“Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it” a quote by Dennis P. Kimbro. Between the hustle and bustle of work, taking care of your family and trying to manage your side hustle, it can feel like there’s no energy left for you. Here are few tips to help shape a happy and stress free life.
Make a Gratitude List
Every day, make note of the three things that you are grateful for. Internalize and reflect upon the things that are working in your life. It may be your child making an awesome ‘I love you mum’ card, enjoying your favorite meal, being in a beautiful place, time with family, or a simple moment you want to remember. Write down anything that you feel happy about and watch how, over time, your outlook becomes more positive.
Eat Well
Spoil yourself to nutritious healthy meals that make you feel good inside. Try out creative new recipes that will keep you excited about the idea of healthy eating. I especially love homemade chicken with Managu. It is to die for. The thought of a good sumptuous meal immediately makes me a happy person. So, think about the healthy meals you love and make a point to add them to your diet.
Get Enough Sleep
“Early to bed and early to rise makes someone healthy and wealthy and wise” a quote by Benjamin Franklin which my mother used to live by. I always thought it was my mum’s interesting way of kicking me out of the sitting room to reclaim her TV when I was a kid but that mantra starts to make real sense when you grow up and face life’s responsibilities. There’s no point bargaining on sleep in an attempt to be the employee of the month neither should you lose sleep trying to keep a perfectly clean house when you’ve got kids in it. There’s only so much you can do. Sleep is important to relax your brain, to relax your body and for you to rejuvenate back to your best self. When you get enough sleep, you can do the important things better, feel more relaxed and enjoy life in full colour.
Exercise
I will confess, making the decision to exercise is normally the hardest decision to make, especially early in the morning. But then I remember, the first day is always the hardest. Whether it’s running, strength training or a class, that first session is like a gift that keeps on giving, with muscle pains for days afterwards! Nevertheless, we all know from our own experience that when you start to exercise, you see results both physically and mentally. This is because exercise causes your body to produce endorphins – chemicals in the brain – which act as a natural painkiller and also improves the ability to sleep thus in turn reducing stress.
Treat Yourself every once in a while
It’s easy to neglect yourself when you have all these other responsibilities, but remember you cannot serve from an empty pitcher – Love and take care of yourself first in order to love and take care of your family. Take a break and treat yourself to whatever makes you feel relaxed, pampered and happy. A suggestion could be going to the spa: enjoy a full body massage or a mani and pedi and indulge in some white chilled wine while you are at it. If you’d rather stay in, cook yourself your favourite dish and sit in for a back-to-back series marathon. Do something that will make you feel warm and snuggly. Spoil yourself and enjoy that me-time you deserve.
Welcome to the happier side of life!
Words: Eve Kibare Illustration: Nzilani Simu