and entertains a person and thereby, improves overall performance.

Improves Pain

The remarkable thing about music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain. Researchers studied that patients who listened to music before or after surgery had less pain and were more satisfied than patients who did not incorporate music into their care. It also can help in pain management during childbirth.

Helps Coping with Illness

Many hospitals have started music therapy in treating patients. Listening to music helps people with Alzheimer’s recall lost memories; children with Autism Spectrum disorder show improvement in social responses, communication, and attention skills; people suffering from depression feel happy and calm.

Induces Movement in Children

When children listen to music, they respond by shaking their heads or tapping their feet or performing some actions with their hands. It develops their coordination skills.

Conversation Initiator

Music is a significant conversation initiator. One can quickly strike a conversation with someone they do not even know because everyone loves music, irrespective of the fact that we are from which culture.

Universal Language

Music is a universal language that everyone can understand and through which one can communicate across different cultures and helps in removing linguistic barriers. Music conveys emotions and intent, where language expresses words and ideas. Hence, like language, it can be passed on to generations, creating a sense of continuity.

Binds Us Together

Music is a powerful social magnet. It is a thing that people who differ on anything and everything can have in common. When you listen to music or play it with other people around you, it makes you feel connected and find each other more favorable. It does not matter where you come from; music treats everyone the same. It increases empathy, social connection, and co-operation.

Enhances Focus

The sound of music does not let you get swayed away by other people’s noises. It helps you improve your concentration on the task.

Helps in Sleep

Sometimes soothing music can be the best remedy that can help in putting you off to sleep.

Creates Ambiance

Imagine a party without music or a movie without songs. Music in the background adds to whatever you are doing, be it work out or cooking or walking in nature.

Music is a robust form of magic. It expresses the inexpressible and fills a void that we need to enrich ourselves and our lives, provide unending experiences, and enhance our skills. It keeps a fountain of joy alive in the times of sorrow and dissolves perplexities.

Music is like a magic wand, which opens the most tightly closed hearts. So, seek the right soundtrack for your life and stay tuned to it!!

A Survival Guide to Live Without Single-Use Plastic

July 21, 2020 by Bob Singhal

How long did you use your coffee stirrer this morning?

Less than 5 minutes, but it will persist in our environment for 100’s of years!

The best environmentally friendly product is the one you didn’t buy.

What are the Plastics?

Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic compounds that are malleable—a large number of household items made from various types of plastics.

What is Plastic pollution?

Plastic pollution is the accession of plastic objects and particles in the Earth’s environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, and humans.

What Are Single-Use Plastics?

Single-use plastics or disposable plastics are manufactured primarily from fossil fuel-based chemicals (petrochemicals) and are meant to be disposed of immediately after use—often, in mere minutes. Single-use plastics are used mainly for packaging and service ware, such as bottles, wrappers, straws, and bags. The average use period is less than six months, often less than 6 minutes. Single-use plastic is a part of everyone’s life and will continue to weave its way deep into our lives.

Plastic invented in the mid-19th century gained popularity in the 1970s. The lighter, durable, and affordable plastic replaced traditional paper or glass staples. For example, Plastic jugs replaced milk jars. Plastic forks, knives, shopping bags, coffee cup lids, water bottles, and straws are examples of single-use plastic.

Why Is Single-Use Plastic Bad?

Worldwide, 300 million tons of plastic are produced each year, half of which comprises single-use items, which almost equals the weight of the population of humankind. As per a report, only nine percent of the world’s nine billion tonnes of plastic got recycled. A significant portion of the plastic ends up in landfills, oceans, flora, and fauna. Plastics are non-degradable. Instead, they slowly break down into small pieces of plastic called microplastics. These microscopic plastic fragments, less than 5 millimeters long, are hard to dig out—and can be found far and wide. Some microplastics are tiny by design and size, like the microbeads used in beauty products or the microfibers in the clothing industry. These microplastics end up in the water, get eaten by wildlife, and inside our bodies. Microplastics can be particularly dangerous; when ingested, they can quickly pile up in an animal’s body and seed health issues, like punctured organs or fatal intestinal blockages. Plastic products take a thousand years to decompose. In the meantime, it contaminates to decompose our soil and water. The toxic chemicals used for manufacturing plastic get transferred to animal tissue, thus entering the human food chain.

Single-use plastic is responsible for half of all plastic waste in the world and contributes to a whopping 8 million tonnes of new plastic entering our oceans each year. When plastic is recycled more frequently, it reduces footprint.

