Share

10 ways to get more out of life

accreditation
Shutterstock

Researchers from the University College London found that people who enjoyed their life the most were three times more likely to live longer than people who enjoyed their life the least. If you want to live longer by making sure you get the most out of your life then these 10 tips are for you.

Good friends

Having good friends in your life may not seem like a priority, but it should be if you want to get more out of your life. The Centre for Ageing Studies at Flinders University in Australia studied 1 500 older people over a 10-year period and found that those older people with good friends lived longer. The researchers suggest that friendships improve our lives because friends boost our self-esteem, help to keep us healthy and provide support when we’re in need.  So, if you want to improve your life make sure you work on your friendships.

Say yes

Wave goodbye to your routine, forget everything you thought you knew about yourself and throw yourself into new challenges, experiences and situations. Trying new things out, even if you don’t think you’ll like them, will make you feel free and you’ll also probably have a lot of fun along the way. Even if you didn’t enjoy an experience, by doing something that is outside of your comfort zone your confidence will be boosted. Just make sure you don’t do anything that goes against your morals or that could put you in danger.

Enter competitions

Can’t afford a a new holiday? Then enter a free competition. Not only because you might actually win an awesome prize without having to fork out, but also because according to a study conducted by moneysupermarket.com winning a competition you had forgotten you had entered was the second most popular little success that people found boosted their moods. The first was finding money you forgot you had in a pocket.

See yourself through other people’s eyes

A lack of confidence can be a big fat barrier that stands between you and opportunities that will help you to get the most out of your life. Yet building confidence can be a long process. If you want a quick confidence boost to get you through the short-term, pretend you are someone else and look at you through their eyes. Remember that other people won’t judge you as harshly as you do, plus they will also see qualities you miss.

Make more effort

If you don’t put any effort into things you can’t expect to get much out of your life. Making an effort, whether that means making exquisite meals when you can or putting 100% of your effort into your relationships, will ensure you get more pleasure out of the experiences and people that are already in your life. Alter your attitude and add some enthusiasm into your life so that you can really enjoy living your life.  

Get rich

Although we’re always told that money cannot buy happiness, a study undertaken by researchers at the University of Warwick has suggested otherwise. The study looked at 9 000 British families and found that those families that had a big windfall of money became happier and their psychological health improved. The researchers estimated that it would take a whopping £1m to turn an unhappy person into a happy person.  So, if you want to improve your life it might be time to start playing the lottery.

Take the best bits

Some situations in your life won’t seem like much fun, but learning strategies that help you enjoy those parts you don’t enjoy will boost your overall happiness. For example, if you hate working away from home try to do things when you’re away that you can’t do at home, such as indulging those habits that wind your partner up.

In 10 years time

A great exercise that will help you get the most out of your life is to imagine in 10 years time what you will regret more – not taking on a new challenge or opportunity, or taking the risk? Projecting yourself into the future helps you to take the enormity out of the present and you will feel more empowered when you have to make decisions that could help you get more out of your life.

Self-improvement

None of us are perfect, but that doesn’t stop us from striving towards flawlessness. Although we shouldn’t be too harsh on ourselves, recognizing areas that we can improve upon can make our lives a lot better. Ask yourself simple questions like: do I listen to people, am I too judgmental, could I be more proactive?  Once you’ve found one or two areas that need improvement, work at making yourself better. You’ll quickly notice how situations you might once have struggled in become a lot simpler to handle.

You have the power

There are some things in this life that are totally out of our control. Yet equally there are lots of things in our lives that we can control and if you want to get more out of life you should make an effort to understand which parts of our lives we can control because then we know what areas of our lives we can change. 

Read more on realbuzz.com...
Read '10 ways to get more out of life' on realbuzz.com
How to change your life in a day
10 steps for achieving your goals
Follow realbuzz on Facebook

Picture:  Dinner from Shutterstock


 
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE