Lifestyle

Many lifestyle changes can help you be happier. Happiness isn’t something that happens by chance or by luck, it’s something that you can work on.

Happiness is the ultimate life goal, and it sometimes may seem out of reach. This outcome isn’t the case, however, because you can easily be happier. By changing some aspects of your life, you’ll notice a significant change in the way that you feel.

Before you know it, you’ll be happier all the time, and your life will continuously get better.

Lifestyle Changes That Help You Be Happier

1. Be Positive

This advice goes for both your thoughts and the words that you speak. While you may not think that you can control your musings, it is entirely possible.

When you find yourself thinking negatively, make an effort to change it into something positive. Likewise, when you are tempted to say something negative, say something else instead.

Over time, you’ll find these positive thoughts and words forming without effort. With this change, you’ll notice yourself being much happier overall.

2. Count Your Blessings

Even when it seems that everything is going wrong, there are still things to be grateful for. Think of all the good parts of your life.

This could be your favorite place to go or your favorite person to see. It can be your home or yard, or anything else that brings a smile to your face.

There is always something that you can be grateful for. You just have to find it. Remind yourself of your blessings each time you find yourself experiencing unhappiness. This, too, will become natural for you, and it won’t take much effort after a while.

3. Manage Your Finances

Money can be an enormous obstacle when it comes to living a happy life. When bills get behind, or there isn’t enough money to do what you want, it can be discouraging. The sooner you get your finances in order, the happier you’ll be.

You can do this by setting and following a budget. Another easy way to get your finances under control is to find things you can do without.

If you pay for cable each month but rarely use it, that is a good one to drop. Same with unused gym memberships, or any other subscription that you don’t utilize enough. Additionally, you can lower utility payments by being wiser about your water or electricity usage.

You could also come up with a savings plan to set aside money for upcoming purchases. This will make it easier and less stressful when the time comes to use the money.

4. Make Exercise a Priority

Exercise can be life-changing in more ways than one. Aside from the physical effects, it can also help your mind. Research shows that regular exercise can make you happier and smarter.

Exercise is one of the most effective ways to combat unhappiness, stress, anxiety, and depression. Plus, it can increase your self-esteem. With all of these perks combined, exercise is the perfect way to help you be happier.

Start gradually, increasing the length and intensity over time. Taking a walk each evening or doing yoga once a day is an excellent place to start. There are many exercise options, however, so find the one that you enjoy best.

5. Eat a Well-Balanced Diet

Taking care of your body is essential when it comes to your happiness. You’ll feel better, think more clearly, and be happier if you are eating a healthy diet.

Research shows this is because healthier food options can increase the amounts of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in your body. These are all hormones that will make you feel good, boost your energy levels, and help you concentrate.

6. Forgive Those Who Have Hurt You

Harboring negative feelings will make you unhappy, no matter the circumstances. By forgiving those who have hurt you, you’ll be letting go of some of the pain. Then, you’ll be able to move on and be happy fully.

7. Smile More Often

Of all the lifestyle changes that will help you, this one may be the easiest to implement. It may seem far-fetched that forcing a smile can make you happier, but there is research to back this theory.

The research shows that simple facial expressions can initiate emotions. Your brain can recognize the feeling you are trying to convey, and you’ll begin to feel a little happier.

8. Spend Time Doing Something You Love

Life gets busy, and leisure seems to be the activity that gets skipped when time is short. It’s important to make relaxation a priority, however, or you’ll get stressed out and unhappy. Make time to do something you enjoy, and you’ll experience happiness.

9. Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others

In the age of social media, it’s easy to get caught up in comparisons. It’s essential to avoid this, however, because it can interfere with your happiness.

Just remember, you aren’t the only one moving laundry baskets out of the background of photos. No one’s life is as perfect as it appears, so it’s not fair to compare yourself to anyone else.

10. Be Encouraging

While it’s important to encourage yourself, it’s also important to inspire others. By being encouraging, you’ll find yourself being more positive in general. If you make it a habit, you’ll find yourself happier.

11. Practice Deep Breathing

It’s only natural that you get stressed at some point. When you feel yourself getting tense, follow these steps:

• Close your eyes and think of something happy
• Take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth
• Repeat the deep breathing until you feel calmer

12. Get Enough Rest

Sleep is vital for your body and mind. You will have a more positive mindset if you have gotten enough rest. This will help you think happier thoughts and be more positive overall.

13. Use Your Time Wisely

You’ll be happier if you use your time wisely. Your deadlines won’t be so overwhelming, and you’ll be able to relax and feel calmer.