A whopping 91 percent of Polyethylene terephthalate, the material that makes up most water and soda bottles, isn’t recycled and ends up in landfills or the environment. Small items like straws, bags, and cutlery, which are single-use plastics—are difficult to recover as they fall into the cracks of recycling machinery and are often not accepted by recycling centers.

Further, single–use plastic products have been enlisted in the fight against food waste, keeping food and water fresher longer, and reducing the potential for contamination. Plastic is the material of choice for these types of products because of its safety, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.

Forty percent of plastic produced is packaging, used just once, and then discarded. Forty percent of plastic produced is packaging, used only once, and then discarded.

Need to put Ban on Single-Use Plastics?

Plastic is a significant cause of environmental pollution. Plastic, as a substance, is known biodegradable, and products like plastic bags remain in the environment 400 years, polluting it immensely. It’s essential to ban plastic before they ruin our planet entirely. They are destroying nature due to their harmful effects and are the leading cause of land pollution today. When they enter the water body, it leads to water pollution. Once a revolutionary invention, plastic is now filling up our oceans and killing thousands of whales, birds, turtles. Animals unknowingly consume plastic particles and their food because of which untimely deaths of animals are on the rise. The production of plastic products releases many toxic chemicals, which is the primary cause of chronic diseases and illnesses. The polluted environment is the primary reason for various chronic diseases that are spreading quickly in human beings.

What’s the solution

To avoid this waste, we must reduce our demand for single-use plastic.

Tips for eliminating your life (and your community) of single-use plastics are as follows-

Always carry a reusable bag like a jute bag when you step out of the house. Also, carry cloth bags inside your handbag for any unplanned shopping. Carry your water bottle whenever you step out. Reusable totes and bottles are better for the environment than plastics.
Cook more often and reduce home delivery for food, to reduce your use of plastic-heavy takeout containers.
Buy in bulk. Avoid packaged goods individually, like snacks packets.
Comparatively, buying online sometimes has a lower carbon footprint than shopping in a store; online shipments are still massively full of plastic. Alternatively, you could walk, ride a bike, or take public transit to buy in-person for reducing your footprint and plastic waste.
Eliminate plastic wrap by storing leftovers in reusable containers. Try reusable and glass jars for an easy and decorative option.
Buy a metal or reusable bamboo straw for sustainable eating.
Converse with the owners of the restaurants you frequently visit. Demand for non-plastic alternatives to plastic straws, stirrers, or bags.
Be vocal in support of local plastic bans.

Can we survive without plastic

Yes, it is possible to live without plastic though this might be difficult at first. In this plastic-filled world, avoiding plastic can be pretty challenging. We need to find reusable and sustainable alternatives. Plastic adds convenience to our lives, but it needs elimination for the future of our children and humankind.

Plastic-free alternatives:

Stainless steel
Glass
Beeswax-coated cloth
Natural fiber cloth
Wood
Bamboo
Pottery and other ceramics

Let’s Lead the way to a plastic-free future

As you eliminate plastic from your life, you’re not only cutting your contribution to the waste stream; you’re modeling more sustainable living for those around you.

How to Improve Work-Life Balance

July 18, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

What is Work-Life Balance?

Do you get enough time at your disposal to spend it with your loved ones? Do you spend your leisure time enjoying life? Or Do you work for extra hours to complete your tasks assigned at work? Do you get confused between you having a career and a life? These questions will help you evaluate your work-life balance.

Work-Life balance describes the balance that an individual requires between the time allocated for work and different aspects of life. It means widening your life beyond work like family, friends, personal time to pursue your hobbies, exercise, entertainment, shopping and relaxing, etc. It does not mean separating your work and rest of life but, striking a state of equilibrium.

Amidst pandemic, people find it even more challenging to achieve this balance while working from home. Because without any proper schedule and unavailability of any domestic help, they need to manage their household chores in the time that was earlier set aside for office.

Consequences of Poor Work-Life Balance

Technology makes us accessible for work around the clock. Competition and fear of job loss make us work over-time. Over-utilized, over-worked, and an intense work environment affects the overall physical and psychological health of employees and deteriorates their personal-life in the following ways-

Health– Long working hours can make a person feel over-burdened, and can lead to stress. The symptoms can be irritation, poor concentration, and can also result in specific critical health issues like cardiovascular disease, depression, weak immune system, etc.

