Trim Your To-Do List
Having a list of to-dos is a great way to stay organized, but it can also cause you to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Look at your own personal to-do list. Is it pages long? Does it make you feel good or constantly behind the eight ball? I suggest taking a long, hard look at your list and prioritizing the items that are truly important. In fact, you should cut your list by 50 percent.
Focus only on the have-tos and want-tos instead of the things you have on there just because you think you should. When your list feels manageable, you’ll feel more energized to tackle it. And as you start to cross off each item, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness. Besides, as you mark off old items, you can start to slowly add back the new ones.
Stop Deferring To Everyone
If you find that you are constantly letting others in your life make the decisions, it’s time to stop. Quit deferring to everyone else in order to make them happy. Instead, you should stand up for the things you want and speak up for yourself. Tonight, you pick the restaurant. If you don’t want to see the movie that everyone else has picked, say so.
It’s great to compromise some of the time, but when you are constantly putting your own wants and needs aside for the sake of others, you’ll be unhappy and dissatisfied in the long run—and that doesn’t help you or anyone else in your life.
Take A “Judgment Free” Nap If You Want
Sleep in on the weekends. Getting plenty of sleep is one of the simplest things you can do for yourself to improve your overall mood and health. After all, when was the last time you woke up from a great night’s sleep feeling unhappy? Instead of guilting yourself out of that afternoon nap in order to complete one more chore, you should let yourself relax and catch some sleep instead.
Push your Saturday morning workout back an hour or two and sleep in. After all, all of those things you “have to do” will still be there when you wake up — and you’ll be more refreshed and energized for taking them on. Give yourself the gift of guilt-free shut-eye. I promise you won’t regret it!
Date Yourself
Investing time in relationships is important, and that includes the relationship you have with yourself. Just as you schedule time to date your spouse, or go to dinner with a friend, I suggest marking out some one-on-one time for you and, well, you.
Go to a movie all by yourself and order popcorn just for you. Visit that museum exhibit you’ve been wanting to see. Try out the new restaurant that just opened in town. Spending some alone time, doing things that you enjoy, is a great way to recharge your batteries. Investing in your relationship with yourself is just as important as investing in the relationships you have with others—you’ll be able to come back to those relationships happier and recharged.
Make Massages A “Regular” Thing
For most of us, taking time out to get a massage, manicure, or hair appointment is a “treat” that we don’t allow for ourselves very often (if at all!). Instead of letting these pampering appointments fall into the “splurge” category, work them into your regular routine.
There is nothing wrong with taking the time to take care of yourself on a regular basis, whether that means a bimonthly massage appointment or working in the time for a long, hot bubble bath several nights a week. Feeling good shouldn’t be a “treat”—it should be a part of your everyday life.
The most important part of this exercise is that you make it last long past when the red-and-white heart decorations have been packed away. Make loving yourself a year-round commitment, not just an effort you make only on special occasions. You’ll find yourself happier, healthier, and more fulfilled the whole year through.
Todd Patkin is the author of Finding Happiness: One Man’s Quest to Beat Depression and Anxiety and Finally Let the Sunshine In. For more information, please visit his website.
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