When you waste time doing things that don’t matter, you’re only causing problems for yourself. Avoid this if you want to be happy.

14. Write in a Journal

When you’re having negative thoughts, write them down. Getting them out on paper will help you release the feelings and move on.

By releasing those feelings and getting them out in a positive way, you’ll feel happier. The more often you do this, the easier it’ll be to let go of bad things in your life.

15. Declutter Your Space

Clutter can cause stress and other overwhelming feelings that can interfere with your happiness. If you make your space a place you enjoy, you’ll feel better.

Put up photos that inspire you or remind you of what makes you happy. Decorate with simple things that make you feel relaxed. Then, make sure everything is put away so that you can enjoy the space you put together.

16. Make a List of Things You Want to Do

This list can be short-term or long-term, or can even be your bucket list. Make sure you’re crossing things off your list regularly. This will help you feel personally accomplished, which will make you happier.

It’s essential to feel like you are getting things done for yourself, rather than just for work or home. When you do something you want to do, you’ll feel more in control of your life. Leisure is just as important as work.

17. Take Some Time Each Week to Unplug

Cell phones, laptops, and tablets can drain you mentally. Take some time to shut it all off and spend time unplugged and out of touch with the world. This will help you refocus and think more positively.

18. Spend Time Outside

Fresh air and nature can help you feel happier and inspired. Whether you enjoy the beauty in nature or you just bask in the fresh air, you’ll find yourself more relaxed.

This easy lifestyle change is one you should make a regular part of your day. Even a short amount of time outside can boost your mood and help you think more positively.

19. Re-think Your Relationships

If there are any relationships in your life that make you feel bad about yourself, it may be time for a change. Likewise, if there are any relationships that you think are holding you back, re-think those, too—the people you surround yourself with play a significant role in your happiness.

20. Spend Time with People You Love

Once you have re-thought your relationships, spend time with those who are left. Spending time with close friends and family will boost your spirits. Making sure to do this regularly will make you happier even when you aren’t with them.

Final Thoughts on Lifestyle Changes That Help You Be Happier

You won’t be happier if you aren’t willing to make some lifestyle changes. These changes will make you a better, happier person.

By implementing and practicing a few of them, you’ll find a significant change in yourself. Then, you can work on some of the other lifestyle changes later. You owe it to yourself to be happy, so make sure to make it becoming a happier person your top priority.

We live in a modern world where most people consume and pollute. Instead of wasting at such vast degrees, we should make a point to be as sustainable and self-reliant as possible. This effort is an excellent way to both help the earth and saves money. Here are 12 ways to live a sustainable lifestyle (and save money in the long run).

12 Tips for a More Sustainable Lifestyle

1. Grow Your Own Food

Instead of getting into the car to go to the store and putting toxins in the air and buying food that needed to be transported and possibly packaged, grow your fruits and vegetables at home.

Do your research to learn what foods grow best in your area and how to grow them. When the time comes, you’ll have the freshest vegetables possible. Plus, you will know exactly how they were raised and what they were treated with since you were the one who grew them.

2. Recycle

Recycling is the process of taking used material and repurposing it instead of adding to the already overfilled landfills in the world. Not everything can be recycled, but the items that can go to a recycling center which helps bring it to a new, reusable form.

Place plastic, paper, and glass in a separate container specifically for recyclable materials. In many cases, the city will provide a recyclables bin for you. In some cases, you may even be able to make money off of your recyclable materials. The following states offer money for bottles and cans:

• California
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Iowa
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• New York
• Oregon
• Vermont

If you live in one of these states, collect your cans and bottles. The recycling center will typically offer a nickel per item. You can help the environment while also earning some extra money. Talk to an employee at the center to learn about any other materials they would pay you for.

3. Ditch Your Car

Cars are a significant source of air pollution, especially in metropolitan areas. Many people drive to work or the store when they could easily take an alternative method of transportation. If you can take one car off the road every day by walking or biking to work, you are making a significant difference.

However, you should consider public transportation if walking or biking is not a reasonable method for you. If that also doesn’t work for your commute, create a carpool at your work.  You can save gas money by taking turns driving with other people at the office. It will reduce the number of pollutants in the air, too.

4. Install Solar Panels

One of the most exciting new sustainable inventions in recent years is the solar panel. You can place these on your home to generate your electricity. Of course, you still have backup power from the electric company. However, since you are producing your electricity most of the time, your electric bill will be significantly reduced or even nothing.

The solar panels collect the sun’s rays and turn it into electricity. When you need to use it, it’s distributed throughout your house. Since this method requires the sun, it works best in sunny locations.

The solar panels generally go on top of your current roof. However, Tesla has invented a roof made of solar panels. It’s expensive, but it’s attractive and saves you money in utilities.

5. Shop From Environmentally Responsible Companies

You have a lot of options as a consumer. It’s your job to make responsible decisions about who you buy from. You shouldn’t only focus on price. You need to pay attention to the way the company packages its products and their manufacturing practices. There may be a reason that a particular product is cheaper than the competition.

These items probably won’t last as long as other options, meaning you’ll spend more when you need to be a second product. Also, specific packaging and manufacturing processes are bad for the apartment.

6. Shop With Reusable Bags

Think of all of the plastic bags used when people go out grocery shopping or shopping at the local pharmacy. Even though they are plastic, these bags can not be recycled. In fact, some countries are even banning the use of plastic bags when shopping. Think ahead and bring your reusable bags.

There are sustainable bags designed to use over and over again. This habit will eliminate the need to use plastic bags. Just don’t forget to bring them with you when you head out to shop.

7. Drive an Electric Car

If you can’t possibly get rid of your car, that doesn’t mean you can’t make responsible decisions about the vehicle you drive. Some vehicles are known for being “gas guzzlers.” They consume a lot of gas. This moniker means you’ll be stuck going to the gas station more often and spending more money. Common gas guzzlers include Hummers and large trucks. Compare vehicles before buying.

Luckily, there are electric vehicles and hybrids now that don’t require as much gas. These vehicles rely on electricity or a combination of both electricity and gas. You won’t be stopping for gas as often or putting the same amount of pollution into the air.

8. Buy Energy Star Appliances

Most modern homes utilize refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, and other appliances to help complete chores. It’s almost unheard of not to have these appliances around the house. However, these appliances use up a lot of electricity and water. As they get older, they may even require more to complete the same amount of work. Specific machines are designed to use less water and electricity than usual.

These appliances will have an Energy Star sticker on them. This designation lets you know they adhere to a certain standard of efficiency. You will save money on your utility bills. Plus, you will be more sustainable.

9. Eat Local

Think about how food gets from where it was made to your plate. In some cases, this involves an extensive long-distance journey. The journey means putting pollution into the air. Plus, the food isn’t as fresh as it once was when it finally arrives at its destination.

Instead of eating at places that require the food to come from all over the country, eat at restaurants and shop at farmer’s markets who only use food from local farmers and butchers. This food is likely less expensive since it doesn’t require travel costs.

Plus, it will be some of the freshest food you can eat. In these types of establishments, the food probably wasn’t frozen at any point. Finally, it was perhaps picked off of the vine that same day!

10. Use HVAC System Wisely

It’s completely unreasonable to assume that people will live in hot summers and cold winters without an HVAC system. This fact is especially relevant if you live in a location with an extreme climate. However, you should use your HVAC system wisely.

First, you should get a unit with the Energy Star sticker we mentioned before. Also, you don’t need to set the unit to extreme temperatures. Instead of setting it at 68 degrees in the summer, try setting it at 78. You want to make yourself comfortable, but you don’t need to overdo it. You should also consider using a smart thermometer.

The smart thermometer can change the temperature when no one is in the home. It can even set it back when people come home for the day. Finally, get regular maintenance from a professional HVAC technician every year.

11. Vote

It’s your job as a citizen to vote about the things that matter to you. Since we can’t vote on particular legislation, we need to vote for people who put environmental issues at the forefront. Research local, state-wide, and national politicians to learn who will support you and others who want to live a sustainable lifestyle.

When it’s time to vote, you should stop by the polls and cast your ballot. Some people only vote during national elections, but it’s important to vote in every election if you expect to see a change in your area. These changes can even result in significant savings for the government.

12. Volunteer

There are a vast number of organizations that work to help environmental issues and help sustainability efforts. Make a point to support and volunteer with these organizations. You may learn things during your volunteer service. You may also be able to make a difference in your community. Look for organizations that make an effort to clean up nature and plant trees. There are also organizations designed to help animals.

Final Thoughts on Achieving a Sustainable Life That Saves the Planet (and your wallet)

The world needs our help. We tend to make more from the planet than we give. It also doesn’t hurt that being more sustainable can save us a lot of money, too. These tips are a great place to start, but keep looking for new ways to help.