Fatigue– It makes you feel tired and exhausted and reduces one’s productivity and ability to think clearly. It can also cause frequent headaches, backaches, etc.

Changed Habits– A poor work-life balance can bump an individual into habits like alcohol consumption, smoking, stress eating, etc.

No Time for Family– Working for extra hours invades your personal life and your family time, which leads to dissatisfaction and can sour your relations.

Self-Doubt- When you see your peers doing good at work and enjoying life, but you being unable to maintain this balance, gives birth to a feeling of self-doubt and you tend to question your capabilities.

Achieving Work-Life Balance

Success is not the result of the amount of time we put in work, but the quality of time we put in. Too much of one thing (work) creates an imbalance that no one needs. Maintaining Work-Life balance is one of the most significant struggles faced by a common man and below are the ways to achieve it-

Make a To-Do list and Re-think your tasks- Start your day by making a to-do list of all the essential tasks that we need to complete by the end of the day. Re-think and postpone the work which you can do later. Try to focus on those tasks that only you can do. Delegate or outsource what can be done by others, either personally or professionally. E.g., If some-one can do laundry, let them do it for you.

Plan your day and draw a line- Set time-bound targets for yourself to complete a given task. It will keep you busy during the day and will not transmit the feeling of being in a rush because if you don’t run the day as per you, it will make you run tirelessly. When you plan your working hours right, you draw a line for yourself to maintain that balance by not working overtime, not working beyond your capacity, not working on a weekend, or leave.

Let Go Perfectionist Attitude- Some people have the habit of re-checking every work that they get done through others. But you need to understand that as you climb up the ladder, you cannot scrutinize everything considering your responsibilities and time constraints. Therefore, you should part ways with such a perfectionist attitude and resort to random checks to complete your duties effectively in time.

Prioritize and Limit activities- Most of us spend too much time on urgency and not enough time on what is important. You must have heard ‘Time is Money’ and investing time in wasteful activities and people at work like gossiping, taking coffee/ smoking breaks to accompany others, surfing social media, which will result in stretching beyond working hours. Therefore, the key is not to prioritize things on your schedule but schedule your priorities and what is important in your life. A day has 24 hours, and to make the most of it, you need to trim the unnecessary activities and accordingly plan your time.

Unplug- Technology has taken a toll on every aspect of our life, be it personal or professional, and has set an expectation of constant accessibility. Keeping yourself engaged on devices like phones, laptops by sending official texts/ responding to emails, etc. can induce restlessness and stress in your subconscious mind. Therefore, it is vital to shut down all the devices after a particular time of the day, give undivided attention to your loved ones, and enjoy the moment.

Exercise & Meditate– Even in the busiest times, we sleep, take a bath, eat. It is crucial to spare some time of the day for yourself and your re-creation. Try doing exercise and meditation as it helps in taming your wandering mind, gives you positive energy, and reduces your stress by lifting your mood. You need not spend hours on this self-care routine, but you can start with simple breathing exercises and devote at least 15-20 minutes for making peace between your mind, body, and soul.

Flexible Work Structure- Does your company has a work structure of fixed working hours per day? When we have set working hours and less work to do, one has to stay in the office to complete their time, which instead could be spent with family. Therefore, employees should demand, and companies should move to a flexible work structure where they can spend appropriate time with family rather than sitting idle or engaging in unproductive activities looking at the tick-tock of the clock in the office. One example of a flexible work structure is work from home.

Engage in Relaxation Programs once a week– In this new era, even corporates have started some stress off-loading activities for employees twice a week like Dance, Yoga, Martial Arts, etc. But when the employer takes these initiatives, the employees tend to miss these activities, assuming what their manager will think about them or considering their burden. But you need to understand that the company is investing for you and you should take a break and attend these at least once a week to relax your mind and body.

An improved work-life balance also benefits employers. When an employee enjoys being at work, it increases job satisfaction and security, improves productivity, enhances loyalty, and commitment, reduces absenteeism or attrition, and improves the overall organizational image.

Remember that in life, you juggle to balance work, family, friends, and health. Work is a rubber ball; if dropped, it will bounce back. But other aspects are balls of glass. If any of them falls, they will irrevocably shatter. So, do not become so busy making a living that you forget to live. Don’t let work encroach on your personal time. Getting off the track and out of balance is a path toward Sadness, Fear, Self-doubt, Stress. So, Invest to achieve work-life balance and let these go.

