33 Simple Ways To Be Happy, Healthy And Spirituality Connected
Everything we do, we do in the pursuit of happiness- I read this in a book a few days back and first thought it wasn’t true, but when you actually break down everything you do, be it positively or negatively charged you do to either create more happiness or to try and keep hold of your happiness.
When you eat you do so to be contented. When you go to work you do so to try and create more freedom and happiness. Even when you argue with someone in the cue in Starbucks- you do so because you are trying to preserve your happiness.
Many mental health problems arise as a result of pursuing happiness. Wars break out because scared men and women are having there happiness compromised. Even an abusive partner, acts abusively because they are terrified that someone is going to come and take their loved one and happiness away from them.
Happiness is elusive, irrational and can at times be an emotional roller coaster. Its pursuit can make you feel good, bad and everything in between.
The fact is happiness is important, we all want it- even if it is on an unconscious level and in this article I am going to give you 33 Simple Ways To Be Happy, Healthy And Spirituality Connected
Express Gratitude-
Do you know when the best time to express gratitude is? When it feels like everything is falling apart.
When you look you will always find something that you can be happy about!
Show gratitude for everything that shows up in your life, big or small. Do this every day and you will soon realise just how blessed you already are.
Show Compassion-
If there is something you can do to help someone then do it! We have all been down on our luck at some point, so treat people with the love and kindness you would like to be treated with.
Think of life like a big circle, what you put out to the world eventually comes back around. So be compassionate at every possible opportunity and the world will reflect this kindness straight back at you.
Show Empathy-
Empathy is a little different from compassion, it is the ability to walk in someone else’s shoes, view the world from their perspective and try to understand why they are doing what they are doing or why they are in the situation they are in.
Empathise with everyone, even those who make you feel bad. Because those who make you feel bad are projecting their pain and insecurities onto the world, it is not your job to take on the problems of the world, but just realise that anyone who acts out is doing it out of their own pain and suffering, not because there is something wrong with you.
Ask For Guidance-
Being non-religious, but spiritual this one was a little weird for me. But prayer works, even if you are unsure who/what it is exactly you are praying to.
There are 2 ways that this could be working- Firstly it could be working like an affirmation, which strengthens your mind to work more effectively or secondly it could be a connection to something more significant than ourselves which guides us.
However it works the fact remains that it does work, so ask for guidance, ask to be better, ask for miracles and they will show up.
Follow The Synchronicities-
It’s like the scene from the movie The Matrix, when on Neo’s computer screen it says- Follow the white rabbit, then some people come around to buy a computer programme and ask him out for drinks, which he declines.
Then as they go to leave he sees a white rabbit tattoo on the woman’s shoulder and follows it. I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but let’s just say the world starts to make a lot more sense to him after that.
You will have moments like this in your life, when things/people/opportunities pop up and help you on your path, this is a sign you are onto something big. So when these meaningful coincidences happen, go with it and follow the white rabbit each time it shows its head.
Meditate-
Take time out every single day to meditate, its easy, its free and it is the most spiritually connecting thing you can do.
It doesn’t have to be long, if your mind will only allow you to focus for a minute or two then just take that short moment and work your way up. Keep it simple, use music if you need to, focus on your breath and just meditate.
Use Sound-
Sound is powerful as it has the ability to change your state in an instant. Use meditation music to relax you and uplifting music to motivate you.
You can also use mantras, Tibetan bowls or any sounds that help you to feel more connected.
Watch The Sky Day And Night-
Lay down outside in the daytime and watch the clouds go by and in the night watch the stars go by.
In the day it is like you are viewing your world and the sky that contains it and when it gets to the night time you realise how small we are in an expansive universe .
Sky gazing is a very meditative experience so take time out every once in a while to view the universe around you.
Listen To Your Body-
As a result of becoming more spiritually connected you will become more connected to your body. So listen to it carefully as sometimes it will be able to tell you what is wrong before your mind can.
Learn about the Chakras and what each of them represents and when a feeling arises in a particular area you will be able to connect the feelings of disharmony with the chakra to help fix the imbalance.
Use Imagery-
There are images related to each chakra that you can use for meditation. Sacred geometry is also something that you can either visualise or physically look at for spiritual practice.
But not only that, you can use pictures of loved ones, pictures of your goals or any image that resonates with you deeply as a little reminder to stay present.
Do What You Love-
There is nothing that will make you more happy than doing what you love, so if you can’t do what you love all the time, at least take out some time every day to do things that you love.
What are your hobbies, your interests or the things you feel drawn to? Take time out every day to connect with what it is you love to do!
Fast-
I am not a doctor, so please consult a medical professional if you are thinking of fasting. With that being said fasting is one of the most grounding things you can do.
It can be challenging, because your stomach is telling you to grab for food. But if you can get over them initial cravings it will not only give your digestive system a rest, but also give you some deep reflective thinking time.
Just make sure if you are going to fast that your day is going to be one of rest, because while fasting is great when you are able to relax, if you are busy while fasting you will just be hungry and pissed off.
Forgive-
Holding on to grudges do not serve you, so practice letting go, even if you have to start small. It is like what I said about empathy a minute ago, try to put yourself in the shoes of the person who has wronged you.
If it is something really big, think of what they must have experienced in their lives to do something so bad.
To forgive is not to accept that person back or even forget the pain that they have caused, and you don’t even need to let them know you have forgiven them. What it is, is you taking control of your life and letting go of the pain and suffering someone has caused.
Tell People How You Feel (Just The Positive Stuff)-
If you love someone, tell them you love them. If someone has had a significant impact on your life, let them know what they mean to you. Connect with those around you and don’t be afraid to let people know how you feel!