Lifestyle of the Rich and the Instafamous: How to Launch the Blogger Career of Your Dreams

As recently as just 15 or 20 years ago, the idea of launching a successful blogging career would have sounded laughable. People didn’t think there was any way to make serious money sitting at a computer and blogging all day long.

But by now, you’ve probably heard plenty of stories about people who have launched a blogger career and managed to rake in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars every year by running a blog.

You’re not going to get rich right away when you start a blog. But if you play your cards right and build up your blog over time, you could turn it into a lucrative operation before long.

Here is how to launch the blogger career of your dreams in seven simple steps.

1. Pick the Right Blog Topic

First things first: before you can launch a blog, you need to sit down and think long and hard about what the topic of your blog is going to be.

Are you going to use your blog to talk about:

• Saving money?
• Finding love?
• Working your way through school?
• Buying cars?
• Playing sports?
• Something else entirely?

If you want your blog to blow up in a big way, it’s usually best to pick a topic that will appeal to a large number of people. If you choose to write exclusively about, say, exotic animals found off the coast of Northern Africa, you’re going to attract a lot less attention than you would if you started a blog called “Cats Are the Coolest!”

You should, of course, be passionate about whatever your blog is going to cover. But try not to have it be too niche if you can help it.

2. Set up Your Blog

Once you know what your blog is going to be about, set it up through one of the many blog publishing platforms that are available out there.

This part of the process is intimidating for some people, especially those who aren’t great with technology. But setting up a blog is a lot simpler than you might think. You can get your blog up and running within a matter of just minutes in most cases.

3. Start Filling Your Blog with Content

After you set up your blog, it’s going to be time for you to get to work. And there is going to be a lot of work that will need to be done within the first few weeks.

You’re going to need to fill your blog with content that people will want to read. That means you’ll need to brainstorm and develop some great blog ideas.

If you’re having a hard time coming up with ideas for blogs, view more lifestyle blogs like yours to see what they’re covering. You should not steal their ideas and try to pass them off as your own. But you can usually drum up some good ideas based on blog topics other blogs have done in the past.

4. Use the Right Headlines for Blogs

You can come up with the most amazing ideas in the world for your blog. But if you don’t start them off with the best possible headlines, you’re going to be in a world of trouble. You’ll find people won’t take the time to read your blogs when that’s the case.

There are a few things you should try to accomplish with your blog headlines. First and foremost, they should be as “clickable” as they can be. You want your headlines to entice people to click on your blog headlines to visit your blog.

You should also consider keeping SEO in mind when creating blog headlines. You want your headlines to include certain keywords and phrases that people might be searching for on Google.

Additionally, your headlines should help set the tone for your blog as a whole. Whether you’re going to be running a super serious blog about science or a snarky blog about socialites, your headlines should reflect the feel of your blog.

5. Post Links to Blogs on Social Media

Bloggers used to struggle to promote the posts they put together once they went live. In many instances, they had to put together email newsletters to blast them out to those who were interested in their work.

Today, social media has made it a cinch to promote blogs and get people interested in reading them. By posting a link to your blogs on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites, you can increase the traffic to your blog dramatically.

You do want to be careful about going too crazy with posting links to blogs on social media. You don’t want to run the risk of annoying your social media followers. But one or two links per day should do the trick.

6. Build Your Brand

Your goal throughout this entire process shouldn’t be just to establish a blog and get a few people interested in reading it. It should be to build up your personal brand and convince people to buy into you.

You want people to feel like they’re missing out on something special if they don’t read your blog. Building up your brand is easier said than done, but by blogging consistently and creating your own voice on social media, you can get the job done.

7. Find Ways to Monetize Your Blog

Bringing lots of readers to your blog is only half the battle. Once you’ve done it, you need to move on to figuring out good ways to monetize your blog so you can officially launch your blogger career.

Some bloggers choose to do this by selling ads on their blogs. Others do it by using affiliate marketing. There are even some who put together special promotional blog posts for companies willing to pay them to do it.

It’s up to you to decide the best way to go about monetizing your blog. Try to pick the one that’ll bring in money without compromising the integrity of your blog.

Get Your Blogger Career Going Now

Launching a blogger career is far from easy at the beginning. You’ll need to work your butt off to get your blog off the ground.

But once you get things going and build up some momentum, you’ll start to see results in the form of traffic and loyal readers. It’ll be a great feeling and will show you there is a strong market for your blog.

Check out our blog for tips on becoming a better writer so that your blogs stand out.