How to Adopt Sustainability During The Pandemic

July 16, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

The concept of sustainability has once again gained momentum during this time of the pandemic. Sustainability is the ability to use the available resources so that future generations’ needs can be met and not compromised. The world is facing such pressing times that many people have lost their jobs and are forced to rethink their over-the-top lifestyle and are bound to cut their extravagance and resort to simplicity. However, if you are capable of maintaining your current lifestyle with God’s grace, the need of the hour is to help those who have been cornered by this pandemic.

In this time of crisis, where staying at home or working from home is the new normal, people are feeling stuck at home. Therefore, below mentioned are a few simple tips to engage yourself productively while adopting sustainability-

Clean & Organize- In today’s fast-paced world, we often remain so caught up in the daily routines that we blame time for not cleaning up our household stuff like wardrobe, kitchen shelves, etc. Also, we purchase too many things that we forget to use the old ones when new items arrive. Therefore, utilize this time to clean and organize your wardrobe and storage rooms where you can find some old clothes/ utensils/ electronics which no longer fit your requirement, or you will not use them again and donate them to someone in need. Stack them all at a place, so that you remember to give it away later.

Exercise without equipment- Exercise is vital for one to be in shape. But during the pandemic, where it is advised not to visit gyms, you can do your workout at home or anywhere else without any equipment. Some of the exercises are-

Jumping Jack,
Skipping Rope,
Jog on the spot,
Push-ups,
Squats,
Crunches,
Plank,
Sun salutation,
Lunges,
Stair workouts,
Burpee

Plant your own Garden- Utilize your time, pick up a spade, play with some soil to plant the seeds of fruits and vegetables like mint, coriander, aloe vera, basil, spinach, tomatoes, etc. Learn the gardening techniques, plant seasons and cycles, amount of water required, etc. Use these non-chemical-based foods from your garden while cooking.

Re-use your Kitchen waste- Do not throw away your kitchen waste like peels of fruits and vegetables. You can create a compost that can be used as a fertilizer in your garden. Also, the water used to wash rice, pulses, and other eatables, etc. should be used to water your plants to avoid wastage of water.

Give your books another life- Books are said to be the best friends of a man. Everyone has some books which, once read, are not touched again or books that were gifted by someone and are untouched because they were not of a genre that you like. You can either sell these books to a second-hand bookstore or exchange it with someone for another book or something that you need.

Walk or use Bicycle- With a higher number of people staying at home, fewer cars on roads have made the air quality better. When it is highly required to go outside to a nearby place or store, you can contribute your share of being sustainable and reducing the carbon footprint by walking to the location or by riding a bicycle.

Focus on your Diet- While grocery shopping is the most common reason for stepping out these days, it should be avoided. With plenty of time in hand, it is time to be more aware of the food you consume like how many calories/ nutritional value it has, is it grown using sustainable means, is it processed or organic, is it local, etc. You should avoid eating outside, and try your hands-on new healthy dishes by exploring some recipes, eat healthy food rather than junk food.

Buying from local businesses- Small businesses and restaurants have got the most significant setback through this pandemic. People are moving to online shopping, which leads these small stores to collapse. Instead, use their home delivery services and use your power wisely by being careful about what and where to buy. This support will also help in creating more jobs.

Energy-Saving Techniques- Take time to make energy-efficient replacements in your home by replacing CFLs with LED lights, use natural sunlight to dry the clothes instead of dryers, etc.

Less use of disposable items– Using Glass Containers instead of disposable items like plastic plates, reusable cloth to substitute paper towels for cleaning up the mess, etc. will save you from exposing you to crowded places, super-markets and will also reduce wasteful consumption.

Support Essential Workers- We heavily rely on domestic helpers, labor, farmers, rag pickers for our daily activities and hygiene. It is our responsibility to support these essential workers by offering monetary help, or providing them with necessary means like a mask, gloves to fight the virus.

It is time to stop and consider the impact of our wasteful habits. Together we can make it possible to limit our ever-growing consumption in a world of finite resources.

Let us not push our planet in the same place, where it has recovered from during this phase of lockdown. This is the correct time to be a responsible, ethical citizen and show our unshakable commitment to adopt a Zero-waste mechanism and make sustainable living more convenient, sustainable businesses more profitable, and sustainable change to be fashionable.

How to Believe In Yourself & Change Your Life

July 10, 2020 by Bob Singhal

Confidence is a valuable asset in life; never lose it.

Trust yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do, and at some point, you will.