Be Patient-
I mean this spiritually and generally- In your spiritual practice there will be some moments when you feel like giving up. Keep moving forward and keep your practice up. Spirituality opens up your mind to a lot of things, just trust the process and keep on going.
The same applies for your day to day life, you can’t have everything now. So when aiming for something and it feels a long way away, just remind yourself of how far you have come, what you are doing to make it happen and practice being patient.
Be Vulnerable-
You don’t have to have all the answers and there will be times when you struggle to hold it together. Don’t worry you are not a machine. Learn what your flaws are and accept them, be vulnerable and be around people who accept that.
Write Down Your Thoughts-
Journal as often as you can, because some of the biggest revelations about yourself will come from here. Make sure you have lots of pads of paper and pens lying around the house and try not to leave the house without something you can write your thoughts on.
Another good thing about this is you can come back to these thoughts and see how far you have come and how you came to some of the conclusions in your life.
It is also very therapeutic to let out your thoughts and feelings and will open up your mind and help you to connect to yourself.
Connect With The World-
Get out into nature every once in a while, take long walks and use these moments to ground yourself and be fully present and in the moment.
It is also good to connect with people, even if you are not talking or socialising with them. Go out in rush hour and walk around the busy streets or go to a shopping centre and just watch the people go by. But don’t be busy yourself, just observe and connect with those around you.
Read-
Read stories, read blog posts, read motivational stuff and read about what matters to you. Read to learn, read for fun and read just to be inspired. Take time out every day to read, even if it is just 5 or 10 minutes.
Read Koans-
Koans are derived from Zen Buddhism and are amazing for getting you to think outside the box and gaining some serious clarity.
These tricky little riddles are my go to source for getting unstuck in life, so if you are ever feeling deep and a little unsure of where you are going read a Koan to help gain some perspective.
Be In The Moment-
Those moments of the day when we are meditating are us practicing being present. That is why it is called meditation practice.
You want to transfer that presence to your day to day life- Eat consciously, play consciously, talk consciously and try to live as much of your life as humanly possible in the present moment.
Walk-
Walk and be present while you do so, there are not many problems in this world that cannot be solved or processed by walking. If you cannot solve the problem, then just walk longer.
Walking is good exercise, but also can take you away from the day to day grind. Find some time when you are not too busy and walk until you have solved your biggest problems.
Add Some Zen To Your Personal Space-
Pictures of loved ones, motivational pictures, crystals, statues, screensavers and incense, just a few ideas of things you can use to add some Zen to your space.
These will serve as a reminder and also make your space feel like it has some life in it, so surround yourself with things that you love so you have lots of little reminders.
Reflect-
Reflect on the good things and the bad things and everything in between. Look at how far you have come in the world, where you can improve and all that you have accomplished.
Write things down, think about them and schedule as much time as you possibly can for conscious reflection.
Work Out-
A lot of people are working out for the wrong reasons- I don’t want to be fat anymore, will not get you out of bed in the morning.
Do exercise that you love, do it consciously and do it for genuine positively charged reasons. There is nothing more spiritual than the euphoric feeling of pushing your body to the limit and completing an exercise that resonates with you and it also has the positive side effect of being pretty good for you to.
Observe People-
Get to know people in general, I am not just speaking about those who are already in your life. There is a massive world out there and what is normal to you is alien to others and the same can be said about what is normal to them.
See what makes other people tick, and what other people’s routines look like. Watch people in your car or on the bus or on the train. It is amazing how different we all are, while all being so similar.
People are great, so in a non-judgemental way, just observe and see what they are up to.
Visualise-
There are many ways that you can visualise- for more spiritual visualisation try to envision the person you want to be. Visualise yourself being compassionate, loving, kind and empathetic.
You can visualise for motivation or reaching goals on both a short term and long term basis. For this visualise yourself going through every step of completing the goals and feeling the feeling it gives you.
Take time out every day to visualise and imagine yourself being the best you can be and then live out the vision in your life.
Give-
One of the most satisfying things you can do is to give, so if you have acquired skills or have something that you can share with the world then just do it.
Give compassion, give kindness, give love and expect nothing in return. When you indiscriminately give, the world has a way of paying you back, so give what you can!
Eat-
Food is one of the fundamentals that we need for our survival so learn about food. Eat food that tastes good and gives you energy. Eat food that will sustain you. Food is something that we need every day, so eat consciously, taste every bite and forget to enjoy it.
Breathe-
Don’t forget to breathe, breathe deeply, breathe consciously, take in the air and give thanks for it. Realise how blessed you are to be a living, breathing, thinking and feeling human being.
Sleep-
To function on a normal level you will need plenty of sleep. So if you are tired don’t reach for the coffee, sleep! Most people need to sleep around 8 hours a night, but not everyone is the same. Get to know your body and the needs it has for sleep and don’t forget sleeping can actually be enjoyable!
Talk-
Find people you can connect with and talk to them. Whatever it is you are experiencing in your life right now there are people out there who have experienced the same thing and would love to help you.
Talk to family, talk to friends, talk to mentors and talk to strangers. Talk to learn and talk for fun. Just don’t forget to listen when doing so!
So that is it 33 things you can start doing now for more health, happiness and spiritual connection. I think it is important to understand that happiness is not something we attain, but more something that we live.
Happiness is something that can thrive through poverty and hardship. It is not exclusive to those who have no problems; in fact you will generally find the opposite to be true- that those who society says should be happy are not and those who have suffered tremendously are quite content in life.
I hope this article can act as a little reminder to stay present, happy and healthy and let me know which of these 33 things resonated with you the most by leaving me a comment below!
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