What does God say about believing in yourself?

“Only when you believe in yourself can you believe in God.

It is a very well known fact that if anyone wants to succeed in life, they must believe in themselves. We have to believe in ourselves and our abilities because our inner faith will create our external results.

What is the meaning of believing in yourself?

To have self-confidence.

To have confidence in your abilities and potential.

To believe your knowledge and wisdom

To think that you can do anything.

When you acquire a belief in yourself, you can make progress and be a self-confident person.

Why believing in yourself is so important:

Somewhere deep down, you know what kind of person you were designated to be. You need to know and respect your nature. Confidence is not something that you are inborn. Its a skill set. Self-confidence is a prerequisite for taking any massive action, whether in business or personal life. It would help enhance yourself- your abilities, skills, and passions- to step into entrepreneurship or any other yearning. Believing in yourself is the keystone of extraordinary leaders because self-confidence lets you direct and motivate others with conviction. Learning how to believe in yourself is crucial to creating a life to desire. Suppose you don’t believe in yourself, why anybody else is going to believe in you. A strong belief in yourself reaps you innumerable benefits. It gives you unlimited power, feeling of certainty, assurance, permanence, and rigidity. You recognize your capacity to attain targets. You’re positive about the future as you set goals and achieve them. Deep down inside, you know that nothing is impossible.

What happens when you start to believe in yourself?

By default, believing in yourself creates positive energy.

You begin to focus on the positive things in the world around you. As you start to expect the best, you will begin to see things happening that are entirely in alignment with your desires and goals. Being thankful for the joys of life will slowly take over more of your thoughts, driving the anxious self-doubt and negative emotional patterns.

How do I believe in myself again?

Life is full of experiences. We take out interpretations from everything that happens around us, whether it is good or bad. Not many of us live the life that we have always wanted to live. The world we live in is exceptionally competitive and demanding, and people start doubting themselves and their abilities when they come across failure. The best way of believing and restoring faith in yourself is by getting rid of inferiority. Most of the people who are scared in life suffer from this problem. People immediately lose confidence in themselves when encountering setbacks, failure, and fear. They give in on their life goals as soon as they face the first setback.

One of the leading causes for this is that they do not believe in themselves. When there is a shortage of confidence in you, others will take undue advantage and pick up on that and won’t take you seriously. The feeling leads to low esteem. Low self-esteem could be because of many reasons. One cause could be an unhappy childhood where parents ( or other significant people such as teachers) were extremely critical. Unfortunate academic results in school pave the way to one’s lack of confidence. Other remarkable reasons could be stressful life events such as relationship breakdown or financial trouble. Results for the efforts are not visible, or effects are taking a long time.

The remedy would be to accept that challenges are part of life. There will always be one challenge or the other. A few failures are not the end of your life. It would be best if you got back up again.

Here’re ten ways to believe in yourself again:

Accept Your Current Situation.
Think About Your Past Success.
Trust Yourself.
Talk with Yourself.
Don’t Let Fear Stop You.
Let Yourself Off the Hook.
Go with a Positive Attitude.
Let a Life Coach Help You.
Keep moving forward and never look back
Let life move you

Things to Recall When You Don’t Believe in Yourself

Belief in yourself begins within.
You are not your successes or failures.
It’s your life.
Keep moving forward.
You are closer than you think.
You can become better.
Do not designate yourself by one moment in time.
You are evolving.
Break the big goals down
Find the courage
You control the narrative
To win at life, you must get in the game
Focus on the good
Find the lessons and learn from the morals
Celebrate your uniqueness

How to Acquire Self-Confidence and Start Believing in Yourself

List your past successes and accomplishments. …
Seek positive feedback from others. …
Probe into your current negative beliefs and replace them with positive ones. …
Take tiny steps and make small changes. …
Build momentum. …
Think of a fear you have overcome.

You have to trust yourself, challenge yourself, and push yourself until the very end, that’s the only way to succeed. When you believe in yourself, everything falls into place. Have faith in your abilities and work hard, and there is nothing you cannot accomplish.

The world is beautiful. But life is short. Hence, it’s essential to enjoy every moment of life. This life is solely yours. Now it is your discretion whether you can afford to waste your time in petty matters or strive for something big and fruitful. So, when you believe in yourself, the world believes in you. Have faith in your abilities, work hard, and there is nothing you cannot accomplish. Confidence is the key to get ahead in life. The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you fear to do! Confidence transpires naturally with success, but success comes to those who are confident.

11 Ways to be Happy and Lead a Happy Life

July 9, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Are you happy with the way you are leading your life? Do you feel too depressed to experience happiness in little things? Happiness does not come from big things like success, or cannot be bought through money, as some of the richest and successful people are also not happy in their lives because it is not about how much we have, but how much we enjoy that creates Happiness. Happiness knocks your door when you cherish and enjoy what you have rather than cribbing about and chasing what you do not have. It comes when there is harmony between your thoughts, words, and actions.

We can find Happiness in little things like getting a compliment, dressing up, helping someone, a warm hug, etc. A happy mind resides in a healthy body. Happiness improves your productivity and overall health. Regardless of how happy one may seem to be, they must have had times when they question themselves if they can go on. It is about being content with who you are and not who people think you are. You deserve to be happy and live a life that you are excited about. Do not let others make you forget that. It is never too late to start being happy. Here are 11 simple ways to be happy and lead a happy life:

Live in the present

We often focus on what happened in the past and what will happen next, that we forget to live and enjoy the present. We live in a world where we do not even know what will happen tomorrow. So, why not enjoy living in the moment and find Happiness, for Happiness is the heavenly experience of living each moment with love, poise, and gratitude.

Pursue your Hobby/ Passion/ Dream

Every individual has a hobby/ passion that they want to pursue but could not do the same because of time constraints or maybe under societal pressure, and they find it inappropriate to take it up as a profession. It can be anything like painting, playing guitar, swimming, photography, etc. Take out some time from your routine to pursue your passion and even if it means doing it part-time because it gives you Happiness.

Say No

Learn to say No to people and situations that become a hindrance to your Happiness and do not promote your well-being. Choose to let go of those who try to drag you down. Instead, choose your Happiness and your growth over them. Settle for those who inspire you to accept yourself the way you are.

Talk to Your Friends

Having friends is itself a source of Happiness. Catching up with a friend and talking your heart out is an excellent stress buster and can brighten up your day and make you forget all your pain. You can be you; you can laugh and be happy.

Take a Break

It is of prime importance to channelize your time correctly to take breaks for rejuvenation in whatever tasks you do, be it your office work or your household chores. At times, it is essential to take breaks from your routine and go out for a vacation, which will revitalize you and make you happy and energized.

Smile More

Laughter is the best medicine. So, laugh, or smile every day because it releases your tensions while frowning over little things increases it. Smile is contagious, so spread Happiness around, and you will get it back.

Appreciate & Accept than Complain & Judge

Life is too short for having grudges against someone as it curtails your Happiness. Apologize when needed because a few years down the line, you will laugh at how you dealt with situations or people. Don’t judge anyone. Life is too short to regret or to be unhappy. Appreciate what you have, learn from your mistakes, and accept the good with the bad.

Find Happiness in Little Things

You are entitled to live happily. Take pleasure in doing little things or do things that make you feel relaxed and happy. It can be walking around in nature, the smell of mud after the rain, sipping coffee while reading a book, praying, meditation, making travel plans even if they do not materialize, surprising a loved one, sleeping for an extra hour, etc.

Give More and Expect Less

One simple rule to be happy is to remember that No one is the in-charge of your Happiness besides you. The more you expect, the more it will lead you to dissatisfaction, and the lesser you expect, Happiness will be showered on you. Therefore, try to selflessly help someone in need, buy food for a needy child, and donate to the destitute. These acts will help you realize what true Happiness is.

Think Positively

Our life is shaped by our mind, for we try to re-create what we think, and the only thing that we can control in this dynamic world is how we handle things. Therefore, step out of your comfort zone of negative thoughts and make an effort to imbibe positive thinking that will uplift your mood.

Be Adaptive to Change

We live in a rapidly changing world, therefore if you hold yourself tight, be stringent, and cling to your old habits, you will never be happy. Therefore, we need to row our boat along the flow of water to keep pace with the changing times.

To feel happy, things around you need not be perfect; instead, you should try to look beyond the imperfections. “Happiness is like a butterfly. If you keep running after it, it keeps flying away. But if you stand still, it comes and sits on your shoulders.” Happiness is an on-going practice of making a choice, and it becomes difficult to sustain by clinging on to the past or old habits. Therefore, Live in the moment and enjoy it. Remember that there is no path to reach Happiness, but Happiness itself is a path. So, keep walking along the path of Happiness and achieve what you want to.